The Republican journal., 1911-10-05
PENOBSCUT RIVER
Has the Largest Drainage Basin of any of
the Rivers in Maine.

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The fenobscot has the largest drain
age basin OF all the rivers in Maine COM
prlslng about $500 square miles. or more
than one-quarter of the entire State
Its greatest length from north to south
is 100 miles, its greatest width n miles
all within the State. '
The Penobscot has great MANY lakes
and ponds which serve to regulate natn.
rally the flow of the river and which
could be utilized to far greater extent to
increase the low water flow for manu-
featuring purposes. There are 467 lakes in
the Penobscot basin and their aggregate
area is estimated to be 585 square miles.
or one square mile of lake surface to
each IA miles Of land surface. The possi
bilities of largely increasing the storage
in the lakes at the headwaters are par
ticularly favorable, requiring only the
construction of low dams.
The elevation of the basin of the Pc
nobscot is not as high as that of the
basins lying farther to the west. At the
remote sources of the river, 200 miles
by water from the outlet into Penobscot
Bay, the divide averages perhaps 1900
miles from the head of the southwestern
branch to Chesuncook Lake there is a
descent of about 600 feet, but the stream
is small. Below Chesuncook Lake the
river falls about 400 feet in less than 20
miles before entering Pemadumcook and
Twin Lakes. part of the distance through
narrow channel with steep and rocky
sides, the current of the river being
swift, with frequent falls over rocky
lodges.
In the 80 miles between the Twin
Lakes and the mouth of Mattawamkeag
River the Penobscot descends 282 feet.
A portion of this fall is utilized, at Mill
nOcket, where has been constructed the
largest pulp and paper plant in the
world.
In the 60 miles from the mouth of the
Mattawamkeag to Bangor there is a fall
of 1T feet. About half of this fall
occurs in the IA miles from the head of
the Cooks rips, above Old Town, to tide
water at Bangor, and to this distance
several power developments have been
made, dams being built across the main
channel at five places, utilizing an aggre-
gate fall of between S. and 80 feet.
A short distance below the mouth of
Mattawamkeag River the Penobscot,
there about 500 feet wide, is crossed by
the Canadian Pacific Railway; but there
is neither bridge nor dam elsewhere up
its course below Millinocket until the
immediate vicinity of the mouth of the
Piscataquis is reached. In the stretch
from the Mattawamkeag to the Piscata-
quis the river has good current, with
rapids at what are known as the Five
Islands Rips. opposite the village of
VIM, and at the upper and lower Mo
hawk Rips, opposite South Lincoln. At
VIM, tho roriHc fbo 40
is composed of rock, which here and
there rises above the water sur
face, the banks are high, and
the site appears to be an important one
for the development of power. At the
lower Mohawk Rips the river is probably
800 or 1000 feet wide, the bed partly of
rock and strewn with powders, the
banks gravelly and of fair height, but
the site appears of much less conse-
quence than that at VIM.
From the point of confluence with the
Piscataquis to Old Town there are occa-
sional rapids offering sites for the
development of power. Where confined
within single channel the river appears
to be nearly or quite 1000 feet in width,
but islands frequently divide it into sew
eral channels. The Passadumkeag Rips
are close to the mouth of Passadumkeag
River. Here the banks are of good
height and there is considerable exposed
rock in the east bank and on the river
bed, but it is questionable whether a
dam of suitable height could be built
without causing back water upon the
privileges on the main river and on the
Piscataquis at Rowland. A more prom
Using site is that at the Birch Island
Rips, perhaps two or three miles below
the mouth Of the Olamon Stream. The
rips are short, but strong, and the river
is divided by rocky island. The Paper
World