What is the Royal River Watershed ?
About Friends of the Royal River
The content on these pages was supplied by Friends of the Royal River
Friends of the Royal River
The Friends of the Royal River is a not-for-profit organization that works to conserve the natural, historic, scenic and recreational values of the Royal River Watershed.
What is the Royal River Watershed?
At right: A view of the Royal River not far off of Depot Road in Gray.
The Royal River is a quiet meandering river about 40 miles long. It rises out of Sabbath Day Lake in New Gloucester, winds its way through rural wooded areas and fertile farmlands, and eventually empties into the tidal waters of Casco Bay in Yarmouth.
The Royal River Watershed is the area drained by the Royal River and its tributaries. It covers about 140 square miles and includes parts of 12 towns: Auburn, Brunswick, Cumberland, Durham, Freeport, Gray, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Poland, Pownal, Raymond, Yarmouth.
It includes the water bodies of Sabbath Day Lake, Shaker Bog, Crystal Lake, Notched Pond, and Runaround Pond. The tributaries of the Royal River include Chandler Brook, East Branch, Collins Brook, Collyer Brook, Eddy Brook and many others.
A little history
Historically, the Royal River influenced and transformed the many communities through which it flows. In the early 1800s, 14 mills harnessed the power of the four falls in Yarmouth. This area later became the site of a vast pulp and paper mill. The falls area is now a park where stone foundations of previous industrial activity are still visible. The Sparhawk Mill still stands at Mill Street in Yarmouth, producing power and providing space for several businesses. It is in this historic building that the Friends of the Royal River's office is currently located.