Passamaquoddy Bay

International inlet of the Bay of Fundy

45°05′N 67°05′W / 45.083°N 67.083°W / 45.083; -67.083

Passamaquoddy Bay (French: Baie de Passamaquoddy) is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River.^[1] Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine. The southernmost point is formed by West Quoddy Head on the U.S. mainland in Lubec, Maine; and runs northeasterly through Campobello Island, New Brunswick, engulfing Deer Island, New Brunswick, to the New Brunswick mainland head at L'Etete, New Brunswick in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.

Overview

The exact demarcation of the border in Passamaquoddy Bay was a long-standing issue between the United States and Britain/Canada. Already the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812, included a provision for the appointment of "commissioners to divide the islands of Passamaquoddy Bay between the United States and Great Britain" (see John Holmes). Nevertheless, confusions and ambiguities on this issue persisted.

The southern boundaries of the bay are sometimes confused since Deer Island sections off the large open waters of the bay; however, the terminology of the Passamaquoddy Bay Treaty of 1910 specifies that Passamaquoddy Bay runs south of Treat Island (one of the islands that now comprise the city of Eastport, Maine), between Campobello Island and Lubec, Maine:

"Now, therefore, upon the evidence and arguments so presented, and after taking into consideration all actions, of the respective Governments and of their representatives authorized in that behalf and of the local governments on either side of the line, whether prior or subsequent to such treaties and award, tending to aid in the interpretation thereof, the High Contracting Parties hereby agree that the location of the international boundary line between the United States and the Dominion of Canada from a point in Passamaquoddy Bay accurately defined in the Treaty between Great Britain and the United States of April 11, 1908, as, lying between Treat Island and Friar Head, and extending thence through Passamaquoddy Bay and to, the middle of Grand Manan Channel, shall run in a series of seven connected straight lines for the distances and in the directions as follows."

The largest community on Passamaquoddy Bay proper is St. Andrews, New Brunswick, but the twin communities of Calais-St. Stephen are sometimes included, despite being located on the St. Croix River. The city of Eastport, Maine lies between Passamaquoddy Bay and Cobscook Bay, to the city's west. The narrow passage between Maine and Deer Island is known as Western Passage. The passage between Eastport, Maine, and Friar Bay, Campobello Island, is known as Friar Roads.

The three entrances into Passamaquoddy Bay from the Bay of Fundy are Letete Passage northeast of Deer Island, Head Harbour Passage to the southeast of Deer Island and northwest of Campobello Island, and Quoddy Narrows, between southern Lubec, Maine, and southern Campobello Island. Running north from West Quoddy Head in Lubec, the passages known as Quoddy Narrows, Lubec Channel, Lubec Narrows, Friar Roads, and Western Passage also host the International Boundary between Canada and the United States.

The Head Harbour Passage is the deepwater entry to the Bay. The US and Canadian governments agree that the passage is Canadian. The US government believes that it is a territorial sea in which international law gives commercial vessels a right of passage. The Canadian government believes that it can regulate passage and is considering doing so to prevent the use by supertankers carrying cargo to liquified natural gas plants proposed for the American coast of the bay.

Smuggling

After the American Revolution, Passamaquoddy Bay was the scene of a thriving smuggling trade. Smuggling peaked in 1808 during Jefferson's Embargo, when smugglers illegally moved tens of thousands of barrels of American flour from American territory into New Brunswick. During the War of 1812, a thriving illicit trade in British manufactured goods existed. After the War of 1812, the primary smuggled good was gypsum from Nova Scotia, which was usually deposited directly into American vessels on or near the border. Smuggling was winked at by both officials and locals in the region, who discouraged outside intervention by British or American authorities who wanted to stop or control it.

References

^ "Passamaquoddy Bay". www.britannica.com. Britannica. Retrieved 25 April 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Passamaquoddy Bay.

The Tides Institute, Eastport Maine
Information and resources about Passamaquoddy Bay Archived 2020-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
An online directory to Charlotte County, Passamaquoddy Bay
Save Passamaquoddy Bay 3-Nation Alliance
Old Sow Whirlpool, in Passamaquoddy Bay
review of the Half Moon cove Tidal Power Project in Perry/Eastport Maine
Quoddy Loop—Tourism information for communities in Maine and New Brunswick surrounding Passamaquoddy Bay

Gulf of Maine estuaries

Maine

Bays	Blue Hill Bay Casco Bay Chandler Bay Dennys Bay Englishman Bay Frenchman Bay Harrington Bay Machias Bay Maquoit Bay Merrymeeting Bay Muscongus Bay Narraguagus Bay Passamaquoddy Bay Penobscot Bay Pleasant Bay Saco Bay Wohoa Bay
River mouths	Batson River Benjamin River Cape Neddick River Damariscotta River Johns River Jordan River Josias River Kennebunk River Little River (Boothbay) Little River (Drakes Island) Little River (Georgetown) Little River (Goosefare Bay) Little River (York) Morse River Mousam River Ogunquit River Pemaquid River Piscataqua River Sheepscot River Sprague River Webhannet River York River

Massachusetts

Bays	Cape Cod Bay Massachusetts Bay
River mouths	Annisquam River Eagle Hill River Egypt River Ipswich River Jericho Creek Merrimack River Roger Island River Rowley River Skug River

New Brunswick

Bays	Bay of Fundy Chignecto Bay Cumberland Basin Passamaquoddy Bay Shepody Bay
River mouths	Big Salmon River Quiddy River Saint John River

New Hampshire

River mouths	Blackwater River Hampton River Piscataqua River

Nova Scotia

Bays	Bay of Fundy Annapolis Basin Cobequid Bay Cumberland Basin Minas Basin St. Marys Bay
River mouths	Tusket River

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