Kennebec River
The Kennebec River just south of Bath
Origin	Moosehead Lake
Mouth	Gulf of Maine, North Atlantic Ocean
Basin countries	United States
Length	149 mi (240 km)
Source elevation	1,024 ft (312 m)
Avg. discharge	9,111 ft³/s (258 m³/s) at its entrance to Merrymeeting Bay
Basin area	5,869 mi² (15,200 km²)

The course of the Kennebec River

A U.S. Coast Guard cutter breaks ice on the Kennebec River near Bath, Maine; March 2005

The Kennebec River is a river, 150 mi (240 km) long, in the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward where it is joined, at the The Forks by the Dead River, also called the West Branch^[1] then continues southward past the cities of Madison, Skowhegan, Waterville, and the state capital Augusta. At Richmond, it flows into Merrymeeting Bay, a 16 mi (26 km) long freshwater, tidal bay into which also flow the Androscoggin River and five other smaller rivers. The Kennebec then runs past the shipbuilding center of Bath, thence to the Gulf of Maine in the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean tides affect the river height as far north as Augusta. Tributaries of the Kennebec River include the Carrabassett River, Sandy River, and Sebasticook River. Image File history File links Kennebec_at_Winnegance. ... View uphill towards City Hall in Bath Bath is a city located in Sagadahoc County, Maine. ... River Wey near its source at Farringdon, Hampshire Headstream is the origin of water flow that initiates the subject watercourse. ... Map of Moosehead Lake. ... Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of North America. ... Atlantic and North Atlantic redirect here. ... Drainage basin. ... River Wey near its source at Farringdon, Hampshire Headstream is the origin of water flow that initiates the subject watercourse. ... In hydrology, the discharge of a river is the volume of water transported by it in a certain amount of time. ... Image File history File links Kennebec_River_Map. ... Image File history File links Kennebec_River_Map. ... For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Map of Moosehead Lake. ... The Forks is a plantation located in Somerset County, Maine. ... The Dead River in northern Maine (USA) originates at Flagstaff Lake and joins the Kennebec River at the West Forks. ... Madison is a town located in Somerset County, Maine. ... Skowhegan is a town in Somerset County, Maine, in the United States. ... Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine in the United States on the west bank of the Kennebec River. ... Location in Kennebec County, Maine Coordinates: , County Established 1754 Government  - Mayor Roger J. Katz Area  - City 150. ... Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. ... The Androscoggin River is a river in the US states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. ... View uphill towards City Hall in Bath Bath is a city located in Sagadahoc County, Maine. ... Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of North America. ...

History

The river was explored by Samuel de Champlain in 1604 and 1605. In 1607, the Popham Colony, the first English colony in New England, was founded near its mouth. The river, then known as the Sagadahoc River, also marked the northern border of the 1622 land patent of the Province of Maine granted to Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason. Samuel de Champlain, (c. ... The site of the 1607 Popham Colony in present-day Maine is shown by Po on the map. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... The Kennebec River is a river, 150 mi (240 km) long, in the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. ... A land patent is the right of ownership to a tract of land, usually granted by the federal or state government to an individual or private company. ... The 1622 grant of the Province of Maine is shown outlined in blue. ... Sir Ferdinando Gorges (1565-1647) was an early English colonial entrepreneur in North America and founder of the Province of Maine in 1622. ... Captain John Mason (1586 – 1635) was born at Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England. ...

Shipbuilding

The Virginia of Sagadahoc, the first oceangoing vessel built in the New World by English-speaking shipwrights, was launched into the river. Hundreds of wooden and steel vessels have since been launched on the Kennebec, particularly in Bath, the so-called City of Ships, including the Wyoming, one of the largest wooden schooners ever built. The sole remaining shipyard is the Bath Iron Works, one of the few yards still building warships for the United States Navy. The USCGC Kennebec was named after this river. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... View uphill towards City Hall in Bath Bath is a city located in Sagadahoc County, Maine. ... The Wyoming was the largest six-masted schooners built of wood and at all. ... Bath Iron Works from NAS Brunswick photo gallery Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. ... USN redirects here. ...

