Everything about The Kennebec River totally explained
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's joined, at the
The Forks by the
Dead River, also called the West Branch 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 where the rivershed is . Flow here has ranged from 32,900 to 161
cubic feet per second. The second is at
Bingham, Maine where the rivershed is . Flow here has ranged from 65,200 to 110 cubic feet per second. The third is at
North Sidney, Maine where the rivershed is . 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 and
Gardiner, Maine - both of these gage heights are affected by ocean tides.
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.
On April 1, 1987, melting snow and 4 to of rain in the mountains forced the river to flood her banks. By the next day, the peak of the flooding was at above flood stage. It caused about $100 million in damage (171 million in 2008 dollars), flooding 2,100 homes and destroying 215 and damaging 240 others. Signs of the flood can still be found around the towns and cities that line the river.
Further Information
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