Meduxnekeag River

River in United States, Canada

Meduxnekeag River

Location
Countries	United States, Canada
Physical characteristics

Source
• location	Maine

Mouth
• location	Saint John River
• coordinates	46°08′52″N 67°34′22″W / 46.1478°N 67.5729°W / 46.1478; -67.5729
• elevation	170 feet (52 m)
Length	about 35 miles (56 km)
Basin features
Progression	St. John — Bay of Fundy
Tributaries
• left	North Branch Meduxnekeag River
• right	South Branch Meduxnekeag River

The Meduxnekeag River (/məˈdʌksnəkɛɡ/ mə-DUKS-nə-keg) is a tributary of the Saint John River. It is about 35 miles (56 km) long. The North Branch Meduxnekeag River rises from the outlet of a small pond (46°21′40″N 68°03′18″W / 46.3610°N 68.0549°W / 46.3610; -68.0549 (North Branch Meduxnekeag River source)) in Maine and runs to its confluence with the Meduxnekeag in Wakefield, New Brunswick. The South Branch Meduxnekeag River rises from the outflow of Johnson Pond (46°02′07″N 67°55′16″W / 46.0353°N 67.9210°W / 46.0353; -67.9210 (Red River source)) in Linneus, and runs to its confluence with the Meduxnekeag River two miles upstream from Houlton, Maine. The Meduxnekeag joins the Saint John in Woodstock, New Brunswick.

The earliest mention of the name is in the narrative of John Gyles. He states that in 1689 he visited a branch of the St. John river about ten miles to a branch called Medeockseenecasis. The suffix "asis" is a diminutive so it is possible that the name is a form of Little Meductic. The current spelling was first seen in 1840.^[1]

In New Brunswick, the watershed of the Meduxnekeag is home to the richest, most diverse, and highest concentration of remnant sites of mature Appalachian Hardwood Forest in Atlantic Canada, containing many understorey plants rare or uncommon in the province. These include black raspberry, wild ginger, maidenhair fern, showy orchis, wild coffee, and numerous others. The non-profit Meduxnekeag River Association Inc., based in Woodstock, has purchased, since 1998, approximately 2.25 square kilometres (500 acres) of forest, with more than 6 km (3.7 mi) of undeveloped shoreline. This Meduxnekeag Valley Nature Preserve has more than 10 km (6.2 mi) of well-marked, low impact walking trails.

Animals commonly found in the watershed include the moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, eastern coyote, red fox, raccoon, beaver, eastern chipmunk, striped skunk, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, mink, weasels, porcupine, and various mice, voles, and shrews.^[2]

Significant sections of the Meduxnekeag are easy to canoe or kayak in high or medium water conditions (generally in May and June, and in September and October; also in July/August in wet summers). Annual canoe races are held in both Maine and New Brunswick in May. Recreational canoeists traditionally put in just below the bridge on the North Branch (just above the confluence) and take out in downtown Woodstock, a half-day canoe depending on lingering time, passing through scenic, mostly forested country. The final 2 km before Woodstock is through an extensive wetland.

The intervales and islands of the Meduxnekeag are locally celebrated for the edible fiddlehead ostrich fern, harvested in May.

References

^ "You say Meduxnekeag; I say..." Meduxnekeag River Association. Archived from the original on 2017-04-01. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
^ "Meduxnekeag Animals". Meduxnekeag River Association. Archived from the original on 2017-10-22. Retrieved 7 January 2017.

Maine	Allagash River Aroostook River Baker Branch Saint John River Blackwater River Big Black River Birch River Brown River Campbell Branch Little Black River Chimenticook River Daaquam River Depot River East Branch Pocwock Stream Fish River Gobeil River Little Black River Little Machias River Little Madawaska River Little River Little Saint Roch River Little Southwest Branch Saint John River Machias River Meduxnekeag River Musquacook Stream North Branch Birch River North Branch Blackwater River North Branch Meduxnekeag River Northwest Branch Saint John River Otter River Pocwock River Red River River De Chute Saint Francis River Saint John River Shields Branch South Branch Birch River South Branch Blackwater River South Branch Machias River South Branch Meduxnekeag River Southwest Branch Saint John River St. Croix Stream West Branch Little Black River West Branch Pocwock Stream
New Brunswick	Aroostook River Becaguimec Stream Canaan River Hammond River Iroquois River Jemseg River Kennebecasis River Keswick River Little Iroquois River Madawaska River Meduxnekeag River Nashwaak River Nerepis River North Branch Meduxnekeag River Oromocto River River De Chute Saint Francis River Saint John River Tobique River

