Damariscotta River

The Damariscotta River is a  tidal river in Lincoln County, Maine, that empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Damariscotta is an old Abenaki word for "river of many fishes". There are 2,500-year-old oyster shell middens (heaps) along the banks of the Damariscotta River, which occupies a drowned river valley leading to the Gulf of Maine, a large embayment of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Damariscotta River begins at the outlet of Damariscotta Lake, at Damariscotta Mills, a village straddling the boundary between the towns of Newcastle and Nobleboro.  Damariscotta Lake extends  north into the town of Jefferson and is fed from tributaries originating as far north as Washington and Somerville, Maine. From the lake's outlet, the Damariscotta River drops  over just  through Damariscotta Mills before reaching tidewater, at an arm of the river known as Salt Bay. The tidal Damariscotta flows southward between Newcastle, Edgecomb and Boothbay on the west and Damariscotta, Bristol and South Bristol on the east, reaching the Atlantic Ocean between Linekin Neck on the west and Inner Heron Island on the east.

It is a navigable river for nearly its entire  length, to the bridge between Newcastle and Nobleboro (). It is important in local commerce for tourism, Oyster and Mussel Farming as well as other forms of aquaculture, clamming, marine worming and fishing.

See also 
 Whaleback Shell Midden
 Damariscotta River Cruises
Damariscotta River Association
Downtown Damariscotta Visitors Information

References

External links 

Category:Estuaries of Maine
Category:Rivers of Lincoln County, Maine
Category:Damariscotta, Maine
Category:Rivers of Maine