Androscoggin River

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River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States

title: "Androscoggin River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["androscoggin-river", "northern-forest-canoe-trail", "rivers-of-coös-county,-new-hampshire", "rivers-of-new-hampshire", "rivers-of-sagadahoc-county,-maine", "rivers-of-androscoggin-county,-maine", "rivers-of-oxford-county,-maine", "rivers-of-maine", "maine-placenames-of-native-american-origin", "new-hampshire-placenames-of-native-american-origin"] description: "River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androscoggin_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

FieldValue
nameAndroscoggin River
name_otherAləssíkαntekʷ
imageAndroscoggin River and Lewiston Falls, Maine.jpg
image_size300
image_captionThe Androscoggin flowing past Lewiston, Maine
mapAndroscoggin watershed.png
map_size300
map_captionMap of the Androscoggin River watershed
pushpin_map_size300
subdivision_type1Country
subdivision_name1United States
subdivision_type2State
subdivision_name2Maine, New Hampshire
subdivision_type5Cities
subdivision_name5Auburn, Lewiston, Berlin
length164 mi
discharge1_locationAuburn
discharge1_min340 cuft/s
discharge1_avg6174 cuft/s
discharge1_max135000 cuft/s
discharge2_locationmouth
discharge2_avg6482 cuft/s
source1Umbagog Lake
source1_locationCoos County, New Hampshire
source1_coordinates
source1_elevation1243 ft
mouthKennebec River
mouth_locationMerrymeeting Bay, Sagadahoc County, Maine
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation0 ft
basin_size3450 sqmi
tributaries_leftSunday River, Dead River
tributaries_rightMagalloway River, Peabody River, Wild River
::

| name = Androscoggin River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = Aləssíkαntekʷ | name_etymology = | image = Androscoggin River and Lewiston Falls, Maine.jpg | image_size = 300 | image_caption = The Androscoggin flowing past Lewiston, Maine | map = Androscoggin watershed.png | map_size = 300 | map_caption = Map of the Androscoggin River watershed | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = 300 | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Maine, New Hampshire | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = Cities | subdivision_name5 = Auburn, Lewiston, Berlin | length = 164 mi | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= Auburn | discharge1_min = 340 cuft/s | discharge1_avg = 6174 cuft/s | discharge1_max = 135000 cuft/s | discharge2_location= mouth | discharge2_min = | discharge2_avg = 6482 cuft/s | discharge2_max = | source1 = Umbagog Lake | source1_location = Coos County, New Hampshire | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 1243 ft | mouth = Kennebec River | mouth_location = Merrymeeting Bay, Sagadahoc County, Maine | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 0 ft | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 3450 sqmi | tributaries_left = Sunday River, Dead River | tributaries_right = Magalloway River, Peabody River, Wild River | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = The Androscoggin River (Abenaki: Ammoscongon) is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is 178 mi long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is 3530 sqmi in area. The name "Androscoggin" comes from the Eastern Abenaki term Ammoscongon, which referred to the entire portion of the river north of the Great Falls in Lewiston, Maine. The Anglicization of the Abenaki term is likely an analogical contamination with the colonial governor Edmund Andros.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Androscoggin_Cascade_NH_10-25-25.jpg" caption="The Androscoggin River in [[Berlin, NH"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Under_the_bridge_at_Berlin_Falls,_by_Bierstadt_Brothers.jpg" caption="[[Stereoscopic]] image ''Under the bridge at Berlin Falls'', by the [[Bierstadt Brothers"] ::

There were several ancient names for the river. The Androscoggin was known as Pejepscook from Merrymeeting Bay to the Great Falls, with its namesake deriving from an anglicization of the section of river from the Great Falls northward.

According to the USGS, variant names for the Androscoggin River include Amasagu'nteg, Amascongan, Ambrose Coggin, Ammeriscoggin, Ammoscoggin, Amos Coggin, Amoscommun, Anasagunticook, Anconganunticook, Andrews Coggin, Andros Coggan, Andros Coggin, Androscoggen, Andrus Coggin, Aumoughcaugen, and Ameriscoggin River.

The average Androscoggin drop of eight feet per mile (1.5m per km) made it an excellent source of water power encouraging development of the cities of Berlin, New Hampshire, and Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, and the Maine towns of Brunswick, Topsham, Lisbon Falls, Livermore Falls, Chisholm, Mexico, Rumford and Bethel.

Water quality

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Androscoggin_river.jpg" caption="Power canal along the Androscoggin River in [[Gorham, New Hampshire"] ::

The Androscoggin was once heavily polluted by a variety of textile mills, paper mills, and other industries located along its banks, and helped inspire the Clean Water Act. The river has benefited greatly from environmental work and the departure of certain types of industry from the region. As a result, the amount of contaminated wastewater being released into the river has greatly decreased. However, several mills still release chemical waste into the river, albeit in much smaller amounts. From the 1940s through the 2000s, the Androscoggin was so polluted that some environmental groups listed it as one of the 20 most polluted rivers in the United States. The pollution became so severe that until very recently, one 14 mi stretch required oxygen bubblers to prevent fish from suffocating. As of May 2007, environmental groups had a lawsuit pending, in an attempt to force the paper mills located along the river to clean their waste streams. Most companies have agreed and generally followed through on reducing the amount of wastewater discharge, but only a few have completely stopped, with many companies citing cost as a prime factor for continued pollution.

