Knowledge (XXG)

Brunswick Falls

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to this report, all the water at Brunswick Falls was 40.83 feet (12.44 m) high, divided at that time by three dams. At the upper dam there was a fall of 11.30 feet (3.44 m); at the middle dam, 14.04 feet (4.28 m); and at the lower dam, 15.49 feet (4.72 m). From the upper to the lower dam, the distance of the
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would pass through the ladder each year. However, as reported in 2017, only one per year, were able to swim up the steps of the fish ladder. In 2018 the number of fish who were able to do so increased to 32, and in 2019 it increased to sixty-three. In 2020, the number decreased to twenty-three. Shad,
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was made at the middle falls. To construct it, the ledge on the northwest end of the dam was cut through. The fishway was on the Topsham side of the dam, at the lower side. The height of the fall at this time was 18 feet (5.5 m). A year later, a wooden fishway was put in on the lower dam next to
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of the Androscoggin River in Brunswick. In his report, dated November 12, 1835, Baldwin stated that the Androscoggin River discharges more water than any other river in the state of Maine, being equal, at the lowest stage of the water, to more than 4,000 cubic feet (110 m) per second. According
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of England was the first European settler to set foot in Pejepscot, building his own trading post at Pejepscot Falls. Purchase had an agreement with the natives for the land, as long as they were still able to hunt and fish at the falls. Four years later, in 1632, the
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While the falls' original dams were made from wood and stone, later dams were constructed using concrete, eliminating the possibility for fish to move upstream. By the 1930s, the Androscoggin's population of sea-run fish was virtually gone, although the
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Throughout the 19th century, many dams were built across the Androscoggin River between the towns of Brunswick and Topsham, Maine. The first dam was built in 1753 and, like all subsequent dams of this century, was washed away by
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was the first organization to acquire electric power from Brunswick Falls, with the purpose to generate, sell, and distribute electricity for lighting, heating and manufacturing in the towns of
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Shad Island. These were not the first fishways; as early as 1789, the fish wardens were instructed by the town of Topsham to see that the dams were opened so that fish could pass.
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granted a patent to the land known as Pejepscot, including the falls, to Purchase and his brother-in-law, George Way. The falls had a rich stock of salmon, sturgeon and
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Commercial power generation at Unit 1 began in March 1982. In the same year construction began on Units 2 and 3 of the Brunswick hydroelectric station including a
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Since 1809 when the first cotton mill was erected at the falls, fish have been blocked by dams from the Androscoggin River. Salmon, sturgeon,
333:. During the time of the Wabanaki natives, they embraced the resources of the falls. Pejepscot Falls, as it was then called, was the site of a 295:, such as the Androscoggin River. As the climate warmed, the modern stream and river network was soon established, including Brunswick Falls. 330: 232: 66: 1390: 1271: 1166: 1002: 1342: 524: 746:. Generator 1, being the largest has a capacity of 13 megawatts and generators 2 and 3 each have a capacity of 3.5 megawatts. 394: 1049: 1108: 239:, and into the 21st century, the falls have been a vital part of Brunswick and Topsham's economy, harnessing its power for 725: 614: 317:, over several millennia, settled into the area along the Androscoggin River and Brunswick Falls, eventually becoming the 1447: 728:, sending power to Central Maine Power's electrical grid. The dam became the lower-most dam on the Androscoggin River at 1504: 1115: 1086: 1065: 915: 910: 106: 1425: 1499: 1406: 973: 1439: 1514: 1489: 1158: 468: 758:
