Saint John Ponds

Last updated
Upper First Saint John Pond
USA Maine relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Upper First Saint John Pond
Coordinates 46°02′N69°59′W / 46.033°N 69.983°W / 46.033; -69.983 [1]
Max. length600 yd (550 m) [2]
Surface area30 acres (12 ha) [3]
Max. depth7 feet (2.1 m) [4]
Water volume105  acre⋅ft (130,000 m3) [3]
Surface elevation1,831 ft (558 m) [1]
Lower First Saint John Pond
USA Maine relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Lower First Saint John Pond
Coordinates 46°02′N69°59′W / 46.033°N 69.983°W / 46.033; -69.983 [5]
Max. length800 yd (730 m) [2]
Surface area26 acres (11 ha) [3]
Max. depth5 feet (1.5 m) [4]
Water volume44  acre⋅ft (54,000 m3) [3]
Surface elevation1,831 ft (558 m) [5]
Second Saint John Pond
USA Maine relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Second Saint John Pond
Coordinates 46°01′N69°58′W / 46.017°N 69.967°W / 46.017; -69.967 [6]
Max. length0.9 mi (1.4 km) [2]
Surface area112 acres (45 ha) [3]
Max. depth5 feet (1.5 m) [7]
Water volume249  acre⋅ft (307,000 m3) [3]
Surface elevation1,811 ft (552 m) [6]
Third Saint John Pond
USA Maine relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Third Saint John Pond
Coordinates 46°02′N69°57′W / 46.033°N 69.950°W / 46.033; -69.950 [8]
Max. length2.7 mi (4.3 km) [2]
Surface area221 acres (89 ha) [3]
Max. depth14 feet (4.3 m) [9]
Water volume2,025  acre⋅ft (2,498,000 m3) [3]
Surface elevation1,617 ft (493 m) [8]
Fourth Saint John Pond
USA Maine relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fourth Saint John Pond
Coordinates 46°03′N69°55′W / 46.050°N 69.917°W / 46.050; -69.917 [10]
Max. length1.1 mi (1.8 km) [2]
Surface area194 acres (79 ha) [3]
Max. depth22 feet (6.7 m) [11]
Water volume2,095  acre⋅ft (2,584,000 m3) [3]
Surface elevation1,460 ft (450 m) [10]
Fifth Saint John Pond
USA Maine relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fifth Saint John Pond
Coordinates 46°08′N69°54′W / 46.133°N 69.900°W / 46.133; -69.900 [12]
Max. length4 mi (6.4 km) [2]
Surface area680 acres (280 ha) [3]
Max. depth20 feet (6.1 m) [13]
Water volume9,622  acre⋅ft (11,869,000 m3) [3]
Surface elevation1,394 ft (425 m) [12]

The Saint John Ponds are a chain of shallow lakes at the headwaters of the Baker Branch Saint John River in the North Maine Woods. The flow sequence is from the Upper First Saint John Pond, through the Lower First Saint John Pond, Second Saint John Pond, Third Saint John Pond, and Fourth Saint John Pond to the Fifth Saint John Pond. Flow from one pond to the next is sometimes called Baker Stream rather than the Baker Branch Saint John River. [2] Great Northern Paper Company dug a canal from Fifth Saint John Pond 2 miles (3.2 km) westward to the North Branch Penobscot River in 1939, and built a dam at the north end of Fifth Saint John Pond so pulpwood logs harvested in the upper Saint John River watershed could be floated down the Penobscot River to Millinocket, Maine. The canal and dam have fallen into disrepair so most drainage from the ponds again flows down the Saint John River. All upstream ponds with the exception of the first had dams to regulate discharge flow for log driving, but those dams have similarly fallen into disrepair. Moose use the ponds as summer refuge from heat and biting insects. [13]

Contents

First Saint John Pond

The first pond is the smallest of the chain. The pond has an upper and lower basin connected by a narrow neck less than 200 yards (180 m) long. The upper basin is spring fed with a firm, rocky shoreline, while the lower basin is surrounded by boggy, organic mud. Beaver sometimes construct dams below one or both basins which may raise the water level by approximately 2 feet (61 cm). Native brook trout and yellow perch live in both basins, but during warmer summer weather trout favor the cooler water where springs emerge in the upper basin.

