Aroostook River

The Aroostook River is a tributary of the Saint John River, approximately 140 mi (225 km) long, in the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Its basin is the largest sub-drainage of the St.John River. [cite web | author=K. Elizabeth Gibbs, Billie Bradeen, Dan Boland| year=2004 | title=Spatial and Temporal Segregation Among Six Species of Coexisting Ophiogomphus (Odonata: Gomphidae) in the Aroostook River, Maine | work=Spatial and Temporal Segregation Among Six Species of Coexisting Ophiogomphus (Odonata: Gomphidae) in the Aroostook River, Maine | url=http://www.looksmarthiking.com/p/articles/mi_qa3845/is_200401/ai_n9389864/pg_2?pi=rechik | accessdate=2006-05-07] The river rises in northeastern Maine and winds E and NE through Aroostook County. It runs through Ashland, and passes north of Presque Isle and east of Caribou. It joins the St. John in western New Brunswick two miles (3 km) after crossing the International Boundary.

The United States government maintains two river flow gages on the Aroostook. The first is located near Masardis, Maine (coord|46|31|21|N|68|22|23|W|) where the rivershed is convert|892|sqmi|km2, the second at Washburn, Maine (coord|46|46|36|N|68|09|29|W|) where the rivershed is convert|1654|sqmi|km2. By Fort Fairfield, Maine the rivershed is convert|2301|sqmi|km2. At Masardis, the maximum recorded flow is 21,100 cubic feet per second and the minimum convert|41|cuft|m3 per second. At Washburn, the maximum recorded flow is convert|43400|cuft|m3 per second and the minimum convert|75|cuft|m3 per second. Annual maximum flows occur during the spring snow melt and minimums in the fall. [cite web | author=G.J. Stewart, J.P. Nielsen, J.M. Caldwell, A.R. Cloutier | year=2002| title=Water Resources Data - Maine, Water Year 2001 | format=PDF | work=Water Resources Data - Maine, Water Year 2001 | url=http://me.water.usgs.gov/Maine01adr.pdf | accessdate=2006-05-07] The highest flood levels at both gages occurred during ice-dam induced floods, which occur relatively often on this river. Such flooding occurred in March and April 1999, April and May 2003, and April 2004. [cite web | author=V.T. Hom, E.J. Capone, and T.W. Econopouly| year=2004 | title=Table 1. Recent Ice Jam Events | format=PDF | work=Forecasting Ice-Affected Rivers at the Northeast River Forecast Center | url=http://www.easternsnow.org/proceedings/2004/hom_et_al.pdf | accessdate=2006-05-07]

The river has a small run of Atlantic Salmon. From 1998 to 2001 the number of adults returning to the river ranged from seventeen to thirty. [cite web | author=Frederick W. Kircheis | year=2002| title=Report of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission | format=PDF | work=Report of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission | url=http://www.krisweb.com/krissheepscot/krisdb/html/krisweb/biblio/maine_masc_kircheis_2001_anrpt.pdf | accessdate=2006-05-07]

The International Appalachian Trail runs along the river for several miles. Hikers cross the river, pass through customs, and cross the international boundary at Fort Fairfield, Maine. [cite web | author= | year= | title=The International Appalachian Trail in Maine | format=DOC | work=The International Appalachian Trail in Maine | url=http://www.internationalat.org/Info/SIAIAT_PDF/maineeng.doc | accessdate=2006-05-07]

In the late 1830s, the territory comprising the river's drainage area was scene of the Aroostook War, a boundary dispute between the United States and the United Kingdom.

ee also

*List of Maine rivers
*List of New Brunswick rivers

External links

*Real-time river flow at [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=01017000 Washburn, Maine] or [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=01015800 Masardis, Maine] . (Masardis also has air temperature.)
*National Weather Service [http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=car forecast] of river levels and flow.

References