Allagash River
Aroostook River
Baker Branch Saint John River
Blackwater River
Big Black River
Birch River
Brown River
Campbell Branch Little Black River
Chimenticook River
Daaquam River
Depot River
East Branch Pocwock Stream
Fish River
Gobeil River
Little Black River
Little Machias River
Little Madawaska River
Little River
Little Saint Roch River
Little Southwest Branch Saint John River
Machias River
Meduxnekeag River
Musquacook Stream
North Branch Birch River
North Branch Blackwater River
North Branch Meduxnekeag River
Northwest Branch Saint John River
Otter River
Pocwock River
Red River
River De Chute
Saint Francis River
Saint John River
Shields Branch
South Branch Birch River
South Branch Blackwater River
South Branch Machias River
South Branch Meduxnekeag River
Southwest Branch Saint John River
St. Croix Stream
West Branch Little Black River
West Branch Pocwock Stream

New Brunswick

Aroostook River
Becaguimec Stream
Canaan River
Hammond River
Iroquois River
Jemseg River
Kennebecasis River
Keswick River
Little Iroquois River
Madawaska River
Meduxnekeag River
Nashwaak River
Nerepis River
North Branch Meduxnekeag River
Oromocto River
River De Chute
Saint Francis River
Saint John River
Tobique River

Lakes

Baker Lake
Beau Lake
Chemquasabamticook Lake
Churchill Lake
Clear Lake
Cross Lake
Eagle Lake (Allagash R.)
Eagle Lake (Fish R.)
Fish River Lake
Glazier Lake
Grand Lake
Long Lake
Mactaquac Lake
Millinocket Lake
Mud Lake
Munsungan Lake
Musquacook Lakes
Lake Pohenegamook
Portage Lake
Saint Froid Lake
Saint John Ponds
Scopan Lake
Square Lake
Umsaskis Lake

Towns

Landmarks

Rivers of Maine by drainage system

Bay of Fundy

Passamaquoddy Bay

Little River (Big Lake)
Little River (Passamaquoddy Bay)
Pennamaquan River
St. Croix River

Saint John River Watershed

Allagash River
Aroostook River
Baker Branch Saint John River
Blackwater River
Big Black River
Birch River
Brown River
Campbell Branch Little Black River
Chimenticook River
Daaquam River
Depot River
East Branch Pocwock Stream
Fish River
Gobeil River
Little Black River
Little Machias River
Little Madawaska River
Little River
Little Saint Roch River
Little Southwest Branch Saint John River
Machias River
Meduxnekeag River
Musquacook Stream
North Branch Birch River
North Branch Blackwater River
North Branch Meduxnekeag River
Northwest Branch Saint John River
Otter River
Pocwock River
Red River
River De Chute
Saint Francis River
Saint John River
Shields Branch
South Branch Birch River
South Branch Blackwater River
South Branch Machias River
South Branch Meduxnekeag River
Southwest Branch Saint John River
St. Croix Stream
West Branch Little Black River
West Branch Pocwock Stream
Wolastoq

Casco Bay

Fore River Watershed	Fore River Long Creek Stroudwater River South Branch Stroudwater River
Presumpscot River Watershed	Bear River Chute River Crooked River East Branch Piscataqua River Little River Muddy River North Branch Little River Northwest River Piscataqua River Pleasant River Presumpscot River Songo River Sticky River Tenny River
Others	Cousins River Harraseeket River Little River New Meadows River Royal River

