Damariscotta River facts for kids
The Damariscotta River is a 19-mile (about 30.5 km) long tidal river in Lincoln County, Maine. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean. A tidal river means its water level changes with the ocean's tides.
The name Damariscotta comes from an old Abenaki word. It means "river of many fishes." Along the riverbanks, you can find 2,500-year-old piles of oyster shells. These piles are called middens. The river itself is in a "drowned river valley." This means an old river valley was filled by rising sea levels. It leads to the Gulf of Maine, which is a big part of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Damariscotta River starts at Damariscotta Lake. This is near a village called Damariscotta Mills. The village is split between the towns of Newcastle and Nobleboro. Damariscotta Lake stretches 12 miles (about 19 km) north. It gets water from smaller streams.
From the lake, the river drops 50 feet (about 15 meters) very quickly. This happens over just 0.1 miles (about 0.16 km) in Damariscotta Mills. After this drop, it reaches the tidal part of the river. This area is known as Salt Bay. The tidal river then flows south. It passes towns like Newcastle, Edgecomb, and Boothbay on one side. On the other side are Damariscotta, Bristol, and South Bristol. Finally, it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
The river is easy to travel on for almost its entire 19-mile length. It's important for many local activities. People enjoy tourism here. There's also farming of oysters and mussels. Other types of water farming, clamming, and fishing happen too.
Damariscotta Mills: A Special Place
Damariscotta Mills is a village known for a special event. Every year, usually in May or June, locals celebrate the "Annual Alewife Festival." This festival celebrates millions of alewives returning to the Damariscotta River. Alewives are a type of fish. More and more people visit this festival each year.
The Amazing Fish Ladder
The main part of the Alewife Festival is the Damariscotta Stone Fish Ladder. This unique ladder helps the alewives swim upstream. It was first built in 1807. Its purpose was to help fish get around the Damariscotta Mills Dam.
By 2007, the fish ladder was starting to fall apart. But the local community came together to help. They raised money and supported its repair. Between 2007 and 2013, this special stone fish ladder was fully rebuilt. Thanks to this work, millions of alewives can now return to the Damariscotta River each year.
