Michele Kaufman, 2013<\/p>\n
The Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers were historically low quality rivers due to\u00a0excessive industrial waste and transportation use on the rivers. Since the Clean Water Act in\u00a01972, work has been done on both rivers to improve their quality. The Kennebec river,\u00a0however, is being restored at a quicker and more successful rate than the Androscoggin river.\u00a0The rivers have different pasts, with the Kennebec being used primarily for transportation,\u00a0while the Androscoggin was populated with mills. Additionally, they are simply different\u00a0rivers, and to some extent there is a biological explanation for these differences. However,\u00a0these two points aside, the social and economic aspects of the rivers had not been evaluated.\u00a0Studying these aspects of the river provides further explanation for the difference in\u00a0restoration of the two rivers.<\/p>\n
More specifically, studying the role of river systems in local, regional, and state\u00a0economies provides insight into why different organizations may be working on various\u00a0aspects of river restoration. Three proxies for river restoration were chosen to more easily\u00a0compare the two rivers, allowing for more analysis to occur on the potentially arbitrary topic\u00a0of river restoration. The proxies were amenity development, FERC licensing\/dam removal,\u00a0and water classification.<\/p>\n
Forty interviews were conducted throughout the summer with a broad range of\u00a0stakeholders along the two rivers. Interviewees local NGOs, fishing guides, representatives\u00a0of municipalities, state and federal agencies, mills owners, and hydropower companies,\u00a0among others. Using a set protocol of questions, stakeholders were asked questions\u00a0pertaining to their perception of the current state of the rivers, changes on the rivers, actions\u00a0they are taking, a vision for where the rivers are going, and how they collaborate with other\u00a0organizations. Once an interview was completed, a contact summary form was written up\u00a0containing the main points and themes from the interview that would later be helpful in\u00a0analysis. Interviews ranged in length from 30 minutes to two hours. Interviews were tape\u00a0recorded and transcribed. All individual names and organizations were replaced for\u00a0confidentiality and anonymity. The interview transcriptions are currently being analyzed\u00a0using Nvivo, a qualitative data analysis software program.<\/p>\n
General themes that came up are that there are many small organizations working on\u00a0various dimensions of rive restoration, but there is a lack of unified vision. Motivations for engagement among stakeholder organizations varied.\u00a0\u00a0There is a general sense that as the Kennebec river has reached an “acceptable” level of quality, there is less engagement on the part of the general public.\u00a0 Additionally, stakeholder organizations sense that residents’ perception of the water quality does not match up with\u00a0actual water quality. This hs two implications.\u00a0 If residents perceive that water quality is lower than it\u00a0 it\u00a0actually is, they are less inclined to recreate near or on the river.\u00a0\u00a0 A second implication is that in cases where\u00a0residents think it is aesthetically pleasing and\u00a0therefore no work needs to be done, they are less likely to engage in restoration work. Lastly, interviews revealed that the rivers are\u00a0increasingly being viewed as\u00a0potential economic assets for the region,\u00a0 but there\u00a0are some lingering\u00a0tensions between the role of conservation and economic development.\u00a0\u00a0A follow-up survey will be sent out to the stakeholders this fall for a more\u00a0detailed study of river restoration.<\/p>\n
Faculty Mentors: Phil Camill. Eileen Johnson,<\/p>\n
Funded by the University of Maine, Sustainability Solutions Initiative<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michele Kaufman, 2013 The Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers were historically low quality rivers due to\u00a0excessive industrial waste and transportation use on the rivers. Since the Clean Water Act in\u00a01972, work has been done on both rivers to improve their quality. … Continue reading