This river influenced the creation of the Clean Water Act (1972)
The Androscoggin River is a 178-mile river that extends through parts of New Hampshire and Maine. It is the third largest river in Maine. The river eventually dumps into the Gulf of Maine (Atlantic Ocean). Along the Androscoggin, every mile the river drops eight feet. This made it an excellent source of water power for the following towns (Berlin, Lewiston, Auburn, Brunswick, Topsham, Bethel, Rumford, Mexico, and Livermore Falls). So, what does “Androscoggin” mean? Part of the word has its roots in Abenaki. Their word for the river “Pescedona” translates to “a branch”. The word “Androscoggin” was also influenced by a colonial governor named Edmund Andros (circa 1600’s).
There is a history of water quality issues along the Androscoggin River. This river once housed textile mills and paper mills, among other industries. The Androscoggin River helped inspire the Clean Water Act (1972). At one point, the Androscoggin River was one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the United States. There has been a lot of environmental work done along this river. One of the craziest things I’ve heard was that oxygen bubblers were installed along a 14 mile stretch of the river to prevent the fish from suffocating. The latest news with regard to water quality along the Androscoggin River comes from April of 2020. The Verso Paper Mill, which is located along the Androscoggin, had a large explosion at the mill, forcing it to close indefinitely. It is still too soon to know if this will result in positive or negative impacts on water quality.
Today, the Androscoggin is a popular river for fishing and paddling. I’ve had the fortune of paddling the Androscoggin in New Hampshire and Maine. It is a great kayaking river. There are over 40 access sites to the river. There are a variety of fish that can be found along the river including northern pike, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, white suckers, yellow perch, and redbreast sunfish. This is a great paddle all summer, but the best time to go is fall. The foliage is hard to beat, as you can see in this photo.
Fun fact: One of the tributaries of the Androscoggin is “Wild River”!
Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, and more can be found in the Androscoggin!
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