For nearly 40 years, biologists have counted the Atlantic salmon that return to the Penobscot River each year.

An Atlantic salmon makes its way to a holding tank at the Milford Dam fishway at Brookfield Energy in Milford back in 2015. (BDN file photo)

And recently, the Maine Department of Marine Resources’ Division of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat has issued a weekly report highlighting not only salmon returns, but the multitude of other species that are caught in the fish trap at the Milford Dam.

You can check the chart here: Milford July 14 2017

Late last week, marine resource scientist Jason Valliere sent along the most recent report and chart, with some good news: Despite working our way into the heart of summer, when warming waters sometimes slow or halt the salmon returns, fish were still heading upstream last week.

Valliere said that 64 new salmon were caught at Milford last week, bringing the total yearly count to 786. Of those, 280 were grilse; the remainder were older, multi-sea-winter fish. And as of July 14, 42 of those multi-sea-winter fish and 223 of the grilse had been released upstream of Milford.

Another highlight: The first shortnose sturgeon of the year was also caught at Milford. It was released back into the water downstream of the dam.