Gulf of Maine

Blue Hill Bay (Union River Watershed)	Bog River East Branch Union River Little Bog River Middle Branch Union River Union River West Branch Union River
Chandler Bay	Sandy River
Dennys Bay	Dennys River Hardscrabble River Orange River
Englishman Bay	Chandler River East Branch Chandler River Englishman River
Frenchman Bay	Jordan Stream Skillings River
Harrington Bay	Harrington River Mill River
Little River Watershed	Little River (Drakes Island) Merriland River
Machias Bay (Machias River Watershed)	Crooked River East Machias River Machias River Maine River Middle River West Branch Machias River
Mousam River Watershed	Littlefield River Middle Branch Mousam River Mousam River
Narraguagus Bay (Narraguagus River Watershed)	Little Narraguagus River Narraguagus River Spring River West Branch Narraguagus River (Cherryfield) West Branch Narraguagus River (Hancock County)
Pleasant Bay (Pleasant River Watershed)	Little River Pleasant River West Branch Pleasant River Western Little River
Piscataqua River Watershed	Great Works River Little River Neoutaquet River Piscataqua River Salmon Falls River
Sheepscot River Watershed	Back River Cross River Dyer River Marsh River Sasanoa River Sheepscot River West Branch Sheepscot River
Wohoa Bay	Indian River Southwest Branch Indian River West River
Others	Batson River Benjamin River Cape Neddick River Damariscotta River Johns River Jordan River Josias River Kennebunk River Little River (Boothbay) Little River (Georgetown) Little River (Goosefare Bay) Little River (York) Morse River Ogunquit River Pemaquid River Sprague River Webhannet River York River

Merrymeeting Bay

Androscoggin River Watershed

Kennebec River Watershed

Abagadasset River
Back River
Carrabassett River
Dead River
East Branch Eastern River
East Branch Moose River
East Branch Sebasticook River
Eastern River
Kennebec River
Lemon Stream
Little River
Moose River
Moxie Falls
North Branch Dead River
Roach River
Sandy River
Sebasticook River
South Branch Dead River
South Branch Moose River
South Branch Sandy River
Temple Stream
West Branch Carrabassett River
West Branch Eastern River
West Branch Moose River

Muscongus Bay

Saint George River Watershed	Back River Dead River East Branch Oyster River Mill River Oyster River Saint George River West Branch Oyster River
Others	Back River (Medomak) Back River (Meduncook) Goose River Medomak River Meduncook River

Penobscot Bay

Penobscot River Watershed

Others

Bagaduce River
Ducktrap River
Goose River (Belfast Bay)
Goose River (Rockport Harbor)
Little River
Megunticook River
Passagassawakeag River
Weskeag River

Saco Bay

Saco River Watershed	Charles River Cold River Hancock Brook Kezar River Little Cold River Little Ossipee River Little River Little Saco River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Old Course Saco River Ossipee River Saco River Shepards River South Branch Mad River South River Tenmile River West Branch Tenmile River
Others	Dunstan River Libby River Nonesuch River Scarborough River Spurwink River

Rivers of New Brunswick by drainage system

Bay of Fundy

Cumberland Basin	Missaguash River
Chignecto Bay	Upper Salmon River
Passamaquoddy Bay	Magaguadavic River St. Croix River
Watershed of Saint John River	Aroostook River Becaguimec Stream Canaan River Hammond River Iroquois River Jemseg River Kennebecasis River Keswick River Little Iroquois River Madawaska River Meduxnekeag River Nashwaak River Nerepis River North Branch Meduxnekeag River Oromocto River River De Chute Saint Francis River Saint John River Tobique River Wolastoq
Shepody Bay (watershed of Petitcodiac River)	Jonathan Creek Memramcook River Petitcodiac River Turtle Creek
Others	Big Salmon River Quiddy River

Gulf of
Saint Lawrence

Chaleur Bay (watershed of Restigouche River)	Belle Kedgwick River Gounamitz River Kedgwick River Little Main Restigouche River Little Southeast Upsalquitch River North Branch Gounamitz River Northwest Upsalquitch River Patapédia River Popelogan River Restigouche River South Branch Kedgwick River Southeast Upsalquitch River Upsalquitch River West Branch Gounamitz River
Miramichi Bay (watershed of Miramichi River)	Barnaby River Bartholomew River Bartibog River Cains River Dungarvon River Little Southwest Miramichi River Miramichi River Napan River North Pole Stream Northwest Miramichi River Oyster River Renous River Sevogle River Southwest Miramichi River Tuadook River
Northumberland Strait	Buctouche River Kouchibouguac River Kouchibouguacis River Molus River Richibucto River
Watershed of Saint Lawrence River	Rimouski River
Others	Black River Caraquet River Nepisiguit River Pokemouche River Rivière du Nord