On April 15, 2020, a large explosion occurred at the Verso Paper Mill, located on the river. It is unknown what impacts, either negative or positive, the explosion and the mill's indefinite closing will have on water quality.

Course

The Androscoggin begins in Errol, New Hampshire, where the Magalloway River joins the outlet of Umbagog Lake. The river flows generally south but with numerous bends past the towns of Errol and Milan and the city of Berlin before turning east at the town of Gorham, New Hampshire, to cut across the northern end of the White Mountains and enter Maine. Continuing east, the river passes the towns of Bethel, Rumford, and Dixfield before turning south at the town of Livermore Falls and leaving the mountains behind. The river passes through the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn, turns southeast, passes the community of Lisbon Falls and reaches tidewater just below the final falls in the town of Brunswick. Merrymeeting Bay is a 10 mi freshwater estuary where the Androscoggin meets the Kennebec River nearly 20 mi inland from the Atlantic Ocean.

Major tributaries

Listed from source to mouth of Androscoggin, with location of tributary's mouth:

Recreation

Angling

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Drift_Boat_Fishing_on_the_Androscoggin_River.jpg" caption="Drift boat fly-fishing in [[Errol, New Hampshire"] ::

The Androscoggin River is a popular fishing destination for anglers. The upper section of the river offers good fly fishing for brook, rainbow and brown trout. Landlocked salmon can also be caught in the far northern portions of the river near Errol, New Hampshire. As the river progresses south and east of the White Mountains, the river widens some and the water quality becomes more acidic. As a result of these changes, the trout and salmon fisheries vanish almost entirely in the central and lower portions of the river. However, these sections often contain trophy smallmouth bass fisheries. Northern pike also inhabit the lower sections, with quality specimens being reported for this species as well. Other species found in the lower portions include redbreast sunfish, yellow perch, and white suckers.

Paddling

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Androscoggin-River-Paddle-ca2001.jpg" caption="Paddling near the Free-Black Bridge in [[Brunswick, Maine"] ::

The Androscoggin River Watershed Council, a local nonprofit, has been working to establish a water trail along the entire length of the river. The trail will provide improved portages and access sites for paddling, fishing, and boating. There are currently over 40 mapped public access sites to the river.

The Androscoggin Riverlands State Park in Maine is a popular area for paddling. It consists of 12 mi along the western shoreline of the river just east of Turner.

Streamflow

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains four river flow gauges on the Androscoggin River. All four are below one or more dams.

The first is at Errol, New Hampshire (), where the watershed is 1046 sqmi. Flow here has ranged from 16,500 to 0 ft3/s (467 and 0 m3/s) (zero flow when dam closed). The mean annual flow between 1905 and 2005 is 1,919 ft3/s (54.3 m3/s).

The second is near Gorham, New Hampshire (), where the watershed is 1361 sqmi. Flow here has ranged from 21,900 to a mean daily low of 795 ft3/s (620 and 22.5 m3/s) (lows when dam closed). The mean annual flow between 1905 and 2005 is 2,512 ft3/s (71 m3/s).

The third is at Rumford, Maine (), where the watershed is 2068 sqmi. Flow here has ranged from 74,000 to 625 ft3/s (2,094 and 17.7 m3/s). The mean annual flow between 1905 and 2005 is 3,801 ft3/s (107.6 m3/s).

The fourth is at Auburn, Maine (), where the watershed is 3263 sqmi. Flow here has ranged from 135,000 to 340 ft3/s (3,820.5 and 9.6 m3/s).

References

References

  1. "Androscoggin Watershed". MaineRivers.org.
  2. [https://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-me-05-1/index.html Water Resources Data - Maine, Water Year 2005], [[USGS]] Water Data Reports for the United States, 2005.
  3. {{Gnis. 580918. Androscoggin River, [[USGS]] GNIS.
  4. [[Google Earth]] elevation for GNIS source coordinates.
  5. [[Google Earth]] elevation for GNIS mouth coordinates.
  6. "Pere Pole deposition, 1792".
  7. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ ''The National Map''] {{webarchive. link. (March 29, 2012, accessed June 30, 2011)
  8. Bright, William. (2004). "Native American placenames of the United States". University of Oklahoma Press.
  9. Dean R. Snow, "Eastern Abenaki", in ''Handbook of North American Indians'', ed. Bruce G. Trigger (Washington, D.C.: [[Smithsonian Institution]], 1978), 15:146.
  10. "Pere Pole deposition, Hallowell, 1793".
  11. DeLorme Mapping Company, ''The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer'' (13th edition) (1988) {{ISBN. 0-89933-035-5 maps 6, 10, 11 & 19
  12. "Report: Androscoggin River One of Nation's Most Toxic - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland".
  13. (May 17, 2007). "Cities Battle over River's Pollution Level". NPR.
  14. (April 15, 2020). "'Nothing short of a miracle:' No serious injuries after massive explosion at Maine mill".
  15. (April 15, 2020). "Huge explosion rocks paper mill in Maine".
  16. "Fishing Opportunities in Western Maine/Androscoggin River Valley Region". Maine.gov.
  17. "Androscoggin River - NH". [[Orvis.
  18. "The Androscoggin River Trail". Androscoggin River Watershed Council.
  19. (September 16, 2016). "Androscoggin River Canoe Trail".
  20. (June 20, 2016). "Paddling the Androscoggin River is all about reflection". Portland Press Herald.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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