FARMINGTON — A public meeting is scheduled Nov. 8 to discuss options for the Walton’s Mill Dam and Atlantic salmon passage, along with concepts for improvements to the park next to the dam.

The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Farmington Community Center. It will be hosted by town officials and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

Two presentations will follow an introduction by Town Manager Richard Davis and  John Burrows from the federation. There will be a question and answer period.

The first presentation is an overview by Joseph McLean, an engineer with the firm Wright-Pierce. He will present data and initial findings from the fieldwork and analysis conducted over the summer and fall.

Information on Temple Stream will be presented, along with key findings related to hydropower potential of the dam and costs associated with the fish passage construction and dam removal options.

A draft of the initial written report from Wright-Pierce will be available for public review and comment. The report can be attained by contacting Burrows or the Farmington town manager’s office. All comments must be submitted in writing to Burrows by Monday, Nov. 27. 

For the second presentation, David Maynes, a landscape architect from the firm Richardson & Associates, will present conceptual designs for improvements to the town’s Walton’s Mill Pond Park next to the dam. 

The concepts were developed after a public design session held at the end of June and additional feedback provided over the summer. Community feedback on the park concepts is critical for steering the direction of the final park conceptual plan.

Following the meeting, the park concepts will be on display at the Farmington Town Office and the Farmington Community Center until Monday, Nov. 20. All comments should be submitted by then to Burrows.

FMI: Richard P. Davis, Farmington town manager, 207-778-6538, RDavis@Farmington-Maine.org; or John R.J. Burrows, director of New England Programs for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, 207-725-2833, john@asf.comcastbiz.net

(Image/USFWS National Digital Library)