Final Report - VHB.com

The Strategy 2B Study Area east of River Road is primarily developed, with one
wetland system (wetland 2B-4) located east of Riverside Cemetery. The forested
wetland borders the Androscoggin River and receives flow from a perennial stream
that crosses Pleasant Street from the south. East of Mill Street is an isolated wetland
(wetland 2B-5) located in the vicinity of the old railroad depot.
Strategy 2C
The north side of Mill Street, from Pleasant Street to the Brunswick Mill area, is
bordered by the Androscoggin River. The south side of the road is predominantly
residential development with no wetlands. East of Maine Street, several small
wetlands (wetland 2C-1 through 2C-7) were identified by the photo–interpreted
wetlands data and confirmed in the field. Most of these wetlands occur on either side
of the railroad bed in the vicinity of the Androscoggin River Bicycle and Pedestrian
Path.
Strategy 3
No wetland resources were located on the existing Rockland Branch Railroad
between Jordan Avenue in Brunswick and the proposed connection across State
Route 24 (Bath Road).
However, two wetlands were identified on the NASB, which overlap with Strategy 1.
These wetlands are described in the Strategy 1 discussion.
2.3.2 Surface Waters
The Androscoggin River is a main feature of the Study Area. The river is 178 miles
long and its watershed comprises portions of Maine and New Hampshire. The
Androscoggin River begins at the outlet of Umbagog Lake in Errol, New Hampshire.
The river flows south through Berlin, New Hampshire, before crossing over the state
line in Gilead, Maine. Beyond Gilead, the river turns east, flowing through the towns
of Bethel, Newry, Hanover, Rumford, and Canton. In Livermore Falls, the river takes
a more southerly course, traveling into Auburn and Lewiston. In Lewiston, the river
flows southeasterly through Durham, Lisbon Falls, Topsham, and Brunswick. In
Brunswick, the river transitions to tidal water at Merrymeeting Bay, which is an
approximately 10-mile-long tidal estuary located at the confluence of the
Androscoggin and Kennebec Rivers. From the confluence, it is approximately 20
miles to the Atlantic Ocean, where the Kennebec River empties into the Gulf of
Maine.
The watershed for the Androscoggin River at Merrymeeting Bay is approximately
350 square miles. The Androscoggin River is defined as a “Great River” and is
therefore protected by the Mandatory Shoreland Protection Act (Title 38, MRSA
Existing Conditions 46