SULLIVAN, Maine (AP) A Maine conservation group is beginning the process of removing a granite dam in Sullivan, Maine, as part of project to make a brook more accessible to fish.

The Downeast Salmon Federation says it’s starting the work on Monday. The group says the removal of the dam from Smelt Brook is “part of a multi-faceted land conservation and habitat restoration project to bring smelt back to the stream.”

The group says the removal of the dam will connect Smelt Brook back to Smelt Cove, which sits at the foot of Frenchman Bay. That will allow fish such as smelt, brook trout and American eel to pass through the area.

The dam was built more than 50 years ago. The salmon federation says the removal will also restore salt marsh.