Second Saint John Pond

The west end of the second pond is 800 yards (730 m) south of the overflow from the south end of the lower basin of the first pond. The east end of the second pond overflows into the third pond 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east. [2] The second pond is the shallowest of the chain, and offers the least favorable habitat for brook trout. White sucker and yellow perch are well adapted to the muddy bottom of the second pond. [7]

Third Saint John Pond

The overflow stream from the second pond is augmented by drainage from 30-acre (12 ha) Robinson Pond [3] before reaching the west side of the third pond. The east side of the third pond overflows to the fourth pond 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east. [2] Fallfish, white sucker, and yellow perch thrive in the third pond; and brook trout retreat to areas fed by cool springs during warm summer weather. [9]

Fourth Saint John Pond

The overflow stream from the third pond is augmented by Austin Brook from 43-acre (17 ha) Austin Pond and by Summit Brook from 52-acre (21 ha) Summit Pond [3] before reaching the south end of the fourth pond. The Seboomook Lake and Saint John Railroad followed Summit Brook from Summit Pond and along the east shore of the fourth pond from 1922 to 1946. The north end of the fourth pond overflows to the fifth pond 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north. [2] The fourth pond is the deepest of the chain. Fallfish, white sucker, and yellow perch dominate the fourth pond, but brook trout do well in the tributaries. [11]

Fifth Saint John Pond

The fifth pond is the largest of the chain. The water level dropped 10 feet (3.0 m) when the dam was abandoned, and the formerly flooded area south of the original pond is boggy. The boggy area receives flow from Beaver Brook and Span Brook in addition to overflow from the fourth pond. [2] The fifth pond has hornpout in addition to the species in the upstream ponds. [13]

Sources

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Upper First Saint John Pond
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (Thirteenth ed.). Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping Company. 1988. p. 48. ISBN   0-89933-035-5.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Maine Depts. of Environmental Protection and Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (2005-08-04). "Maine Lakes: Morphometry and Geographic Information". Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, The University of Maine. Archived from the original on 2006-09-03. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  4. 1 2 "Upper and Lower First Saint John Ponds" (PDF). Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game. State of Maine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lower First Saint John Pond
  6. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Second Saint John Pond
  7. 1 2 "Second Saint John Pond" (PDF). Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game. State of Maine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Third Saint John Pond
  9. 1 2 "Third Saint John Pond" (PDF). Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game. State of Maine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fourth Saint John Pond
  11. 1 2 "Fourth Saint John Pond" (PDF). Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game. State of Maine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fifth Saint John Pond
  13. 1 2 3 "Fifth Saint John Pond" (PDF). Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game. State of Maine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.

Related Research Articles

Sebasticook River

The Sebasticook River is a 76-mile-long (122 km) river in the central part of Maine, in the United States. From its source in Dexter, the upper "Main Stream" section flows generally west and south 30 miles (48 km) to Great Moose Lake. From the outlet of the lake in Hartland, the Sebasticook flows 41 miles (66 km) south to the Kennebec River in Winslow.

Baker Branch Saint John River

The Baker Branch Saint John River is a 48.0-mile-long (77.2 km) river. This river is a tributary of the Saint John River, flowing in the Maine North Woods, in Maine, in the Northeastern United States.

East Branch Penobscot River

The East Branch Penobscot River is a 75.3-mile-long (121.2 km) tributary of Maine's Penobscot River. It flows in Piscataquis County and Penobscot County.

Medomak River

The Medomak River, historically known as the Muscongus River, is a 40-mile-long (64 km) river in Maine. From its source in Liberty, the river winds 32 miles (51 km) south to the head of its tidal river estuary in Waldoboro, then about 8 miles (13 km) south to Bremen. The river flows through Hockomock Channel into the head of Muscongus Bay. Medomak is Abenaki for "place (river) of many alewives".

The Roach River is a river in Piscataquis County, Maine. From the outlet of Third Roach Pond in Shawtown, the river runs 19.1 miles (30.7 km) west, through a chain of ponds. The Flow sequence through the ponds is from the Fourth Roach Pond through the Third Roach Pond, Second Roach Pond, and First Roach Pond to empty into Moosehead Lake, the source of the Kennebec River, in Spencer Bay. The Seventh Roach Pond drains through the Sixth Roach Pond in a separate tributary to the Third Roach Pond. No fifth Roach Pond is shown on modern maps.

