Adventures on the Water
From the Fall 2024 Newsletter
by Cheryl Daigle
Experiencing the Sebasticook River watershed from the water is a special experience. What better way to explore and consider how our waterways connect us? In mid-May, SRLT and Midcoast Conservancy led a small group out on the Sebasticook River below the Benton Falls Dam during the 2024 migration of alewife to their spawning habitat in lakes and ponds upstream of the dam. It was astonishing to see the many thousands of river herring swimming below the surface of the water as we paddled. Even more astonishing was the many dozens of Bald Eagles that we spotted along the way. They were either wheeling in circles above us waiting for their next opportunity to dive down to fish, or nestled in pines along the shoreline after they fed.
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SRLT was involved early on during the Alewife Restoration Initiative that connected China Lake to alewives returning to the Sebasticook River,
and we took a short detour into Outlet Stream, a significant tributary, watching with wonder at the alewife swimming upstream to spawn in the lake. For over 230 years, alewife were blocked from accessing China Lake until the project completion in 2022 - you can learn more about that successful project on the Maine Rivers website: mainerivers.org/project/chinalake-alewife-restoration-initiative. We can experience the beauty of this migration each spring (see an underwater view of alewives in the video to the left), and communities along the river reap the economic and cultural benefits as well. We will explore these watershed connections more in the next year.
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Later in the summer and further north, paddling afficionado and Pittsfield resident Bill Cunningham led a group of SRLT members and local residents to explore the peaceful waters of the river from the Peltoma Bridge boat launch. The shoreline is remarkably undeveloped for miles, and it’s a great place to explore the variety of plants that grow along the river’s edge, bird watch, and look for other signs of wildlife. A side trip down Farnham Brook took us deep into a small tributary that left us all appreciating the wetlands that feed the brook and the wildness that remains in our unique part of the world. We followed the trip with a meet-up at Outland Farm Brewery in Pittsfield for a delicious meal and Maine-brewed beer. We appreciate their support as one of our newest Business Sponsors!
Sebasticook River from Peltoma Bridge
Pleasant Lake Paddle
Pleasant Lake offered the next perfect location for a waterbased adventure. In September, board chair Tom Aversa and I led a group on a paddling trip along the shoreline of SRLT’s Pleasant Lake Preserve (above). We stopped to talk about the history of forest management, highlighting the mixed age forest stands that resulted from a timber harvest eleven years ago that followed Maine Audubon’s Forestry for Maine Birds guidelines. On most field trips we keep a tally of birds seen or heard, such as the Belted Kingfisher, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Raven, American Crow, Mallard, several unidentified ducks flying over head, and a juvenile American Eagle seen while stopped alongside the woodland shore.
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Back on the water, we spotted a Sandhill Crane flying over the marsh, saw several Great Blue Heron, and an adult and juvenile Common Loon. Board chair Tom Aversa’s bird list was far more comprehensive. He heard Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and several warblers (Tom typically uploads his bird lists on our field trips to ebird – you can find an example from this trip here: ebird.org/checklist/S195438822 ).
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We are planning to spend more time on or near the lakes, ponds, and waterways in the Sebasticook River watershed next year, and will be highlighting the myriad ways our communities are connected across the landscape. Keep an eye out for updates on program offerings, and we hope to see you out on our preserves or on a future paddling trip! Check out our upcoming programs at sebasticookrlt.org/events-news.