St. John River Description History See Also External Link

Flowing northeast, it passes Fort Kent, Maine, and between Edmundston, New Brunswick and Madawaska, MaineMadawaska, Maine can refer to: Madawaska (CDP), Maine Madawaska (town), Maine., where it turns southeast, flowing between Van Buren, MaineVan Buren, Maine can refer to: Van Buren (CDP), Maine Van Buren (town), Maine. and St. Leonard, New Brunswick . Near Grand Falls, New BrunswickGrand Falls (French: Grand Sault is a town in New Brunswick, Canada and is also the location of a series of rock ledges over which the St. John River falls in excess of 20 metres. In 1686, Monsignor de Saint-Vallier (of Quebec) was the first known person it enters New Brunswick, continuing to flow south through the fertile valley framed by the rising hills of the AppalachianThe Appalachian Mountains are a system of North American mountains running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to Alabama in the United States, although the northernmost mainland portion ends at the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. The system is divided into range in VictoriaVictoria County ( 2001 population 21,172) is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Farming, especially of potatoes, is the major industry in the county. List of towns in Victoria County, with 2001 populations given: Grand Falls (5,858) Perth-Ando and CarletonFor the historical county in Ontario, see Carleton County, Ontario Carleton County ( 2001 population 27,184) is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county is bisected by the Saint John River and potato farming is a major industry. The town counties. For the rest of its journey, the river flows entirely within New Brunswick, although it roughly parallels the International Boundary. At Perth-AndoverPerth-Andover is a village in Victoria County, New Brunswick, Canada. It is split in two by the St. John River and either side of the river, Perth on the east and Andover on the west, were separate towns until 1967. Until the abolishment of county governm, the river is joined by the AroostookThe Aroostook River is a tributary of the St. John River, approximately 140 mi (225 km) long, in the U. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It rises in northeastern Maine and winds E and NE through Aroostook County. It is joined by and the Tobique rivers.

Further south at Woodstock the river turns southeast away from the border region, 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. South of Fredericton the river's flow rate is diminished due to the gently sloping river bottom and it meanders through many low islands used for pastureland during dry periods in summer and fall.

South of the Jemseg, the St. John River is surrounded by the low hills of the St. Croix Highlands - another component of the Appalachian range and it is joined by several lateral bays, including Belleisle Bay and the Kennebecasis River. The St. John River 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.

2 History

Members of the Maliseet Nation have historically called the river "Wolastoq" meaning "good and beautiful river". In 1604, parts of the river were explored by Samuel de Champlain and Sieur de Monts. Champlain named it after John the Baptist because he reached the river's mouth on the saint's feast day, June 24.

The river became an important trade route for French, English and First Nations traders throughout the 17th and 18th centuries of European exploration and settlement. The tremendous flow rate of the river and its tributaries during the spring freshet led to the development of the timber industry in western New Brunswick as the river became a conduit for log drives to saw and pulp mills in the south.

It is this same spring freshet which has proved disastrous to property owners along portions of the river over the years, 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.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the river began to be used for hydroelectric power at Grand Falls (where the river descends in a steep cataract), and at Beechwood and Mactaquac where large reservoirs have been created by damming its flow. A consequence of the latter two dams has been a severe decline in migrating Atlantic Salmon, as well as removing the ability to conduct log drives.

In recent years, the river has seen a rise in recreational boating and ecotourism. The rich soil of the Upper St. John Valley in Aroostook, Carleton, and Victoria counties is also an important area for the cultivation of potatoes.

3 See also

4 External Link

CCGE site

New Brunswick rivers Maine rivers

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