St. John River
The St. John River is a river, approximately 418 mi (673 km) long, in the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, forming part of the U.S-Canada border in two places along its length.
It rises in Somerset County in northwestern Maine and flows northeast, forming approximately 15 miles of the border between Maine and Quebec, then into northern Maine, through western Aroostook County. Near Allagash, it is joined by the Allagash River. Below St. Francis, it forms part of the border between Maine and New Brunswick. Flowing northeast, it passes Fort Kent, Maine, and between Edmundston, New Brunswick and Madawaska, Maine, where it turns southeast, flowing between Van Buren, Maine and St. Leonard, New Brunswick. Near Grand Falls, New Brunswick it enters New Brunswick, flowing south, through the fertile St. John Valley, roughly parallel to the international border, where it is joined by the Aroostook and the Tobique rivers. At the mouth of the valley near Woodstock, it turns southeast, flowing past Fredericton, where it becomes navigable, and Oromocto. Turning south from Oromocto, the river is joined by the short Jemseg River which empties New Brunswick's largest lake, Grand Lake and its various tributaries. As the river flows south from Fredericton it meanders with many low islands used for pastureland. South of the Jemseg, the river is surrounded by low hills and is joined by several lateral bays, including Belleisle Bay and Kennebecasis Bay. It meets the Bay of Fundy at Saint John where the river changes direction diurnally due to the exceptionally strong tides, causing a unique phenomena called the Reversing Falls Rapids in a gorge running through the centre of the city.
Description
History
In 1604, the river was explored by Samuel de Champlain and Sieur de Monts. It was an important trade route for French, English and First Nations traders during the 17th and 18th century. The river is used for hydroelectric power at Grand Falls (where the river descends in a steep cataract), and at Beechwood and Mactaquac. Prior to these hydroelectric developments in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the river was used for log runs in the spring freshet. It is this same spring freshet which has proved disastrous to some property owners along portions of the river, particularly when ice jams can cause extensive flooding. The St. John River has also been of tremendous importance to the development of western New Brunswick in the form of a transportation artery, particularly prior to rail transport when paddle wheelers clogged its waterways. In recent years, the river has seen a rise in recreational boating and ecotourism. The Upper St. John Valley in Aroostook County, Maine and Carleton County, New Brunswick is also an important area for the cultivation of potatoes.