Sheepscot River
Encyclopedia
The Sheepscot River is a 66 miles (106.2 km) river in the U.S. state
of Maine
. Its lower portion is a complex island estuary
with connections to the Kennebec River
downstream of Merrymeeting Bay
.
(44.4894°N 69.3111 °W) and flows southwesterly through Sheepscot Pond in Palermo
and Long Pond in Somerville
and Windsor
. The river is bridged by Maine State Route 3
upstream of Sheepscot Pond and by Maine State Route 105
in Somerville between Sheepscot Pond and Long Pond. The river continues flowing southwesterly through the villages of Coopers Mills, North Whitefield, and Whitefield in the town of Whitefield
. The river is bridged by concurrent
Maine State Routes 17 and 32 at Coopers Mills. The West Branch Sheepscot River
joins the main stem between Cooper's Mills and North Whitefield. The river is bridged by Maine State Route 126 at North Whitefield and by concurrent Maine State Routes 194
and 218 at Whitefield. The river flows south from Whitefield and becomes a tidal
estuary at the village of Head Tide in Alna
. The narrow gauge Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway
closely followed the river through the town of Whitefield to Head Tide from 1895 until 1933 and bridged the river between the villages of Whitefield and Head Tide. At Wiscasset the estuary is bridged by the Maine Central Railroad Rockland Branch
and by U.S. Route 1
. Sheepscot Bay is navigable for a distance of approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) from Wiscasset to the mouth between Reid State Park
and Southport Island
.
. The Back River is crossed in Hockomock Bay by a tidal channel identified as the Sasanoa River
. The Sasanoa River connects the Kennebec River estuary at Woolwich
with the Sheepscot River estuary between Westport Island and Georgetown Island
. Georgetown Island forms the west side of the mouth of Sheepscot Bay and the east side of the mouth of the Kennebec River estuary. The Back River reaches the Kennebec River on the west side of Georgetown Island. Arrowsic Island
forms the east side of the Kennebec River estuary between the Sasanoa River and the Back River. Maine State Route 144 bridges the Back River from Wiscasset to Westport Island. Maine State Route 127 bridges the Sasanoa River from Woolwich to Arrowsic Island and the Back River from Arrowsic Island to Georgetown Island.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Its lower portion is a complex island estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
with connections to the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
downstream of Merrymeeting Bay
Merrymeeting Bay
Merrymeeting Bay is a large freshwater tidal bay in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and Cumberland counties, in the U.S. state of Maine. Merrymeeting Bay's unusual geography defies common landform terms. It is not what is usually meant by the word bay. It is somewhat like an estuary except for being fresh...
.
Route
The Sheepscot River originates in FreedomFreedom, Maine
Freedom is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 645 at the 2000 census. Freedom is a residential and recreational area.-History:...
(44.4894°N 69.3111 °W) and flows southwesterly through Sheepscot Pond in Palermo
Palermo, Maine
Palermo is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,220 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
and Long Pond in Somerville
Somerville, Maine
Somerville is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 509 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
and Windsor
Windsor, Maine
Windsor is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,204 at the 2000 census. The town was formerly known as Malta, and gave its name to the "Malta War", a minor rebellion against the Massachusetts state government in Boston over settlement and land ownership rights in...
. The river is bridged by Maine State Route 3
Maine State Route 3
State Route 3 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from Interstate 95 exit 113 in Augusta to an intersection with Route 102 in the village of Somesville in the town of Mount Desert, on Mount Desert Island...
upstream of Sheepscot Pond and by Maine State Route 105
Maine State Route 105
State Route 105 is a highway in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Maine. SR-105 begins in Augusta at Cony Circle where it junctions with U.S. Route 201 and continues east approximately until it terminates at U.S. 1 in Camden. It is regarded as one of the most scenic drives in Maine....
in Somerville between Sheepscot Pond and Long Pond. The river continues flowing southwesterly through the villages of Coopers Mills, North Whitefield, and Whitefield in the town of Whitefield
Whitefield, Maine
Whitefield is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,273 at the 2000 census. Whitefield is named for the celebrated British evangelist George Whitefield, who inspired the colonists before the town was settled in 1770, mainly by Irish Catholics...
