CARIBOU, Maine — Two major waterways that have fallen into disrepair will soon restore native brook trout populations, making the northern city of Caribou a destination for fishing and recreation enthusiasts.
Though located at different ends of the city, Collins Pond and Otter Brook historically served as pathways for brook trout migrating to and from the Aroostook River. In the last century, both waterways have had large-scale environmental damage, driving away wildlife.
Nearby residents and visitors have also missed out on opportunities to fish at those waterways and benefit from walking trails connecting to Caribou’s downtown.
But if city officials have their way, Collins Pond and Otter Brook could become wildlife and recreational hotspots again within the next several years, drawing more outdoor enthusiasts from other parts of the state and country.
Collins Pond, formerly known as Collins Mill Pond, used to be home to a 20-foot-tall dam. The dam held water into Caribou Stream and Collins Pond while workers from nearby S.W. Collins Co. moved logs downstream to the lumber yard.
As lumber mills modernized, S.W. Collins stopped using the stream and the dam began a more than 30-year deterioration.
Due to lack of maintenance, the city-owned, 124-year-old dam no longer exists, leaving virtually no water for the stream and pond. Overgrown grass fills the banks of Caribou Stream, making views of the nearly empty waterway less than ideal.
“Even with the heavy rain we’ve gotten in the past three weeks, the water levels have not increased at all,” said Gary Marquis, Caribou parks and recreation superintendent. “In the mid-2000s, the dam was holding back some water until mid-August. But in the last couple of years, there’s been no retention at all, even during the spring run-off.”
Caribou Parks & Recreation maintains Collins Pond Park and the 1.5-mile walking and bicycle path that loops around the pond into the city’s downtown. While the path remains popular with nearby residents, many miss the days when Collins Pond was a more eye-pleasing spot and a great place to go fishing.
That’s why Marquis’ department is taking on a $4 million-plus project to rebuild the dam and provide a new fishway for brook trout.
When the dam still existed, brook trout traveled from the Aroostook River through Caribou Stream every spring and populated the pond during spawning season. But the fish have not been seen in at least 30 years due to the pond’s and stream’s inability to retain water.
A new 4- to 5-foot-deep fishway will provide natural resting places for wild brook trout and ensure that Collins Pond becomes a breeding ground for the species. Marquis also expects that a newly filled pond and stream will attract Canada geese during their yearly migration south.
“It has been the last two or three migration cycles since we’ve seen geese land here to rest and eat,” Marquis said.
A $4.5 million congressional spending request from U.S. Sen. and Caribou native Susan Collins will fund most of the dam and fishway construction. Another $60,000 from a parks and recreation reserve account will fund the rest.
The $4.5 million congressional funds, if approved by the U.S. House and Senate in December, will be earmarked for the 2023 fiscal year and available in 2024. Marquis expects construction to begin in spring or early summer 2024. He and officials from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are working on potential fishway designs.
One thousand feet away from Collins Pond, a more recently restored waterway might soon become another means to attract visitors to the city’s post-industrial riverfront.
This month, the Maine Department of Transportation and the Caribou-based Soderberg Construction finished removing two former railroad culverts from the mouth of Otter Brook, which flows into Caribou’s portion of the Aroostook River.
Though brook trout have always inhabited the area, the culverts prevented many of the fish from journeying into the Aroostook River and growing their population.
“The culverts were hanging at the outlet of Otter Brook, and there was a big jump the fish had to make [to get into Aroostook River],” said Eric Ham, natural resources division manager for the Maine DOT. “The brook was filled with debris from the culverts.”
As Caribou works with nearby towns to possibly convert unused former railroad tracks into a rails-to-trails system, Marquis expects Otter Brook to become an asset for the city’s economic growth.
Though Caribou nor the DOT owns the land that Otter Brook flows through, Marquis plans to have conversations with the landowner about future amenities.
“[It would be great] to build an overlook where you can look out onto the brook. That would make a gorgeous view,” Marquis said.
