A paddling trip on Sebasticook River between Clinton and Winslow offers boaters a variety of stimulating adventures. The five-mile stretch between Clinton and Benton Falls Dam is almost continuous quick water and includes three distinct whitewater rapids. Below the dam, there are easy rapids followed by a steady current to Winslow.
Predominantly undeveloped along the shore, the entire outing is quite scenic.
The character of the lower portion changed dramatically in 2008 when the Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow was breached. That accomplishment, coupled with the earlier removal of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Augusta, has resulted in free-flowing rivers from Benton Falls Dam to the ocean at Popham. This has allowed an abundance of native sea-run fish such as alewives, striped bass, sturgeon, shad and Atlantic salmon to return.
Fish-eating birds, particularly eagles, have followed the food supply and now flourish on the lower Sebasticook. The Maine Department of Marine Resources reports a higher concentration of eagles in this area than any other in the continental United States.
Trip leader Allan Fuller (left) navigates a rapid on Sebasticook River, while paddlers (right) portage around Benton Falls Dam. Credit: Courtesy of Ron Chase
Allan Fuller has been coordinating trips on the Sebasticook River for the Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society for many years. For a variety of reasons my wife, Nancy, and I have never been able to participate in one. When he announced a June Sebasticook club trip, we immediately signed on.
Logistics for the trip were complicated. Some participants wanted to paddle both sections while others were interested in only the lower portion. Allan left a shuttle van at the takeout at Fort Halifax Park located at the confluence with the Kennebec River in Winslow. Those who wanted to join for just the lower would meet at a parking area below Benton Falls Dam.
Ten eager paddlers met at Mill Park in Clinton, where there is a hand-carry boat landing. The weather was superb with sunny skies, warm temperatures and light winds. The group consisted of a combination of solo canoeists and kayakers and one tandem canoe team.
Before launching, Allan provided a safety talk. He took time to describe each of the three rapids and suggested preferable routes to avoid hazards, and he advised that the portage trail around the dam was on the left.
The first rapid came shortly after departing. Everyone successfully navigated through a wave train on the left. Not far beyond, we followed Allan’s suggestion and entered the next rapid to the right of an island. The tricky descent angled far left at the bottom.
Several large, obviously well-fed eagles were circling the area. They were in pursuit of migrating alewives. We observed one eagle diving into the water and scooping up a meal. An osprey engaged in aerial combat with a quartet of eagles for a shot at the food below.
The dramatic airshow was soon supplanted by the third rapid. Longer than the previous two, navigating through waves in the middle was the preferable route to avoid rocks and pour overs. Our capable group of Chowderheads enjoyed an error-free descent.
A stretch of flatwater preceded arrival at Benton Falls Dam. About a 200-yard portage trail led around the dam on the left. Two new paddlers joined us for the remainder of the voyage. The dam’s fish passage facility consists of a lift that assists millions of alewives, some American shad and a handful of Atlantic salmon in their journey upriver each year.
The lower section began with several easy rapids. Quick water followed for the remainder of the outing. There were even more eagles than upriver. At one point, Nancy and I both counted seven eagles over the river. They were attracted by several sizable ripples from schools of alewives just below the surface.
Near the end of the outing on the Sebasticook River, Outlet Stream entered on the left. Until recently, it had been more than 200 years since alewives had reached China Lake due to dams on the stream. With the removal or modification of six dams, hundreds of thousands of alewives now migrate seven miles upstream to spawn in the lake.
The current increased in velocity as we approached the remains of the Fort Halifax Dam. We disembarked at nearby Fort Halifax Park, completing a remarkable day of adventures on a unique Maine river.
Fifteen more river exploits are narrated in my book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine.”