Range Ponds State Park is a public recreation area wrapping around the eastern end of Lower Range Pond in the town of Poland in Androscoggin County, Maine. The state park offers a sandy beach with lifeguard-supervised swimming, kayaking, limited motorized boating, hiking trails, and fishing. Mountain biking trails, built with the help of local volunteers, provide intermediate level, single-track loops off a central double-track trail that winds through mature pine and hardwood forests.

Eagle Lake is the first, largest, and deepest lake of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in the North Maine Woods. The lake covers the eastern side of Eagle Lake township. The southern end of the lake extends into Maine township 7, range 12, where it receives overflow from Indian Pond, and into Soper Mountain township where it receives overflow from Haymock Lake via Smith Brook. Other ponds in the Eagle Lake watershed include Woodman Pond via Woodman Brook, Pillsbury Pond and Little Pillsbury Pond via Smith Brook, Soper Pond and Upper Soper Pond via Soper Brook, and the Russell Ponds via Russell Brook. Eagle Lake originally received overflow from Chamberlain Lake, but Lock Dam has diverted most Chamberlain Lake overflow through Telos Cut to the Penobscot River since the 1850s.

Seboeis Lake extends from Lake View Plantation, Maine, north into Maine township 4, range 9. The lake is enclosed by rocky headlands and sandy beaches and contains several pine-covered islands. The inlet at the north end receives several tributaries from Long A township including Dean Brook, Jordan Brook, and West Seboeis Stream. Bear Brook flows into the northwest corner of the lake, and Northwest Pond overflows into the west side of the Lake. West Branch Sebois Stream overflows the east side of the lake through Dudley Rips into Endless Lake; and Endless Lake overflow reaches the Piscataquis River 15 miles (24 km) downstream, just 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream of the Piscataquis and Penobscot River confluence at Howland.

Caucomgomoc Lake is in the North Maine Woods at the corner of townships 6 and 7 in ranges 14 and 15. Loon Stream flows into the southern end of the lake from Loon Lake, Bear Pond, Big Hurd Pond, Little Hurd Pond, Bear Brook Pond, McDougal Pond, and tributaries from the southwest. Overflow from Little Shallow Lake through Shallow Lake, Daggett Pond, and Round Pond enters the east side of Caucomgomoc Lake through Ciss Stream. Smaller tributaries Avery Brook, Middle Brook, and Ramsell Brook flow into the north end of the lake. There is a dam at the lake outlet on the eastern shore a short distance south of Ciss Stream. Discharge through the dam flows down Caucomgomoc Stream through Black Pond and Chesuncook Lake to the West Branch Penobscot River at Ripogenus Gorge. White perch and yellow perch have largely replaced historic trout populations in the lake.

The Fish River chain of lakes is a series of five lakes in the North Maine Woods region of northern Maine, in a tributary stream to the Fish River. The lakes are an important northern Maine recreation area providing habitat for wildlife including rainbow smelt, brook trout, lake trout, and land-locked Atlantic salmon.

The Belgrade Lakes are a chain of lakes around Belgrade, Maine. The flow sequence is from East Pond to North Pond to Great Pond to Long Pond to Messalonskee Lake and thence via Messalonskee Stream to the Kennebec River at Waterville. The lakes have long been an important resort area for fishing, boating, and swimming; and shoreline development includes residences for individuals employed in the cities of Waterville and Augusta.

Ragged Lake is the source of Ragged Stream in the North Maine Woods. The original lake in Maine range 13 townships 2 and 3 was flooded and expanded by a concrete dam built 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream. The resulting reservoir created a large shallow area with two basins deeper than 30 feet (9.1 m). Summer dissolved oxygen concentrations are low in the deep basins. Conditions have become more favorable for fallfish and longnose sucker than for the native brook trout. Bear Brook enters the south end of the lake, and supports a spawning run of rainbow smelt. Ragged Stream flows 4 miles (6.4 km) from the dam at the south end of Ragged Lake into the Caribou Lake arm of Chesuncook Lake.

