▁ 1 1 - foot - high ▁dam ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁to ▁generate ▁hydro elect ric ▁power . ▁It ▁dis rupted ▁the ▁annual ▁sal mon ▁fish ▁run ▁from ▁the ▁St . ▁Lawrence , ▁dep riv ing ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁res ervation ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁st ap le ▁food s , ▁and ▁advers ely ▁affect ing ▁the ▁populations ▁of ▁sal mon ▁and ▁other ▁mig rat ory ▁fish . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁the ▁dam ▁had ▁become ▁une conom ical . ▁It ▁would ▁have ▁cost ▁too ▁much ▁to ▁upgrade , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁included ▁current ▁requirements ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁fish ▁passage ▁in ▁efforts ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁species . ▁The ▁owner ▁gave ▁up ▁its ▁federal ▁license . ▁ ▁The ▁Saint ▁Reg is ▁Moh awk ▁Trib al ▁government ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁Federal ▁Energy ▁and ▁Reg ul atory ▁Commission ▁( F ER C ) ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁and ▁dis m ant le ▁the ▁dam , ▁which ▁they ▁did ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁Based ▁on ▁rest oration ▁of ▁fish eries ▁after ▁such ▁dam ▁remov als ▁in ▁other ▁locations ▁across ▁the ▁country , ▁they ▁are ▁optim istic ▁that ▁sal mon ▁and ▁other ▁mig rat ory ▁fish , ▁such ▁as ▁wal ley e , ▁will ▁quickly ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁region . ▁Thus ▁ 2 7 5 ▁miles ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Reg is ▁River ▁has ▁been ▁re open ed ▁to ▁mig rat ory ▁fish ▁that ▁spend ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁in ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁the ▁tribe