Presumpscot River

Presumpscot River in Westbrook

The river flows through the communities of Windham, Gorham, Westbrook, Portland and Falmouth, before flowing into the Casco Bay at Falmouth. He is bridged by the Maine State Route 35 near North Windham, from the Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division between North Windham and South Windham and from U.S. Highway 202 in South Windham. In addition, the flow is again bridged by the Maine Central Mountain Division in Westbrook and from U.S. Highway 302 at Riverton between Westbrook and Portland. In Falmouth, the flow is from Interstate 495, with the superimposed Maine State Routes 26 and 100 and from Interstate 95, from the Maine State Route 9, which bridges Maine Central Railroad, Interstate 295, the Grand Trunk Railway and U.S. Route 1.

In addition to Sebago Lake as its main source of the Presumpscot River has three significant tributaries:

• The Pleasant River; Mouth in Windham
• The Mill Brook ( an outflow of Highland Lakes in Windham ); Mouth in Westbrook
• The Piscataqua River ( an outflow of Forest Lakes in Cumberland); Estuary in Falmouth

There are eight dams that impede the flow during its way to the ocean and produce hydroelectricity. They are called the Eel Weir Dam, North Gorham Dam, Dam Dundee, Gambo Dam, Little Falls Dam, Dam Mallison, Sacarappa Dam and Cumberland Mills Dam. The dams below the last dam to supply the locks of the Cumberland and Oxford Canals with water and be changed in order to regulate the water flow through the SD Warren Paper Mill, after the channel was unusable. Since the displacement of the Smelt Hill Dam in Falmouth, 2002, the last 11 km of the river to the Cumberland Mills Dam flows smoothly into the ocean.

Hydropower plants

On the riverbank of the Presumpscot River, there are eight dams and associated hydropower plants.

The hydropower plants in downstream direction:

1792, the first dam on the Presumpscot River was built on the site of the former Smelt Hill Dam at Falmouth on the Presumpscot Falls ( ⊙ 43.720264-70.272364 ). Smelt Hill Dam 2002, was demolished.