Community Priorities

As part of our community engagement process, we wanted to share a summary of the priorities that we heard while in Ellsworth. There were three primary areas of discussion:

• Biodiversity: there was much discussion around the following priorities in regards to the biodiversity of the region

  • Increased fish in the river

  • Increased diversity of fish species in the river

  • Return of Salmon to the river

  • Healthy Alewive and Elver populations

  • Thriving heron and eagle populations

  • Clear, healthy waterways

  • Making sure that hazardous materials are not released into the river 

  • Seeing seals travelling inland

  • healthier lake levels for fish and other animals that are found in them

• Recreation: we captured a lot of insight into residents priorities around recreational use of both the river and lakes

  • Return of rapids to the river

  • Creating a navigable river

  • Investing in a trail system from the harbor park to Graham Lake

  • Providing multiple access points to water (river and lakes)

  • Availability and quality of recreational fishing 

  • More birding opportunities - including more birds and more viewing points

  • Water sports: kayaking, paddleboarding, boating and swimming both on the river and in the lakes

• Economic Impact: we had some great conversations on the economic priorities around the river and lakes

  • Maintaining shorefront property and property values

  • Investing in a recreational harbor, boat ramps and dockings

  • Investing in a commercial harbor

  • Welcoming new fisheries forelvers, alewives and shellfish

  • Generating electricity, and local benefit of power generation

  • Increaseing tourism with visitors to the river and lakes

  • Enhancing the downtown experience

  • Investing in beautification and placemaking along the river

  • Revenue from rentals and guided activities

  • Riverfront real estate turnover, primarily along Water Street

  • Investing in businesses that face the river

In addition to these three primary areas of focus, we captured several other ideas/priorities and concerns that are worth note, including concerns about flooding, the ability to stabilize water levels and the potential impact to personal wells. A few residents raised additional environmental priorities around supporting renewable energy. The desire to see ferry boats coming in to the harbor was discussed as well as using the river as a way raise cultural and historical awarenesss amongst residents and visitors. And finally, through a variety of different comments we heard a shared appreciation of the beauty of the river and lakes, and the sentiment that the river and lakes are the center of life for Ellsworth - they are the city's legacy in that they brought people to the area and have provided for many generations.