Ice industry

In 1814 Frederic Tudor began to establish markets in the West Indies and the southern United States for Ice. In 1826 Rufus Page built the first large ice house near Gardiner to supply Tudor. The ice was harvested by farmers and other who were inactive due to the winter weather. The ice was cut by hand, floated to an ice house on the bank, and stored until spring. Then, packed in sawdust it was loaded aboard ships and sent south.^[2] Frederic Tudor (September 4, 1783 - February 6, 1864) was Bostons Ice King, the founder of the Tudor Ice Company, and a merchant who made a fortune shipping ice to the Caribbean, Europe, and even as far away as India from sources of fresh water in New England. ...

Natural resources

Prior to the industrial era, the river contained many anadromous fish, in particular the Atlantic Salmon. The exploiting of hydroelectric power in the region reduced the runs of such fish. The removal of dams on the river has been a controversial local issue in recent years. The removal of the Edwards Dam in 1999 has led to increased anadromous activity on the river. Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ... Binomial name Salmo salar Linnaeus, 1758 Atlantic salmon, known scientifically as Salmo salar, is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the Atlantic. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ...

Statistics

The river drains a total area of 5,870 square miles (15,200 km²), and on average discharges nearly six billion (5,893 million) U.S. gallons per day into Merrymeeting Bay at a rate of 9,111 cubic feet per second (258 m³/s). The United States government maintains three river flow gages on the Kennebec river. The first is at Indian Pond, Maine ( 45°20′45″N, 69°575′48″W) where the rivershed is 1,590 square miles (4,100 km²). Flow here has ranged from 32,900 to 161 cubic feet per second. The second is at Bingham, Maine ( 45°03′06″N, 69°53′12″W) where the rivershed is 2,715 square miles (7,030 km²). Flow here has ranged from 65,200 to 110 cubic feet per second. The third is at North Sidney, Maine ( 44°28′21″N, 69°41′09″W) where the rivershed is 5,403 square miles (13,990 km²). Flow here has ranged from 232,000 to 1,160 cubic feet per second. Two additional river stage gages (no flow data) are in Augusta, Maine ( 44°19′06″N, 69°46′17″W) and Gardiner, Maine ( 44°13′50″N, 69°46′16″W) - both of these gage heights are affected by ocean tides.^[3] The cubic foot (symbols ft³, cu. ... Bingham is a town located in Somerset County, Maine. ... Location in Kennebec County, Maine Coordinates: , County Established 1754 Government  - Mayor Roger J. Katz Area  - City 150. ... Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. ...

Prior to damming, the river was navigable as far as Augusta. The founder of Colby College sailed his sloop, Hero, up to Augusta and a longboat to Waterville where he decided to found the college. Colby College, founded in 1813, is an elite liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. ... For the military definition of sloop see: Sloop-of-war. ...

On April 1, 1987, melting snow and 4 to 6 inches (150 mm) of rain in the mountains forced the river to flood her banks. By the next day, the peak of the flooding was at 34.1 ft (10.4 m) above flood stage. It caused about $100 million in damage (171 million in 2008 dollars)^{[citation needed]}, flooding 2,100 homes, destroying 215, and damaging 240 others. Signs of the flood can still be found around the towns and cities that line the river.

See also

• List of Maine rivers

This is a partial list of rivers in the state of Maine in the United States. ...

External links

• MaineRivers.org Kennebec River profile
• Real-time flow or stage data for the The Forks, Bingham, North Sidney, Augusta, and Gardiner gages.
• Kennebec-Chaudiere Kennebec-Chaudiere International Corridor

