Androscoggin River

Geobox River
name = Androscoggin River
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =

---

image_size = 300
image_caption = Drift Boat Fly Fishing on the Androscoggin near Errol, NH
country = United States
country1 =
state = Maine
state1 = New Hampshire
region =
region1 =
district =
district1 =
city = Auburn
city1 = Lewiston
city2 = Berlin
length_imperial = 164
length_note = http://mainerivers.org/androscoggin.htm Androscoggin Watershed]
watershed_imperial = 3450
watershed_note =
discharge_location = Auburn
discharge_imperial = 6174
discharge_max_imperial = 135000
discharge_min_imperial = 340
discharge_note = [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.]
discharge1_location = mouth
discharge1_imperial = 6482
discharge1_note =
source_name = Umbagog Lake
source_location = 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 = Gnis|580918|Androscoggin River, USGS GNIS.]
source_elevation_imperial = 1243
source_elevation_note = [Google Earth elevation for GNIS source coordinates.]
source_length_imperial =
mouth_name = Kennebec River
mouth_location = Merrymeeting Bay
mouth_district =
mouth_region = 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 =
mouth_elevation_imperial = 0
mouth_elevation_note = [Google Earth elevation for GNIS mouth coordinates.]
tributary_left = Sunday River
tributary_left1 = Dead River
tributary_right = Magalloway River
tributary_right1 = Peabody River
tributary_right2 = Wild River
free_name =
free_value =


map_size = 300
map_caption = Map of the Androscoggin River watershed The Androscoggin River is a river in the 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 and the city of Berlin before turning east at the town of Gorham, New Hampshire to cut across the northern end of the White Mountains and enter Maine. Continuing east, the river passes the towns of Bethel, Rumford, and Dixfield before turning south at the town of Livermore Falls and leaving the mountains behind. The river passes through the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn, turns southeast, passes the community of Lisbon Falls and reaches tidewater just below the final falls in the town of 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. 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. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10231441 NPR: Cities Battle Over River's Pollution Level ] ] 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.

treamflow

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 (coord|44|46|57|N|71|07|46|W|) where the watershed is 1,046 square miles. 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 (coord|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 (coord|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 (coord|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).

Angling the Androscoggin

The Androscoggin river is a popular fishing destination for anglers seeking Brook, Rainbow and Brown trout as well as Landlocked Salmon and Smallmouth Bass. The upper reaches near Errol, New Hampshire is popular with local and visiting 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, Berlin, New Hampshire
*Moose Brook, Gorham, New Hampshire
*Moose River, Gorham, New Hampshire
*Peabody River, Gorham, New Hampshire
*Wild River, Gilead, Maine
*Pleasant River, Bethel, Maine
*Alder River, Bethel, Maine
*Sunday River, Bethel, Maine
*Bear River, Newry, Maine
*Ellis River, Rumford, Maine
*Concord River, Rumford, Maine
*Swift River, Rumford and Mexico, Maine
*Webb River, Dixfield, Maine
*Dead River, Leeds, Maine
*Nezinscot River, Turner, Maine
*Little Androscoggin River, Auburn, Maine
*Sabattus River, Lisbon, Maine
*Little River, Lisbon Falls, Maine

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]