Androscoggin River 1512040 224980640 2008-07-11T08:22:23Z Mike Cline 3158744 /* External links */ {{Geobox River <!-- *** Name section *** --> | name = Androscoggin River | native_name = | other_name = | other_name1 = <!-- *** Image *** ---> | image = Drift Boat Fishing on the Androscoggin River.jpg | image_size = 300 | image_caption = Drift Boat Fly Fishing on the Androscoggin near Errol, NH <!-- *** Country etc. *** --> | country = United States | country1 = | state = Maine | state1 = New Hampshire | region = | region1 = | district = | district1 = | city = [[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]] | city1 = [[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]] | city2 = [[Berlin, New Hampshire|Berlin]] <!-- *** Geography *** --> | length_imperial = 164 | length_note = <ref name="mainerivers">http://mainerivers.org/androscoggin.htm Androscoggin Watershed</ref> | watershed_imperial = 3450 | watershed_note = <ref name="mainerivers"/> | discharge_location = [[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]] | discharge_imperial = 6174 | discharge_max_imperial = 135000 | discharge_min_imperial = 340 | discharge_note = <ref name="wdr">[http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-me-05-1/index.html Water Resources Data - Maine, Water Year 2005], [[USGS]] Water Data Reports for the United States, 2005.</ref> | discharge1_location = mouth | discharge1_imperial = 6482 | discharge1_note = <ref name="mainerivers"/> <!-- *** Source *** --> | source_name = Umbagog Lake | source_location = [[Coos County, New Hampshire|Coos County]] | source_district = | source_region = | source_state = New Hampshire | source_country = | source_lat_d = 44 | source_lat_m = 46 | source_lat_s = 59 | source_lat_NS = N | source_long_d = 71 | source_long_m = 3 | source_long_s = 41 | source_long_EW = W | source_coordinates_note = <ref name="GNIS">{{Gnis|580918|Androscoggin River}}, [[USGS]] GNIS.</ref> | source_elevation_imperial = 1243 | source_elevation_note = <ref>[[Google Earth]] elevation for GNIS source coordinates.</ref> | source_length_imperial = <!-- *** Mouth *** --> | mouth_name = Kennebec River | mouth_location = Merrymeeting Bay | mouth_district = | mouth_region = [[Sagadahoc County, Maine| Sagadahoc County]] | mouth_state = Maine | mouth_country = | mouth_lat_d = 43 | mouth_lat_m = 57 | mouth_lat_s = 2 | mouth_lat_NS = N | mouth_long_d = 69 | mouth_long_m = 52 | mouth_long_s = 39 | mouth_long_EW = W | mouth_coordinates_note = <ref name="GNIS"/> | mouth_elevation_imperial = 0 | mouth_elevation_note = <ref>[[Google Earth]] elevation for GNIS mouth coordinates.</ref> <!-- *** Tributaries *** --> | tributary_left = [[Sunday River (Androscoggin River)|Sunday River]] | tributary_left1 = [[Dead River (Maine)|Dead River]] | tributary_right = Magalloway River | tributary_right1 = Peabody River | tributary_right2 = [[Wild River (Androscoggin River)|Wild River]] <!-- *** Free fields *** --> | free_name = | free_value = <!-- *** Map section *** --> | map = Androscoggin watershed.png | map_size = 300 | map_caption = Map of the Androscoggin River watershed }} The '''Androscoggin River''' is a river in the [[United States|US]] states of [[Maine]] and [[New Hampshire]], in northern [[New England]]. It is 178 miles (287 km) long and joins the [[Kennebec River]] at [[Merrymeeting Bay]] in Maine before its water empties into the [[Gulf of Maine]] on the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. Its drainage basin is 3,530 square miles in area. ==Course== The Androscoggin begins in [[Errol, New Hampshire]], where the [[Magalloway River]] joins the outlet of [[Umbagog Lake]]. The river flows generally south but with numerous bends past the towns of Errol and [[Milan, New Hampshire|Milan]] and the city of [[Berlin, New Hampshire|Berlin]] before turning east at the town of [[Gorham, New Hampshire]] to cut across the northern end of the [[White Mountains (New Hampshire)|White Mountains]] and enter Maine. Continuing east, the river passes the towns of [[Bethel, Maine|Bethel]], [[Rumford, Maine|Rumford]], and [[Dixfield, Maine|Dixfield]] before turning south at the town of [[Livermore Falls, Maine|Livermore Falls]] and leaving the mountains behind. The river passes through the twin cities of [[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]] and [[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]], turns southeast, passes the community of [[Lisbon Falls, Maine|Lisbon Falls]] and reaches tidewater just below the final falls in the town of [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]]. Merrymeeting Bay is a 10-mile long freshwater [[estuary]] where the Androscoggin meets the Kennebec River nearly 20 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. ==Water quality== The Androscoggin was once badly polluted by a variety of textile mills, paper-making factories, and other industries located along its banks, and helped inspire the [[Clean Water Act]].