v • d • e   State of Maine Augusta (capital) Topics Culture | Geography | Government | History | Images | People | Congressional districts Image File history File links Flag_of_Maine. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Location in Kennebec County, Maine Coordinates: , County Established 1754 Government  - Mayor Roger J. Katz Area  - City 150. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Congressional districts for representation in the United States House of Representatives are determined after each census. ... Regions Down East | Highlands | Lake Country | Mid Coast | North Woods | Penobscot Bay | Southern Coast | Western Mountains This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... Down East is a New England geographical term that is applied in several different ways. ... The Maine Highlands is a centrally located region that constitutes a large portion of the state of Maine. ... The Maine Lake Country is a region of the U.S. state of Maine commonly including Oxford County, Franklin County, Somerset County, Piscataquis County, Penobscot County, and Aroostook County. ... The Mid Coast is a region of Maine that includes the many small coastal towns of Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc, and the northern coastal portion of Cumberland Counties. ... The Maine North Woods is the northern geographic area of the state of Maine. ... Penobscot Bay originates from the mouth of Maines Penobscot River. ... The Southern Maine Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Maine. ... The Western Maine Mountains region spans along most of the Maines western border with New Hampshire. ... Counties Androscoggin | Aroostook | Cumberland | Franklin | Hancock | Kennebec | Knox | Lincoln | Oxford | Penobscot | Piscataquis | Sagadahoc | Somerset | Waldo | Washington | York List of Maine counties: Maine counties Categories: | ... Androscoggin County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Aroostook County (known as the County) is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. ... Cumberland County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Franklin County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Hancock County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Kennebec County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. ... Knox County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Lincoln County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Location in the state of Maine Formed 1805 Seat South Paris Area  - Total  - Water 5,634 km² (2,175 mi²) 252 km² (97 mi²) 4. ... Penobscot County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Piscataquis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. ... Sagadahoc County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. ... Waldo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. ... Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. ... York County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Cities Auburn | Augusta | Bangor | Bath | Belfast | Biddeford | Brewer | Calais | Caribou | Eastport | Ellsworth | Gardiner | Hallowell | Lewiston | Old Town | Portland | Presque Isle | Rockland | Saco | South Portland | Waterville | Westbrook List of cities in Maine, arranged in alphabetical order. ... Location in Androscoggin County, Maine Coordinates: Counties Androscoggin County Area    - City {{{area_total}}} km²  - Land 59. ... Location in Kennebec County, Maine Coordinates: , County Established 1754 Government  - Mayor Roger J. Katz Area  - City 150. ... For other places with the same name, see Bangor. ... View uphill towards City Hall in Bath Bath is a city located in Sagadahoc County, Maine. ... Location of city of Belfast in state of Maine Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. ... Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. ... Brewer is a city located in Penobscot County, Maine. ... Calais is a city in the state of Maine in the United States, and a port of entry situated on the St. ... Trucks outside a starch factory in Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine, October 1940 Caribou is a city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. ... Eastport is a city in Washington County, Maine, United States. ... Ellsworth is a city located in Hancock County, Maine, United States. ... Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. ... Hallowell is a city located in Kennebec County, Maine. ... The city of Lewiston to the right, with the twin-city of Auburn on the left. ... Main Street in Old Town Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. ... Nickname: Motto: Resurgam (Latin for I will rise again) Coordinates: , Country State County Cumberland Settled 1632 Incorporated 1786 Government  - Mayor Nicholas M. Mavodones, Jr Area  - City  52. ... Presque Isle is a city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. ... Welcome to Rockland Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. ... Location of city of Saco in Maine Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. ... South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. ... Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine in the United States on the west bank of the Kennebec River. ... Location of city of Westbrook in map of Maine Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. ... Largest towns Bridgton | Brunswick | Cape Elizabeth | Falmouth | Gorham | Kennebunk | Kittery | Lisbon | Orono | Sanford | Scarborough | Skowhegan | Standish | Topsham | Wells | Windham | Winslow | York Main article: New England town. ... Bridgton is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... Seal of Brunswick, ME Brunswick is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the states most affluent municipality (per household median income) based on Census 2000 data. ... Falmouth is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. ... Kennebunk, typically pronounced /kÉ›nibʌŋk/ (KEN-ee-bunk) among locals but often /kÉ›nÉ™bʌŋk/ (KEN-uh-bunk) or /kÉ›nÉ™bʌŋk/ (ken-uh-BUNK) among people from away, is a town in York County, Maine, United States. ... Location of town of Kittery in state of Maine Kittery is a town located in York County, Maine. ... Lisbon is a town located in Androscoggin County, Maine. ... Orono is a town located in Penobscot County, Maine. ... Location of town of Sanford in map of Maine Sanford is a town and a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Maine, United States. ... Scarborough is a town in Cumberland County on the southern coast of Maine. ... Skowhegan is a town in Somerset County, Maine, in the United States. ... Standish is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... Topsham is a town located in Sagadahoc County, Maine. ... Wells is a town located in York County, Maine. ... Windham is a town located in Cumberland County, Maine. ... The Winslow Congregational Church on Lithgow Street Winslow is a small residential community built along the banks of Maines Kennebec River. ... York is a town located in York County, Maine, United States at the southwest corner of the state. ...

References