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| source1_location = [[Megunticook Lake]], [[Maine]]
| mouth_location = [[Camden Harbor]], [[West Penobscot Bay]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|44.210|-69.063|region:US-ME|format=dms|name=Megunticook River|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Maine]]
| subdivision_type3 = County
| subdivision_name3 = [[Knox County, Maine|Knox County]]
| length_mi = 3.5
| source1_elevation = {{convert|142|ft}}
| mouth_elevation = [[sea level]]
| discharge1_avg =
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| river_system =
}}
The '''Megunticook River''' is a {{convert|3.5|mi|km|adj=on}} river in [[Camden, Maine|Camden]], [[Maine]]. It flows southeast from [[Megunticook Lake]] through downtown Camden to [[Camden Harbor]] in [[West Penobscot Bay]].<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2012-03-29 }}, accessed June 22, 2011</ref> The name "Megunticook" is derived from a [[Wabanaki]] word meaning "Great Swells of the Sea."<ref name="watershed_info">{{cite web|title=The Watershed|url=https://www.megunticook.org/the-watershed-1|website=Megunticook Watershed Association|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
==See also==▼
*[[List of rivers of Maine]]▼
==
The river originates at the spillway of [[Megunticook Lake]] at coordinates {{coord|44.2350|-69.0997|format=dms|type:river_region:US-ME|name=Megunticook River source}}.<ref name=NHD/> The {{convert|32|sqmi|km2|adj=on}} Megunticook Watershed includes portions of Camden, [[Hope, Maine|Hope]], [[Lincolnville, Maine|Lincolnville]], and [[Searsmont, Maine|Searsmont]]. The watershed's topography was formed by glacial activity during the [[Pleistocene]] epoch.<ref name="watershed_info"/>
The headwaters originate in Searsmont and flow through Moody Pond, Levenseller Pond, Norton Pond, and Megunticook Lake before reaching the river proper. Land use within the watershed is 69% forested, with 8% open water and 4% woody wetlands.<ref name="feasibility_study">{{cite report|title=Megunticook River Restoration Feasibility Study|url=https://www.camdenmaine.gov/news_detail_T50_R74.php|publisher=Town of Camden|date=2021-07-31|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
== Hydrology and dam system ==
The river's flow is regulated by seven dams, most constructed in the 19th century for industrial purposes. The [[Camden, Maine|Town of Camden]] owns and operates four of these structures:<ref name="water_levels">{{cite web|title=Water Levels|url=https://www.megunticook.org/water-levels|website=Megunticook Watershed Association|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
* '''East and West Dams''' – Control water levels in [[Megunticook Lake]] and Norton Pond
* '''Seabright Dam''' – Regulates the river impoundment upstream of Camden village
* '''Montgomery Dam''' – Manages water levels in the Mill Pond at Camden Harbor
Three additional dams (Powder Mill, Knowlton Street, and Knox Mill) are located between the Seabright and Montgomery dams.<ref name="feasibility_study"/>
== Ecology ==
The river system historically supported [[anadromous fish]] populations. A 2021 feasibility study identified seven species that could potentially utilize the river for spawning: [[alewife]], [[blueback herring]], [[Atlantic salmon]], [[American eel]], [[sea lamprey]], [[brook trout]], and [[rainbow smelt]].<ref name="feasibility_study"/>
Currently, fish populations consist primarily of stocked species including rainbow trout and brook trout, along with [[largemouth bass]], [[smallmouth bass]], eels, and various [[panfish]]. Multiple dams create barriers that prevent sea-run fish migration, with only occasional American eels able to navigate upstream.<ref name="watershed_info"/>
The river remains on Maine's list of impaired water bodies due to elevated bacteria levels and inability to support native fish populations.<ref name="pilot_history">{{cite news|title=The Megunticook River and the next hundred years|url=https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/megunticook-river-and-next-hundred-years/98527|newspaper=PenBay Pilot|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
== History ==
=== Indigenous period ===
Prior to European colonization, the watershed was inhabited by [[Wabanaki]] peoples.<ref name="watershed_info"/> The area served as traditional fishing and hunting grounds.
