Maine's Rivers and Streams
A Comprehensive Guide to Waterfront Real Estate
Maine is surrounded by water. It's coastline stretches for thousands of miles. There are countless lakes and ponds, providing a multitude of real estate alternatives. The state also is blessed with over 5,000 rivers and streams that range from small tributaries to the mighty Penobscot, which has been tranformed over the years to its initial glory. At one time, in the early history of Maine, its rivers and streams were the primary forms of transportation throughout the region. In later years the rivers where used to generate power and stimulate economic activity. Today, Maine’s rivers and streams continue to be the life blood of our coexistence with nature. Through the hard work of many, most have been restored to their pristine condition of decades ago to be enjoyed by all. Maine's 6 Major Rivers | | | | | | | | Penobscot | | 350 | | Miles | | St John | | 211 | | Miles | | Androscoggin | | 175 | | Miles | | Kennebec | | 150 | | Miles | | Saco | | 104 | | Miles | | St. Croix | | 75 | | Miles |
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| | Rivers and Streams | | | | Rivers and streams are essential to life, from drinking water to generating power. They are also in constant state of flux. Changes in water temperature, volume, tides and the movement of wildlife all have a dramatic affect. Homes and camps along the banks of a river provide a dramatic vignette of Maine’s outdoors. |
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| Maine’s rivers also provide an excellent habitat for a wide range of wildlife, ranging from migrating salt water fish to nesting birds. |
| | Estuaries and Tidal Marshes | | | The Indians referred to an estuary as "Between-Land", meaning not quite land and not quite water.
Estuaries are places where fresh and salt water come together, typically along the coast. They are influenced by the ocean through tides, waves and salt water and from rivers through fresh water flow and sediment. |
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| In many cases estuaries are protected environments, and finding real estate within close proximity can be a challenging task. |
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| Additional Waterfront Real Estate Resources |
PEARL is supported through a collaboration of research, management, and citizen-volunteer organizations, and is a superb example of cooperative stewardship. It is a searchable data base for Maine lakes created in collaboration between the University of Maine and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
This resource will not only provide environmental information, but will be a place where you can search specific lakes by name and their exact location using interactive maps and tools. Visit The Maine Lake Authority for detailed Infomation. | 
Maine Lake
Authority |
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