East Branch Penobscot River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Branch Penobscot River |
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East Branch Penobscot River, northeast of Millinocket, Maine.
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| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Maine 1,000 feet (300 m) |
| River mouth | Penobscot River 240 feet (70 m) 45°36′32″N 68°32′02″W / 45.609°N 68.534°W |
| Length | 75 miles (121 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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The East Branch Penobscot River is a river in Maine, United States. It is about 75.3-mile-long (121.2 km). This river is a tributary of the larger Penobscot River. A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger one. The East Branch Penobscot River flows through two counties in Maine: Piscataquis County and Penobscot County.
The River's Journey
The East Branch Penobscot River starts its journey in a part of Piscataquis County. This area is called Township 7, Range 11, WELS. From there, the river flows for about 17 miles (27 km) to the southeast.
It travels through a large forest area known as the North Maine Woods. Eventually, it reaches a place called Grand Lake Matagamon. This lake is a special kind of lake called a reservoir. It is located near the northeast corner of Baxter State Park.
After leaving Grand Lake Matagamon, the river continues its path for about 48 miles (77 km) to the south. It finally meets another river, the West Branch Penobscot River. This meeting point is called a confluence, and it happens in Medway, which is in Penobscot County.
Grand Lake Matagamon
| Grand Lake Matagamon | |
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| Max. length | 8 mi (13 km) |
| Surface area | 4,868 acres (1,970 ha) |
| Max. depth | 95 feet (29 m) |
| Water volume | 80,878 acre⋅ft (99,762,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 653 ft (199 m) |
Grand Lake Matagamon is also known as Matagamon Lake. It is a reservoir on the East Branch Penobscot River. A reservoir is a large, man-made lake used to store water. This reservoir was created by building the Grand Lake Dam.
The dam was built where a smaller lake, First Lake, used to be. When the dam was finished, it held back the river's water. This caused a large area of low-lying land upstream to flood. This flooded area now includes what was once Second Lake.
Because of the dam, the water in Grand Lake Matagamon is not very deep in many places. This shallow water creates a good home for certain types of fish. Fish like yellow perch, fallfish, and longnose sucker do very well here. However, this environment is not as good for trout, which usually prefer deeper, colder water.