and shad were very abundant in the Androscoggin, but their number has greatly diminished during modern times.
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salmon and sturgeon are sometimes able to make it up, but are often beaten or injured along the way.
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to start receding, with the last of the glacial ice disappearing from Maine by 10,000 years ago.
240: 212: 186: 1151: 1473: 1275: 1207: 1070:(This book) has long been considered the authoritative text on the three towns through 1878. 920: 629: 563: 441: 359: 326: 322: 216: 173: 94: 393:, the second fortification was built in 1715 on the ruins of Fort Andross and was known as 1045: 771: 354: 397:. This fort was dismantled in 1736 when the Native American wars were coming to an end. 366:, which Purchase took advantage of, shipping barrels of fish laden with salt to London. 755: 475: 428: 373:
in the region, there were two fortifications established adjacent to the falls. During
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Report of the Commissioners of the Hydrographic Survey of the State of Maine
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was created from a revision of this article dated 11 July 2023
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In 1982, during the construction of the Brunswick Hydroelectric Dam, a
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The station has three generators at work for a total capacity of 20
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Between 1979 and 1982 construction occurred for the
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History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine
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The Wabanakis called this area of Maine 31: 1272:"Fishways to Aid Androscoggin, Penobscot" 1030: 1028: 1026: 1024: 1022: 1020: 1018: 1016: 198:85,000 cu ft/s (2,400 m/s) 1417:, and does not reflect subsequent edits. 1189: 1187: 792: 1452: 1320:from the original on September 27, 2022 1282:from the original on September 23, 2022 1251:from the original on September 21, 2022 1194:Weaver, Daniel; Brown, Michael (2019). 1172:from the original on September 27, 2022 1089:from the original on September 21, 2022 976:from the original on September 21, 2022 947:from the original on September 22, 2022 932: 513:Brunswick Hydroelectric Station in 2022 73: 51:Brunswick Falls (Middle tier) from the 1125:from the original on December 31, 2021 774:of 1972 helped restore a few species. 713:in 1910, who in turn, was acquired by 409:Brunswick Falls (Upper & middle), 709:and Brunswick. They were acquired by 7: 1038:& Wheeler, Henry Warren (1878). 377:, the first fort was built in 1688: 1510:Hydroelectric power plants in Maine 160:41.83 ft (12.75 m) (1835) 1052:from the original on April 1, 2023 1003:University of California Libraries 943:. World Waterfall Database. 2019. 25: 1270:Letourneau, Gene (May 19, 1983). 1048:: A. Mudge & Sons, Printers. 703:Sagadahoc Light and Power Company 178:1,280 ft (390 m) (1835) 1467: 1455: 1433: 1399: 739:. It was completed in May 1983. 507: 460: 211:, lie on a rocky section of the 72: 65: 45: 1064:. p. Inside Front Cover – 722:Brunswick Hydroelectric Station 603:Brunswick Hydroelectric Station 385:and under the authority of the 256:Around 25,000 years ago all of 191: 181: 163: 155: 1308:Piper, Jessica (May 9, 2018). 1: 761:In 1871, a substantial stone 492:Brunswick Hydroelectric Plant 444:was 1,280 feet (390 m). 410: 264:, was covered by the massive 223:in the US. First occupied by 1116:Pejepscot Historical Society 1066:Pejepscot Historical Society 916:Pejepscot Historical Society 911:Brunswick Historical Society 1109:"From the Falls to the Bay" 680:Brookfield Renewable Energy 451:, there was a multitude of 1531: 1159:Raymond H. Fogler Library 693:FERC license number: 2284 686: 673: 506: 319:Wabanaki Native Americans 229:Wabanaki Native Americans 215:, bordering the towns of 86: 60: 44: 39: 1343:"Historical trap counts" 1036:Wheeler, George Augustus 416:, Cabot Mill on the left 794:Historical trap counts 662:Installed capacity 478:point of view in 2022. 435:, made a survey of the 387:Dominion of New England 1395: 1375:Listen to this article 995:Wells, Walter (1868). 717:on December 31, 1920. 