NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



300 



The lakes and ponds of Maine are very 

 numerous. According to Kendall {Proc. 

 Portland Soc. N. H.) "there are about 

 2000 lakes from 100 acres to 120 sq. mi. 

 in area," ranging from Moosehead Lake, 

 the largest, with a length of about 35 

 mi. and an area of 117.4 sq. mi. to ponds 

 of very small size. A map of the state 

 shows the numerous lakes scattered 

 closely and apparently in hopeless 

 confusion. They fall, however, into 

 perfect systems, or basins, which take 

 their names from the river by which 

 they ultimatelv reach the ocean. 



The principal lake of the Presumpscot 

 River Basin is Sebago, the second lake 

 of the state in size. It has an area of 

 44.80 sq. mi., an elevation of 262 ft. and 

 depth of 316 ft.; hence its bottom ss in 

 part below the level of the sea. Its 

 waters are remarkal:)ly pure and are used 

 as the water supply of the city of Port- 

 land and several other towns. It is 

 controlled in a large part by the Portland 

 Water District, whose trustees take 

 every precaution to preserve its purity 

 and natural conditions. It receives 

 the waters of several other lakes, one 

 of which, Long Lake or Long Pond has a 

 length of about 10 mi. and is largely 

 environed with lofty hills. 



The Androscoggin system finds its 

 principal waters in the Rdngeley chain 

 of Lakes, resting close to the western 

 border of the state and near the crown of 

 the Appalachian spur. Mooseluckmag- 

 untic Lake is the largest of this chain. 

 A charr formerly abounded in the 

 Rangeley lakes, but through excessive 

 netting at the spawning season and the 

 introduction of landlocked salmon it 

 has been exterminated in these waters. 



The Kennebec System has its extreme 

 headwaters along the northern flank 

 of the Appalachian spur. 



After leaving Moosehead lake the 

 Kennebec River passes for a distance of 

 about 25 mi. over a rocky bed with 

 numerous cataracts, falling nearly 450 

 ft. It reaches tide water at Augusta, 

 and 22 mi. below that place enters 

 Merrymeeting Bay. This Bay with its 

 great body of tidal fresh water affords 



conditions for an abundant and unique 

 flora, and an exceptional feeding ground 

 for waterfowl. 



The Penel)Scot River Basin has its 

 Source to the northward of the Appa- 

 lachian spur, the headwaters of its 

 West Branch being very near the north- 

 western boundary of the state. It is 

 fed by a host of lakes. 



The St. John Basin lies to the north- 

 ward of the Penobscot baisn, draining 

 all of the remainder of northern Maine 

 through its several arms, including the 

 Woolastock or main St. John and the 

 AUegash. 



The lakes of this region are very 

 numerous and many are of considerable 

 size, as Chamberlain (area 17.48 sq. mi., 

 elevation 946 ft.), originally an Allegash 

 or St. John Lake, but now through the 

 agency of the Telos Canal considered as 

 belonging to the Penobscot system; 

 Eagle, Churchill, Long and Chemquassa- 

 bamticook of the Allegash, with Portage 

 and the Eagle chain of the Fish 

 River. 



With its great assemblage of lakes, 

 their shallow lagoons, swamps, and 

 streamlets, some swift, others sluggish, 

 reaching into every valley and to every 

 hillside, the state is adapted to those 

 plants and animals requiring a cool 

 moist atmosphere; hence Maine is pre- 

 eminentlj' a state of evergreen forests, 

 which are composed of black red and 

 white spruce, balsam fir, and arbor 

 vitac in the lower levels, and pine and 

 hemlock on its minor hills. The denser 

 forests of arbor vitae and spruce are 

 highly favorable to the growth of Bry- 

 ophytes (mosses and liverworts), which 

 carpet the ground and enshroud every 

 fallen tree trunk and stump. Pine and 

 hemlock are less favorable to these 

 humble plants and beneath their less 

 dense shade relatively few of the 

 smaller plants of any description are 

 found. 



In these moist evergreen forests wood 

 warblers find the conditions best suited 

 to their needs and are represented by 

 numerous sjiecies, together with many 

 of the smaller 10-priniaricd Passeres, 