=== Colonial and industrial development ===
European settlement began in the late 1700s, with Camden's first mill constructed in 1771 by William Minot.<ref name="pilot_history"/> The river became central to local economic development, powering mills that produced flour, textiles, anchors, and gunpowder. At its industrial peak, the river system included 11 dams and 15 mills.<ref name="pilot_history"/>
In the 1790s, dam construction for Molyneaux's sawmill and gristmill flooded hundreds of acres, creating the current [[Megunticook Lake]]. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, textile mill discharge occasionally colored the river according to dyes being used.<ref name="pilot_history"/>
=== 20th century to present ===
Industrial activity declined in the 20th century, and many mills ceased operation. In 1992, ownership of the Montgomery Dam transferred to the Town of Camden, making the municipality responsible for maintenance of a structure no longer serving its original industrial purpose.<ref name="down_east">{{cite magazine|title=Should Camden Remove Its 200-Year-Old Harbor-Front Dam?|url=https://downeast.com/our-towns/should-camden-remove-its-200-year-old-montgomery-dam/|magazine=Down East|date=2023-06-29|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
== Montgomery Dam management debate ==
=== Technical studies ===
In 2018, facing repair costs, Camden commissioned a feasibility study of dam management options. The study identified flood risk increases and fish passage barriers associated with the Montgomery Dam.<ref name="feasibility_study"/> In 2021, the town contracted [[Inter-Fluve]], a river restoration engineering firm, to conduct additional analysis.
The Inter-Fluve study concluded that removing the Montgomery Dam and three upstream structures would provide benefits for fish passage, flood risk reduction, and long-term maintenance costs.<ref name="interfluve">{{cite web|title=Megunticook River Dams Feasibility Study|url=https://interfluve.com/2020/megunticook-river/|publisher=Inter-Fluve|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
=== Community positions ===
Dam removal proposals generated public debate. Supporters cited potential benefits including restored fish migration, reduced flood risk, and lower long-term municipal costs. Opposition groups, including Save the Dam Falls, emphasized the scenic value of the existing waterfall and questioned project costs and environmental benefits.<ref name="save_dam">{{cite web|title=Efforts to remove Camden dam are misplaced|url=https://www.mainecoast.tv/2024/05/12/efforts-to-remove-camden-dam-are-misplaced/|website=Maine Coast TV|date=2024-05-12|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
=== 2025 referendum ===
On June 10, 2025, Camden voters approved a referendum authorizing Montgomery Dam removal by a vote of 1,391 to 995. The measure requires funding from non-property tax sources and [[Camden Public Library]] board approval for any Harbor Park modifications.<ref name="dam_vote">{{cite news|last=Dunkle|first=Daniel|title=Camden voters approve dam removal|url=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/06/11/midcoast/midcoast-government/camden-voters-approve-dam-removal/|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|date=2025-06-11|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
The decision followed recommendations from the Megunticook River Citizens Advisory Committee, established in 2022, and endorsements from the [[Penobscot Nation]] and Camden Public Library Board of Trustees.<ref name="dam_vote"/>
== Current management ==
In 2022, Camden received $1.6 million from the [[National Fish and Wildlife Foundation]] and [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] through the National Coastal Resiliency Fund. The grant supports engineering studies for the four lower dams and fish passage design for the three upper dams.<ref name="camden_grant">{{cite news|title=Camden receives grant to study Megunticook River dams|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/12/05/camden-receives-grant-to-study-megunticook-river-dams/|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|date=2019-12-05|access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
The town operates the dams according to established water level management policies, with daily monitoring by a dam control agent who opens and closes gates for flood control and aesthetic purposes.<ref name="water_levels"/>
▲== See also ==
▲* [[List of rivers of Maine]]
* [[Megunticook Lake]]
* [[Camden, Maine]]
* [[Knox County, Maine]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Rivers of Maine}}▼
== External links ==
* [https://www.camdenmaine.gov/news_detail_T50_R74.php Town of Camden Megunticook River Watershed Project]
* [https://www.megunticook.org/ Megunticook Watershed Association]
* [https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-___location/01037410/ USGS Water Data for Megunticook Lake]
▲{{Rivers of Maine}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Penobscot Bay]]▼
[[Category:Rivers of Knox County, Maine]]
[[Category:Rivers of Maine]]
{{Maine-river-stub}}
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