Saint John Ponds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Upper First Saint John Pond
Upper First Saint John Pond Location in Maine
Coordinates	46°02′N 69°59′W / 46.033°N 69.983°W / 46.033; -69.983
Max. length	600 yd (550 m)
Surface area	30 acres (12 ha)
Max. depth	7 feet (2.1 m)
Water volume	105 acre⋅ft (130,000 m3)
Surface elevation	1,831 ft (558 m)

Lower First Saint John Pond
Lower First Saint John Pond Location in Maine
Coordinates	46°02′N 69°59′W / 46.033°N 69.983°W / 46.033; -69.983
Max. length	800 yd (730 m)
Surface area	26 acres (11 ha)
Max. depth	5 feet (1.5 m)
Water volume	44 acre⋅ft (54,000 m3)
Surface elevation	1,831 ft (558 m)

Second Saint John Pond
Second Saint John Pond Location in Maine
Coordinates	46°01′N 69°58′W / 46.017°N 69.967°W / 46.017; -69.967
Max. length	0.9 mi (1.4 km)
Surface area	112 acres (45 ha)
Max. depth	5 feet (1.5 m)
Water volume	249 acre⋅ft (307,000 m3)
Surface elevation	1,811 ft (552 m)

Third Saint John Pond
Third Saint John Pond Location in Maine
Coordinates	46°02′N 69°57′W / 46.033°N 69.950°W / 46.033; -69.950
Max. length	2.7 mi (4.3 km)
Surface area	221 acres (89 ha)
Max. depth	14 feet (4.3 m)
Water volume	2,025 acre⋅ft (2,498,000 m3)
Surface elevation	1,617 ft (493 m)

Fourth Saint John Pond
Fourth Saint John Pond Location in Maine
Coordinates	46°03′N 69°55′W / 46.050°N 69.917°W / 46.050; -69.917
Max. length	1.1 mi (1.8 km)
Surface area	194 acres (79 ha)
Max. depth	22 feet (6.7 m)
Water volume	2,095 acre⋅ft (2,584,000 m3)
Surface elevation	1,460 ft (450 m)

Fifth Saint John Pond
Fifth Saint John Pond Location in Maine
Coordinates	46°08′N 69°54′W / 46.133°N 69.900°W / 46.133; -69.900
Max. length	4 mi (6.4 km)
Surface area	680 acres (280 ha)
Max. depth	20 feet (6.1 m)
Water volume	9,622 acre⋅ft (11,869,000 m3)
Surface elevation	1,394 ft (425 m)

The Saint John Ponds are a series of shallow lakes in the North Maine Woods. They are located at the very beginning of the Baker Branch Saint John River. Water flows from one pond to the next, starting with Upper First Saint John Pond and ending with Fifth Saint John Pond. Sometimes, the water flowing between ponds is called Baker Stream.

In 1939, a company called Great Northern Paper Company dug a canal. This canal connected Fifth Saint John Pond to the North Branch Penobscot River. They also built a dam at the north end of Fifth Saint John Pond. This allowed them to float cut trees (called pulpwood logs) from the upper Saint John River area down to Millinocket, Maine. Today, the canal and dam are not used much. So, most of the water from the ponds now flows back into the Saint John River.

Other ponds upstream also had dams to control water flow for moving logs. These dams are also no longer in good repair. Moose often use these ponds in the summer. They go there to escape the heat and annoying insects.

Exploring the Saint John Ponds: A Chain of Lakes

The Saint John Ponds are a unique natural feature. They provide homes for various fish and wildlife. Let's learn about each pond in this interesting chain.

First Saint John Pond: The Smallest Start

The First Saint John Pond is the smallest lake in the chain. It has two parts, an upper and a lower basin. A narrow strip of land, less than 200 yards (180 m) long, connects them. The upper part gets its water from springs. It has a firm, rocky edge. The lower part is surrounded by soft, muddy ground.

Sometimes, Beaver build dams below these basins. These dams can raise the water level by about 2 feet (61 cm). You can find native brook trout and yellow perch in both parts of the pond. When the weather gets warmer, the trout prefer the cooler water from the springs in the upper basin.

Second Saint John Pond: A Shallow Home

The Second Saint John Pond is about 800 yards (730 m) south of the First Pond's overflow. Water from the Second Pond flows into the Third Pond, about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east. This pond is the shallowest of all the Saint John Ponds. It is not the best place for brook trout to live. However, White sucker and yellow perch do very well here. They are well-suited to the muddy bottom of this pond.

Third Saint John Pond: More Water, More Fish

The stream flowing from the Second Pond gets more water. This extra water comes from Robinson Pond, which is about 30-acre (12 ha) in size. This combined flow then reaches the west side of the Third Saint John Pond. From the east side, water overflows into the Fourth Pond, about 2 miles (3.2 km) away.

In the Third Pond, you can find Fallfish, white sucker, and yellow perch. They all thrive here. Just like in the First Pond, brook trout look for cooler spots. They go to areas fed by cool springs when the summer weather is warm.

Fourth Saint John Pond: The Deepest Link

The stream flowing from the Third Pond gets even more water. Austin Brook, from 43-acre (17 ha) Austin Pond, adds to it. Summit Brook, from 52-acre (21 ha) Summit Pond, also joins in. These streams flow into the south end of the Fourth Saint John Pond.

From 1922 to 1946, a railroad called the Seboomook Lake and Saint John Railroad ran nearby. It followed Summit Brook and went along the east side of the Fourth Pond. The north end of the Fourth Pond flows into the Fifth Pond, about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north. This Fourth Pond is the deepest of all the Saint John Ponds. Fallfish, white sucker, and yellow perch are common here. Brook trout also do well in the smaller streams that flow into this pond.

Fifth Saint John Pond: The Largest Lake

The Fifth Saint John Pond is the biggest lake in the chain. When the old dam was no longer used, the water level dropped by 10 feet (3.0 m). The area that used to be underwater, south of the original pond, is now boggy. This boggy area receives water from Beaver Brook and Span Brook. It also gets water from the Fourth Pond's overflow.

In the Fifth Pond, you can find all the fish species from the other ponds. It also has hornpout, which are a type of catfish.