Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム

Jump to content

Saco River

Edit links

Coordinates:43°27′42″N70°21′20″W / 43.46167°N 70.35556°W /43.46167; -70.35556

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States

For other uses, seeSaco River (disambiguation).

Saco River
The Saco River inConway, New Hampshire
Show map of Maine Show map of New Hampshire Show map of the United States
Location
Country	United States
States	New Hampshire,Maine
Counties	Coos, NH,Carroll, NH, Oxford, ME,Cumberland, ME,York, ME
Towns and cities	Conway, NH,Fryeburg, ME,Saco, ME,Biddeford, ME
Physical characteristics

Source	Saco Lake
• location	Crawford Notch,White Mountains, NH
• coordinates	44°12′58″N71°24′31″W / 44.21611°N 71.40861°W /44.21611; -71.40861
• elevation	1,887 ft (575 m)

Mouth	Saco Bay,Gulf of Maine,Atlantic Ocean
• location	Biddeford/Saco, ME
• coordinates	43°27′42″N70°21′20″W / 43.46167°N 70.35556°W /43.46167; -70.35556
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	136 mi (219 km)
Basin size	1,703 sq mi (4,410 km²)

Saco River

Legend

					Saco Lake
					US 302
					US 302
					Willey House
					US 302
					US 302
					Dry River
					Sawyer River
					MEC Mountain Division
					MEC Mountain Division
					Bartlett
					Covered bridge
					US 302
					Rocky Branch
					MEC Mountain Division
					Ellis River
					East Branch Saco River
					North Conway
					Boston & Maine
					Swift River
					NH 16 Conway
					US 302
					MEC Mountain Division
					entersMaine
					SR 113 Fryeburg
					Swans Falls
					SR 5 Fryeburg Center
					Old Course Saco River
					US 302
					Little Saco River
					Shepards River
					SR 160 East Brownfield
					Tenmile River
					SR 5 Hiram
					Hancock Brook
					MEC Mountain Division
					Hiram Falls (Great Falls)
					Ossipee River
					SR 5 Cornish
					SR 11 Steep Falls
					SR 25 East Limington
					Little Ossipee River
					SR 35 Bonny Eagle


					West Buxton

					SR 4A Bar Mills
					US 202 /SR 4 Salmon Falls
					Union Falls
					SR 5
					I-95
					US 1,Biddeford
					Pan Am Railways

					SR 9 Saco
					Camp Ellis

TheSaco River (/ˈsɑːkoʊ/SAH-koh,Abenaki:Sαkóhki) is a river in northeasternNew Hampshire and southwesternMaine in theUnited States. It drains a rural area of 1,703 square miles (4,410 km²) of forests and farmlands west and southwest ofPortland, emptying into theAtlantic Ocean atSaco Bay, 136 miles (219 km) from its source.^[1] It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000 people in thirty-five towns; and historically provided transportation and water power encouraging development of the cities ofBiddeford andSaco and the towns ofFryeburg andHiram.^[2]

Samuel de Champlain sailed a portion of the river in 1605 and referred to it asChouacoet, which he said was the name used by theAlmouchiquois people.^[3] Various sources also give their name as "Sokoki" (a term also used for theMissiquoi people of western New England) and as being either the ancestors or close relatives of thePequawket who lived along the river near present-day Fryeburg.^[4]^[5]^[6]William O. Bright attributed the origin of "Saco" to anEastern Abenaki language word meaning "land where the river comes out", which he connected to similar place names likeSaugus, said to come from thePawtucket word for "outlet".^[7]^[8]

Course

[edit]

The river rises at Saco Lake inCrawford Notch in theWhite Mountains and flows generally south-southeast throughBartlett andConway inCarroll County, New Hampshire before crossing intoOxford County, Maine.

Shortly after entering Fryeburg, Maine, the river branches into the"Old Course" Saco River and the more commonly used "Canal River". Constructed in the 1800s to be more convenient for farmers, the 6-mile-long (10 km) canal is 15 miles (24 km) shorter than the old course^[9] and is now considered to be the official course for the river, as the upstream end of the old course is largely silted over. The two channels merge again nearLovell, Maine.

After running through sixhydropower stations operated byNextEra Energy Resources (includingSkelton Dam andBonny Eagle Dam), the river entersYork County, crosses underInterstate 95, and passes between Saco and Biddeford, where it is bridged byU.S. Route 1. It entersSaco Bay on the Atlantic with Camp Ellis in Saco on the north shore andHills Beach in Biddeford on the south shore.