. The river is bridged by concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
Maine State Routes 17 and 32 at Coopers Mills. The West Branch Sheepscot River
West Branch Sheepscot River
The West Branch Sheepscot River is a river in Maine. The branch originates in the northwest corner of Palermo and flows southwesterly through Branch Pond and the village of Weeks Mills in the town of China. The branch then flows southerly through the town of Windsor to a confluence with the...
joins the main stem between Cooper's Mills and North Whitefield. The river is bridged by Maine State Route 126 at North Whitefield and by concurrent Maine State Routes 194
Maine State Route 194
State Route 194 is a numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Maine. The route runs runs from an intersection with State Route 27 in Pittston to an intersection with State Route 218 in North Newcastle, a village of Newcastle...
and 218 at Whitefield. The river flows south from Whitefield and becomes a tidal
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
estuary at the village of Head Tide in Alna
Alna, Maine
Alna is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 675 at the 2000 census. Home to the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum, Alna includes the early mill village of Head Tide, noted for its historic architecture.-History:...
. The narrow gauge Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway
Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway
The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway is a gauge railway which operated from Wiscasset, Maine to Albion and Winslow, Maine. It was operated as a for-profit company from 1895 until 1933...
closely followed the river through the town of Whitefield to Head Tide from 1895 until 1933 and bridged the river between the villages of Whitefield and Head Tide. At Wiscasset the estuary is bridged by the Maine Central Railroad Rockland Branch
Maine Central Railroad Rockland Branch
The Rockland Branch is a railroad from Brunswick, Maine to Rockland, Maine. A charter was granted in 1849 to build a railway from the Portland and Kennebec Railroad on the west side of the Kennebec River to Rockland. Construction through the rocky headlands of the Atlantic coast proved more...
and by U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
. Sheepscot Bay is navigable for a distance of approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) from Wiscasset to the mouth between Reid State Park
Reid State Park
Reid State Park is a state park on Georgetown Island, in Sagadahoc County, Maine. There are several naturally sandy beaches which contrast with the usually rocky coast of Maine. The conditions make for excellent swimming during the summer months, with a natural inlet providing a somewhat warmer...
and Southport Island
Southport, Maine
Southport is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Southport, West Southport, Cape Newagen, and Squirrel Island.-History:...
.
Estuary
The lower estuary is defined by large islands. The estuary is split by Westport Island. The channel east of Westport Island is considered the Sheepscot River, while the western channel is identified as the Back RiverBack River (Kennebec River)
The Back River is a waterway in coastal Maine, in the combined estuary of the Sheepscot and the Kennebec rivers. The Back River runs from Wiscasset on the Sheepscot to Georgetown on the Kennebec, intersecting another channel, the Sasanoa River, at Hockomock Bay.Maine State Route 144 bridges the...
. The Back River is crossed in Hockomock Bay by a tidal channel identified as the Sasanoa River
Sasanoa River
The Sasanoa River is an tidal channel in the Midcoast region of Maine, connecting the Kennebec River with the Sheepscot River.The Sasanoa River has two distinct sections. The western section begins at the Kennebec River opposite the city of Bath and runs east, forming the boundary between the...
. The Sasanoa River connects the Kennebec River estuary at Woolwich
Woolwich, Maine
Woolwich is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,810 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
with the Sheepscot River estuary between Westport Island and Georgetown Island
Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. Home to Reid State Park, the town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Georgetown Island forms the west side of the mouth of Sheepscot Bay and the east side of the mouth of the Kennebec River estuary. The Back River reaches the Kennebec River on the west side of Georgetown Island. Arrowsic Island
Arrowsic, Maine
Arrowsic is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. During the French and Indian Wars, Arrowsic was site of a succession of important and...
forms the east side of the Kennebec River estuary between the Sasanoa River and the Back River. Maine State Route 144 bridges the Back River from Wiscasset to Westport Island. Maine State Route 127 bridges the Sasanoa River from Woolwich to Arrowsic Island and the Back River from Arrowsic Island to Georgetown Island.
Smaller islands of the estuary
The Sheepscot River portion of the estuary includes the following named islands:- Barters Island
- Boston Island
- Crow Island
- Davis Island
- Fox Island
- Green Island
- Hen Island
- Hodgdon Island
- Indiantown Island
- Isle of Springs
- MacMahan Island
- Malden Island
- Lower Mark Island
- Upper Mark Island
- Merrow Island
- Miles Island
- Mink Island
- Pratts Island
- Ram Island
- Sawyer Island
- Spectacle Island
- Tibbet Island
- Turnip Island
- Whittum Island
- Wood Island
See also
- List of rivers of Maine
- Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association