Millinocket Lake is the source of Millinocket Stream in the North Maine Woods north of Baxter State Park. Millinocket Stream flows 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to Maine township 8, range 8, where it joins Munsungan Stream to form the Aroostook River. The lake extending along the border of Maine range 9 townships 7 and 8 is impounded behind a wooden dam. The dam enlarged the lake to include Little Millinocket Lake and Moose Pond by flooding adjoining bogs to store water for hydropower. The large areas of shallow flooded bog are a good habitat for fallfish, yellow perch and white suckers; but with summer water temperatures ranging from 70° near the surface to 55° in the deeper areas, dissolved oxygen concentrations become unfavorable for trout. Tributaries to the lake drain a number of small ponds to the west of the lake including Atkins Pond, Blackmore Pond, Buckley Pond, Big Caribou Pond, Little Caribou Pond, Chandler Pond, Elsie Pond, Ervin Pond, Jack Pond, Kyle Pond, Line Pond, Mathews Pond, May Pond, Little Moose Pond, Upper Moose Pond, Pretty Pond, Snowshoe Pond, and Spring Pond.

Rainbow Lake is the source of Rainbow Stream in Rainbow township in the North Maine Woods. Rainbow Stream discharges over a dam at the west end of the lake and flows 4 miles (6.4 km) south to Nahmakanta Lake. Nahmakanta Lake overflows through Nahmakanta Stream and Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes to the Penobscot River. The Appalachian Trail follows Rainbow Stream and the south shore of the lake; but the old logging road to the dam has deteriorated with boggy areas no longer passable by four-wheel drive vehicles. The lake has a small catchment basin and is surrounded by large granite boulders. The low nutrient input in this setting produces unusually clear water. The lake has a native population of brook trout.

A chain of three Jo-Mary Lakes along the border of Penobscot County and Piscataquis County drain into the Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes in the North Maine Woods. The flow sequence is from Upper Jo-Mary Lake into Middle Jo-Mary Lake and then through Lower Jo-Mary Lake into Pemadumcook Lake.

The chain of Debsconeag Lakes in the North Maine Woods is a tributary to the West Branch Penobscot River. The flow sequence is from the Sixth Debsconeag Lake through the Fifth, Fourth, Third, Second, and First into the Debsconeag Deadwater on the West Branch.

Highland Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Maine. Formerly known as Duck Pond, the lake extends from the northern tip of Westbrook through the western edge of Falmouth into east Windham, Maine. The south end of the lake overflows via Mill Brook 4 miles (6.4 km) through Westbrook to the Presumpscot River at Riverton. The shoreline of the lake is heavily developed with residences, seasonal cabins, and a state-owned parking area off Mast Road in Falmouth for the launch of canoes and car-top boats. The deeper northern basin of the lake in Windham has been stocked with brown trout, splake, alewife, and occasionally brook trout and land-locked Atlantic salmon. Highland Lake's shallow southern basin is favorable habitat for white perch and chain pickerel, and has been stocked with largemouth bass.

Hancock Brook is an east-bank tributary to the Saco River at Hiram, Maine. The brook originates in eastern Denmark and flows through a chain of ponds along the border between Hiram and Sebago. The narrow-gauge Bridgton and Saco River Railroad was built along the brook in 1882, and operated until 1941.

Musquacook Stream is a tributary to the Allagash River in the North Maine Woods. The stream originates in a chain of lakes in Maine range 11 townships 10, 11 and 12. The flow sequence is from Clear Lake through Fifth Musquacook Lake into Fourth Musquacook Lake in Piscataquis County; and from Fourth Musquacook Lake through Third Musquacook Lake, Second Musquacook Lake, and First Musquacook Lake into the Allagash River Musquacook Deadwater in Aroostook County.

China Lake is a lake in Kennebec County, Maine. Located northeast of the state capital of Augusta, China Lake is situated in the towns of China and Vassalboro. China Lake has two large basins connected by a narrow neck. The elongated eastern basin with an average depth of less than 30 feet (9.1 m) is entirely within the town of China, and has an irregular shoreline heavily developed with residences and seasonal cottages. The more nearly circular western basin extending into East Vassalboro is as deep as 85 feet (26 m), and shoreline development around the western basin has been discouraged to allow use as a water supply for Waterville and Winslow. The western basin overflows into Outlet Stream in the town of Vassalboro. Outlet Stream flows 7 miles (11 km) north to discharge into the Sebasticook River in Winslow 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream of the Kennebec River.