474:of the falls from the 429:Colonel Loammi Baldwin 417: 343:Native American tribes 1394: 592:Type of dam 449:Industrial Revolution 408: 237:Industrial Revolution 1442:at Wikimedia Commons 1426:More spoken articles 1165:. 2015. p. 11. 1085:. Publius Research. 972:. Publius Research. 781:, at a cost of US$ 2 726:Brookfield Renewable 615:Brookfield Renewable 480:Frank J. Wood Bridge 371:Native American Wars 283:accumulated in this 266:Laurentide Ice Sheet 53:Frank J. Wood Bridge 1505:Waterfalls of Maine 1163:University of Maine 1068:second ed. (1974): 795: 715:Central Maine Power 653:Generator 3: 3.5 MW 650:Generator 2: 3.5 MW 620:Central Maine Power 540:43.9214°N 69.9678°W 536: /  383:Major Thomas Savage 369:During the various 349:European settlement 287:as winds picked up 129:43.9212°N 69.9661°W 125: /  1500:Geography of Maine 1396: 1314:The Bowdoin Orient 1212:10.1002/nafm.10330 793: 690:Operator ID: 39006 647:Generator 1: 13 MW 482:on the left, and 418: 375:King William's War 353:In the year 1628, 310:Indigenous peoples 241:energy development 213:Androscoggin River 187:Androscoggin River 1438:Media related to 1392: 1245:energyjustice.net 970:"Bedrock Geology" 941:"Brunswick Falls" 902: 901: 700: 699: 586:Dam and spillways 578:Opening date 545:43.9214; -69.9678 391:King Philip's War 341:with other local 331:Europeans arrived 202: 201: 134:43.9212; -69.9661 16:(Redirected from 1522: 1515:Pejepscot, Maine 1490:History of Maine 1472: 1471: 1470: 1460: 1459: 1458: 1451: 1437: 1416: 1414: 1403: 1402: 1393: 1383: 1381: 1376: 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Retrieved 935: 776: 768: 760: 753: 741: 734: 730:head of tide 721: 719: 710: 702: 701: 674: 634:Conventional 484:Fort Andross 453:cotton mills 446: 427: 419: 379:Fort Andross 368: 352: 335:trading post 313: 297: 289:outwash sand 278: 274:sheet of ice 260:, including 255: 225:Paleoindians 208: 204: 203: 157:Total height 29: 1356:October 10, 1241:"Brunswick" 1083:"BRUN-zwik" 779:fish ladder 737:fish ladder 608:Operator(s) 597:Gravity dam 573:Operational 543: / 519:Coordinates 447:During the 437:water-power 414: 1912 395:Fort George 272:forced the 258:New England 183:Watercourse 132: / 107:Coordinates 101:, Maine, US 1484:Categories 1422:Audio help 1413:2023-07-11 927:References 531:69°58′04″W 528:43°55′17″N 281:sand dunes 120:69°57′58″W 117:43°55′16″N 1474:Geography 1350:maine.gov 1220:202029021 1056:March 21, 744:megawatts 389:. During 327:Pejepscot 252:Pre-human 217:Brunswick 195:flow rate 95:Brunswick 1424: · 1318:Archived 1280:Archived 1249:Archived 1206:(5): 2. 1167:Archived 1120:Archived 1118:. 1980. 1087:Archived 1050:Archived 974:Archived 945:Archived 905:See also 898:139,326 842:179,040 750:Fishways 640:Turbines 423:freshets 291:forming 227:and the 91:Location 1448:Portals 1411: ( 1382:minutes 884:54,906 856:81,025 828:49,923 813:Herring 763:fishway 756:alewife 675:Website 556:Purpose 476:Topsham 431:, from 300:granite 193:Average 151:Cascade 99:Topsham 55:in 2022 1218:  803:Salmon 783:  570:Status 433:Boston 304:gneiss 279:Large 235:, the 1462:Maine 1346:(PDF) 1216:S2CID 1170:(PDF) 1155:(PDF) 1123:(PDF) 1112:(PDF) 564:Power 262:Maine 1358:2023 1326:2022 1288:2022 1257:2022 1227:2022 1178:2022 1131:2022 1095:2022 1058:2023 982:2022 953:2022 889:2022 875:2021 861:2020 847:2019 833:2018 819:2017 808:Shad 799:Year 707:Bath 630:Type 581:1982 562:and 401:Dams 364:shad 339:furs 302:and 219:and 146:Type 97:and 1208:doi 895:228 881:550 870:67 666:20 496:Dam 442:run 174:Run 1486:: 1348:. 1334:^ 1316:. 1312:. 1300:^ 1274:. 1247:. 1243:. 1214:. 1204:39 1202:. 1198:. 1186:^ 1161:, 1157:. 1139:^ 1114:. 1044:. 1015:^ 1001:. 961:^ 892:17 867:23 853:63 839:21 732:. 668:MW 425:. 411:c. 345:. 268:. 243:. 1450:: 1428:) 1420:( 1415:) 1384:) 1380:8 1377:( 1360:. 1328:. 1294:. 1259:. 1229:. 1210:: 1180:. 1133:. 1097:. 1009:. 984:. 955:. 878:5 864:5 850:1 836:1 825:1 822:0 168:3 20:)

Index

Pejepscot Falls

Frank J. Wood Bridge
Brunswick Falls is located in Maine
Brunswick
Topsham
Coordinates
43°55′16″N 69°57′58″W / 43.9212°N 69.9661°W / 43.9212; -69.9661
Type
Cascade
Run
Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
Brunswick
Topsham, Maine
Paleoindians
Wabanaki Native Americans
colonial history
Industrial Revolution
energy development
New England
Maine
Laurentide Ice Sheet
Climate change
sheet of ice
sand dunes
glacial period
outwash sand
river valleys
granite

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