<ref name="NPR17May" /> The river has benefited greatly from environmental work and the departure of certain types of industry from the region, but still has problems with industrial waste and mercury contamination.. One 14-mile stretch requires oxygen bubblers to prevent fish from suffocating.<ref name="NPR17May">[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10231441 NPR: Cities Battle Over River's Pollution Level<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> As of May 2007, environmental groups have a lawsuit pending, in an attempt to force the river's paper mills to clean their waste streams.<ref name="NPR17May" /> ==Streamflow== [[Image:Androscoggin river.jpg|thumb|left|Power canal along the Androscoggin River in [[Gorham, New Hampshire]]]] The [[USGS]] maintains four river flow gages on the Androscoggin River. All four are below one or more dams. The first is at [[Errol, New Hampshire]] ({{coor dms|44|46|57|N|71|07|46|W|}}) where the watershed is 1,046 [[square mile]]s. Flow here has ranged from 16,500 to 0 ft³/s (467 and 0 m³/s) (zero flow when dam closed). The mean annual flow between 1905 and 2005 is 1,919 ft³/s (54.3 m³/s). The second is near [[Gorham, New Hampshire]] ({{coor dms|44|26|10|N|71|11|27|W|}}) where the watershed is 1,361 square miles. Flow here has ranged from 21,900 to a mean daily low of 795 ft³/s (620 and 22.5 m³/s) (lows when dam closed). The mean annual flow between 1905 and 2005 is 2,512 ft³/s (71 m³/s). The third is at [[Rumford, Maine]] ({{coor dms|44|33|04|N|70|32|38|W|}}) where the watershed is 2,068 square miles. Flow here has ranged from 74,000 to 625 ft³/s (2,094 and 17.7 m³/s). The mean annual flow between 1905 and 2005 is 3,801 ft³/s (107.6 m³/s). The fourth is at [[Auburn, Maine]] ({{coor dms|44|04|20|N|70|12|31|W|}}) where the watershed is 3,263 square miles. Flow here has ranged from 135,000 to 340 ft³/s (3,820.5 and 9.6 m³/s).<ref name="wdr"/> ==Angling the Androscoggin== The Androscoggin river is a popular fishing destination for [[anglers]] seeking [[Brook trout|Brook]], [[Rainbow trout|Rainbow]] and [[Brown trout|Brown]] trout as well as [[Atlantic salmon|Landlocked Salmon]] and [[Smallmouth bass|Smallmouth Bass]]. The upper reaches near Errol, New Hampshire is popular with local and visiting [[Fly fishing|fly fishermen]] for the chance to catch Landlocked Salmon from a drift boat. Although the upper reaches contain some bass, the river warms as it flows into Maine, and Smallmouth bass are the chief quarry in its lower reaches. ==History== According to the USGS, variant names for the Androscoggin River include: Amasagu'nteg, Amascongan, Ambrose Coggin, Ammeriscoggin, Ammoscoggin , Amos Coggin, Amoscommun, Anasagunticook, Anconganunticook, Andrews Coggin, Andros Coggan, Andros Coggin, Androscoggen, Andrus Coggin, Aumoughcaugen, Pescedona, and Ameriscoggin River. The Androscoggin drops an average of eight feet per mile, making it a prime industrial river. It flows through Lewiston-Auburn, Maine where it was a major source of power for local industry. ==Major tributaries== Listed from source to mouth of Androscoggin, with location of tributary's mouth: *[[Magalloway River]], [[Errol, New Hampshire]] *[[Clear Stream]], [[Errol, New Hampshire]] *[[Mollidgewock Brook]], [[Errol, New Hampshire]] *[[Chickwolnepy Stream]], [[Milan, New Hampshire]] *[[Dead River (New Hampshire)|Dead River]], [[Berlin, New Hampshire]] *[[Moose Brook (New Hampshire)|Moose Brook]], [[Gorham, New Hampshire]] *[[Moose River (New Hampshire)|Moose River]], [[Gorham, New Hampshire]] *[[Peabody River]], [[Gorham, New Hampshire]] *[[Wild River (Androscoggin River)|Wild River]], [[Gilead, Maine]] *[[Pleasant River (Androscoggin River)|Pleasant River]], [[Bethel, Maine]] *[[Alder River]], [[Bethel, Maine]] *[[Sunday River (Androscoggin River)|Sunday River]], [[Bethel, Maine]] *[[Bear River (Maine)|Bear River]], [[Newry, Maine]] *[[Ellis River (Maine)|Ellis River]], [[Rumford, Maine]] *[[Concord River (Maine)|Concord River]], [[Rumford, Maine]] *[[Swift River (Maine)|Swift River]], [[Rumford, Maine|Rumford]] and [[Mexico, Maine]] *[[Webb River]], [[Dixfield, Maine]] *[[Dead River (Leeds, Maine)|Dead River]], [[Leeds, Maine]] *[[Nezinscot River]], [[Turner, Maine]] *[[Little Androscoggin River]], [[Auburn, Maine]] *[[Sabattus River]], [[Lisbon, Maine]] *[[Little River (Androscoggin County, Maine)|Little River]], [[Lisbon Falls, Maine]] ==References== <references/> ==External links== *[http://mainerivers.org/androscoggin.htm MaineRivers.org] Androscoggin River profile * Real-time flow data for the [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=01053500 Errol, NH], [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=01054000 Gorham, NH], [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=01054500 Rumford, ME], and [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=01059000 Auburn, ME] gages. *{{Gnis|580918|Androscoggin River}} *[http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc_name.html USGS River Basin Info] *[http://www.avcnet.org/arwc/index.html Androscoggin River Watershed Council] [[Category:Rivers of Maine]] [[Category:Rivers of New Hampshire]] [[de:Androscoggin River]]