Stream flow

[edit]

The United States government maintains threestream gauges on the Saco River. The first is at Bartlett, New Hampshire (44°05′02″N71°17′08″W / 44.08389°N 71.28556°W /44.08389; -71.28556), then inConway, New Hampshire (43°59′27″N71°05′29″W / 43.99083°N 71.09139°W /43.99083; -71.09139), where the river'swatershed is 385 square miles (997 km²).Discharge (stream flow) here averages 962 cubic feet per second (27.2 m³/s) and has ranged from a minimum of 40 cubic feet per second (1.1 m³/s) to a maximum of 47,200 cubic feet per second (1,340 m³/s).^[10] The third is atCornish, Maine (43°48′29″N70°46′53″W / 43.80806°N 70.78139°W /43.80806; -70.78139) where the watershed is 1,293 square miles (3,350 km²). Flow here averages 2,756 cubic feet per second (78.0 m³/s) and has ranged from a minimum of 244 cubic feet per second (6.9 m³/s) to a maximum of 46,600 cubic feet per second (1,320 m³/s).^[11]

Attractions

[edit]

The Saco River atSaco, Maine, seen from the bridge overU.S. Route 1

The Saco is a popular recreational river, drawing an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 people per summer weekend, mostly on the stretch from Swan's Falls (a campground formerly maintained by theAppalachian Mountain Club and now maintained by the Saco River Recreation Council) toBrownfield, Maine.

There are many sand beaches along the Saco when not at flood stage, and camping is allowed along some of these beaches for free. Misuse, including large quantities of garbage left behind by users and illegal fires, as well as discourtesy toward landowners, has led many beaches to be posted and monitored. A permit is required from the State of Maine for campfires along any unposted river beaches.^[12]

The Saco is a major attraction for canoeists. One area of the river, Walker's Rip, is a set of rapids that has caused less talented canoers to capsize, although it can be navigated successfully. Severalcanoeing rentals are available throughout the river's distance.

The Saco River is also famous for sport fishing, even though the number of fish in it has decreased tremendously throughout time.^{[citation needed]}

Problems

[edit]

Multiple violent and reportedly alcohol-related incidents in 2001 led to increased police patrols and efforts by livery companies, landowners, and government agencies to improve conditions.^[13]

Major tributaries

[edit]

The Saco River from the Covered Bridge Gift Shoppe

Listed from source to mouth:

References

[edit]

^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.The National Map, accessed June 30, 2011
^DeLorme Mapping CompanyThe Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (13th edition) (1988)ISBN 0-89933-035-5 maps 2,3&4
^Library, McArthur (July 11, 2021)."Champlain's Biddeford-Saco".The Backblog. RetrievedApril 20, 2023.
^"Biddeford History & Heritage Project - I. Headwaters of a community: Sowacatuck, Chouacoet, and the sea".biddeford.mainememory.net. RetrievedApril 20, 2023.
^McLaughlin, Tom."The story of the Saco River Canal".The Conway Daily Sun. RetrievedApril 20, 2023.
^Chapman, Andy O'Brien and Will (December 12, 2021)."Radical Mainers: From Race War to Class War on the Saco River".Mainer. RetrievedApril 20, 2023.
^Bright, William (2004).Native American placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 413.ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4. RetrievedApril 14, 2011.
^Douglas-Lithgow, R.A. (1909).Dictionary of American-Indian Place and Proper Names in New England. Salem, Massachusetts: Salem Press. p. 157.
^U.S. Geological Survey. 1:24,000-scaleDigital Line Graph data.
^"Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2010; gage 01064500, Saco River near Conway, NH"(PDF).USGS. RetrievedApril 14, 2011.
^"Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2010; gage 01066000, Saco River at Cornish, ME"(PDF).USGS. RetrievedApril 14, 2011.
^"Swans Falls Campground". Saco River Recreational Council. RetrievedDecember 5, 2008.
^Zimet, Abby (July 2006)."This River is Rated R".Down East: The Magazine of Maine.52 (12). Down East Enterprise, Inc.:76–79,108–113.

External links

[edit]

*On the Saco*, Benjamin Champney (1817-1907)

EPA Saco River Watershed Profile
Saco River Profile at MaineRivers.org
Real-time flow data for theConway, NH andCornish, ME gages
Saco River Corridor Commission
Saco River Cleanup, an annual event sponsored by the Saco River Recreation Council
"Popular river struggles with balancing act",Portland Press Herald, Aug. 11, 2002

Saco River watershed

Tributaries

Maine

New Hampshire

Lakes

Towns

Landmarks

Rivers of Maine bydrainage system

Bay of Fundy

Passamaquoddy Bay

Saint John River Watershed

Casco Bay

Fore River Watershed	Fore River Long Creek Stroudwater River South Branch Stroudwater River
Presumpscot River Watershed	Bear River Chute River Crooked River East Branch Piscataqua River Little River Muddy River North Branch Little River Northwest River Piscataqua River Pleasant River Presumpscot River Songo River Sticky River Tenny River
Others	Cousins River Harraseeket River Little River New Meadows River Royal River Toddy Brook

