three and one-half irdles long, after iviiich the river becnmes only a small 

 brook with a flow estimated at about one gallon a minute when examined on 

 August 27^ 193'0. A sawmill (Dinsmore's Mills) '.d.th a dam approximately 10 

 feet high existed at the head of tide at one time. Only the abutments of the 

 dam remain. A vdde pool with depths up to 10 feet just belov/ the site of the 

 sam showed sawdust and bits of wood on each of about six soundings with the 

 lead. The exit from the pool into the channel of the river is narrow with 

 a swift tidal current. No evidence of sav.dust was found in any soundings be- 

 low this point. 



The first mile of the Abagadasset above its entrance on Merrymeeting Bay 

 was found from soundings to be entirely soft mud» Beginning just below the 

 railroad trestle, the mud ,'^ives way to sandy mud and stretches of fairly 

 clean sand. The upper part of the river, except for the intertidal portion 

 on the sides of the channel, is a firm sandy mud. No gravel areas were found. 



The sides of the river are marshy, with minor exceptions. The more 

 abundant flora are pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata) , arrowhead (Sagittaria 

 latifolia) , several species of Potamogeton, wild rice ( Zizanj.a ) and rushes 

 ( Juncus Tp.) . 



There is only one house on the entire tidal portion of the river, so 

 that sources of pollution a re negligible. 



The Eastern River, while not flowing directly into Merrymeeting Bay, 

 is usually considered a part of the Merrymeeting Bay district. This river, 

 with a tidal portion about 10 miles in length, enters the Kennebec on the 

 eastern side of Swan Island. The river was one of the most productive areas 

 of the Merrymeeting Bay district, Stevenson (I898, p. 26?) states s "In the 

 Eastern River thirty years ago, there were 8 or 9 weirs, each of which took 

 6,000 to 3,000 shad per year and about the same amount was taken by seines 

 and drift nets, indicating a catch of 100,000 shad annually." 



The Eastern River was surveyed by boat on September 5 and 7, 19^0 . On 

 September $, the portion from the bridge on Route 197 to Merrymeeting Bay was 

 covered by boat. On September 7, the portion from the same bridge was simi- 

 larly covered to a point about one and one-half miles above the village of 

 Dresden Mills. The upper three miles of the river were not surveyed by boat 

 but the river was examined at several points where it is accessible by car, 

 and additional information was obtained from local residents. 



Results of soundings on the Eastern River indicate that it has a greater 

 proportion of sand and gravel bottom than either the Abagadasset or the Cathancs 

 rivers. Bottom soundings were made at thirteen stations. Eight of these sta- 

 tions indicated sand and gravel, three showed a sandy mud, and only two showed 

 a soft mud. The upper three miles of the river were reported to be jnostly mud 

 bottom but one point was found to be a rather firm sandy mud. 



11 



