Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)
Saint John River
| |
|---|---|
Saint John River in Madawaska, Maine | |
Course of the Saint John River | |
| Etymology | Named by Samuel de Champlain on the feast day of John the Baptist; Wolastoq means "beautiful river" |
| Location | |
| Countries | |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| State | Maine |
| Cities | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Saint John Ponds |
| • location | Somerset County, Maine, United States |
| • elevation | 360 m (1,180 ft) |
| Mouth | Bay of Fundy |
• location | Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
• coordinates | 45°16′N 66°4′W / 45.267°N 66.067°W |
| Length | 673 km (418 mi) |
| Basin size | 54,986 km2 (21,230 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 990 m3/s (35,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Tobique River, Jemseg River, Kennebecasis River |
| • right | Allagash River, Aroostook River, Nerepis River |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Wolastoq National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | July 19, 2011 |
| Reference no. | 18954 |
The Saint John River (fleuve Saint-Jean; Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: Wolastoq, meaning “beautiful river”) is a 673-kilometre-long (418 mi) river flowing from headwaters in the Notre Dame Mountains near the Maine–Quebec border through northern Maine and western New Brunswick to the northwest shore of the Bay of Fundy. It is the longest river in eastern Canada.
Its drainage basin is one of the largest on the east coast of North America, covering approximately 55,000 square kilometres (21,000 sq mi).
The river and its tributaries historically formed the traditional territories of the Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy peoples prior to European colonization, and it remains culturally significant to the Wabanaki Confederacy.
The Webster–Ashburton Treaty following the Aroostook War established a border between New Brunswick and Maine along approximately 130 km (81 mi) of the river, while the Saint Francis River—a tributary—forms about 55 km (34 mi) of the border between Quebec and Maine.
Communities along the river in Maine include Fort Kent, Madawaska, and Van Buren. In New Brunswick the river passes through Edmundston, Fredericton, Oromocto, and Saint John.
The river is regulated by hydroelectric dams at Beechwood Dam, Mactaquac Dam, and Grand Falls Generating Station.