On November 26, 2025 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ordered the relicensing of Fife Brook Dam and Bear Swamp Pumped Storage to Bear Swamp Power Company (BSPC) owned by Brookfield Renewable and Emera. Click here to download a pdf of the order. An agreement, which representatives of DRWTU helped to negotiate during the final stage of the process, is included as Appendix A. This agreement features a requirement to change the wintertime flow regime in order to protect brown trout spawning nests (redds). Congratulations to our members, friends, partners and all who helped to win a major victory for trout.
The Skinny: From November 1 to April 15, the minimum flow is increased from 125 to 225 cfs. Why is this good for trout? Based on results from spawning studies conducted by DRWTU in 2017 and 2018, ~40% of brown trout redds were ‘dewatered’ during minimum flows. This makes wild brown trout eggs in the redds vulnerable to death by freezing, predators, and dehydration. The power company has three years (from November 26, 2025) to upgrade the dam so that it can safely and reliably increase the minimum flow.
There may be some confusion about the new winter flow regime: The Greenfield Recorder implied that the dam operators would be continuously releasing 225 cfs over the winter period. We heard from at least one person who expressed concern that wintertime guided float trips would have to cease. The new higher wintertime flows would only be in effect when the dam is not generating. The increased minimum flows are exactly that – ‘minimum’ flows which occur when the power generation cycle is halted. During winter the dam operators often generate power for several hours 1-2 times per day. The typical wintertime release of 800-1,000 cfs is ideal for fishing from a raft.
In early January 2026, Brookfield filed to reopen the license with FERC. The filing concerns the requirement to maintain a minimum level (850′ msl) in the lower reservoir during releases from the #5 dam at Sherman Reservoir. This specification in the license limits Brookfield’s ability to produce power using the pumped storage facility (Bear Swamp) at will. The whitewater recreational interests moved to intervene and submitted comments. If Brookfield generates power during a recreational release in the Dryway, the lower class four rapids in the Dryway are neutralized. Neither the reopening of the license nor the intervention by whitewater interests threatens the agreement we negotiated on behalf of wild trout in the upper Deerfield. Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor these developments.
[DRWTU will provide clarification about the terms of the license and the negotiated agreement here in this post]