Gulf of Maine

Blue Hill Bay (Union River Watershed)	Bog River East Branch Union River Little Bog River Middle Branch Union River Union River West Branch Union River
Chandler Bay	Sandy River
Dennys Bay	Dennys River Hardscrabble River Orange River
Englishman Bay	Chandler River East Branch Chandler River Englishman River
Frenchman Bay	Jordan Stream Skillings River
Harrington Bay	Harrington River Mill River
Little River Watershed	Little River (Drakes Island) Merriland River
Machias Bay (Machias River Watershed)	Crooked River East Machias River Machias River Maine River Middle River West Branch Machias River
Mousam River Watershed	Littlefield River Middle Branch Mousam River Mousam River
Narraguagus Bay (Narraguagus River Watershed)	Little Narraguagus River Narraguagus River Spring River West Branch Narraguagus River (Cherryfield) West Branch Narraguagus River (Hancock County)
Pleasant Bay (Pleasant River Watershed)	Little River Pleasant River West Branch Pleasant River Western Little River
Piscataqua River Watershed	Great Works River Little River Neoutaquet River Piscataqua River Salmon Falls River
Sheepscot River Watershed	Back River Cross River Dyer River Marsh River Sasanoa River Sheepscot River West Branch Sheepscot River
Wohoa Bay	Indian River Southwest Branch Indian River West River
Others	Batson River Benjamin River Cape Neddick River Damariscotta River Johns River Jordan River Josias River Kennebunk River Little River (Boothbay) Little River (Georgetown) Little River (Goosefare Bay) Little River (York) Morse River Ogunquit River Pemaquid River Sprague River Webhannet River York River

Merrymeeting Bay

Androscoggin River Watershed

Kennebec River Watershed

Muscongus Bay

Saint George River Watershed	Back River Dead River East Branch Oyster River Mill River Oyster River Saint George River West Branch Oyster River
Others	Back River (Medomak) Back River (Meduncook) Goose River Medomak River Meduncook River

Penobscot Bay

Penobscot River Watershed

Others

Saco Bay

Saco River Watershed	Charles River Cold River Hancock Brook Kezar River Little Cold River Little Ossipee River Little River Little Saco River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Old Course Saco River Ossipee River Saco River Shepards River South Branch Mad River South River Tenmile River West Branch Tenmile River
Others	Dunstan River Libby River Nonesuch River Scarborough River Spurwink River

Rivers of New Hampshire bydrainage system

Gulf of Maine

Atlantic coastal tributaries	Blackwater River Browns River Drakes River Hampton River Hampton Falls River Little River Old River Taylor River
Merrimack River watershed	Baboosic Brook Back River Baker River Bear Brook Beards Brook Beaver Brook Beebe River Big River Black Brook Blackwater River Cockermouth River Cohas Brook Contoocook River East Branch Baker River East Branch Pemigewasset River Fowler River Frazier Brook Gridley River Gunstock River Lane River Little River (Big River) Little River (Merrimack River) Little Massabesic Brook-Sucker Brook Little Suncook River Lost River Mad River Melvin River Merrimack River Merrymeeting River Middle Branch Piscataquog River Moosilauke Brook Nashua River Newfound River Nissitissit River North Branch Contoocook River North Fork East Branch Pemigewasset River Nubanusit Brook Pemigewasset River Pennichuck Brook Piscataquog River Powwow River Purgatory Brook Red Hill River Salmon Brook Shedd Brook Smith River Soucook River Souhegan River South Branch Baker River South Branch Piscataquog River South Branch Souhegan River Spicket River Squam River Stony Brook Suncook River Tioga River Turkey River Warner River West Branch Mad River West Branch Souhegan River West Branch Warner River Winnipesaukee River
Merrymeeting Bay (Androscoggin River watershed)	Androscoggin River Chickwolnepy Stream Clear Stream Dead River Dead Diamond River East Branch Dead Diamond River Little Dead Diamond River Little Magalloway River Magalloway River Middle Branch Dead Diamond River Middle Branch Little Magalloway River Mollidgewock Brook Moose Brook Moose River Peabody River Rattle River South Branch Little Dead Diamond River Swift Diamond River West Branch Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Magalloway River West Branch Magalloway River West Branch Peabody River Wild River
Piscataqua River watershed	Bean River Bellamy River Berrys River Branch River Bunker Creek Cochecho River Ela River Exeter River Fresh River Isinglass River Jones Brook Lamprey River Little River (Brentwood) Little River (Exeter) Little River (Lamprey River) Mad River North River North Branch River Oyster River Pawtuckaway River Piscassic River Piscataqua River Rattlesnake River Salmon Falls River Squamscott River Winnicut River
Saco Bay (Saco River watershed)	Bearcamp River Beech River Chocorua River Cold River (Bearcamp River) Cold River Cutler River Dan Hole River Deer River Dry River East Branch Saco River East Branch Whiteface River East Fork East Branch Saco River Ellis River Little Cold River Lovell River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Mill Brook New River Ossipee River Pequawket Brook Pine River Rocky Branch Saco River Sawyer River Shepards River South River South Branch Mad River Swift River (Bearcamp River) Swift River (Saco River) West Branch Whiteface River Wildcat Brook Wonalancet River