Sheepscot River

Restoring fish habitat and conserving critical lands in a critical river for Atlantic salmon

The 58-mile Sheepscot River begins in the headwaters of Montville and Freedom, and passes through four counties and 20 towns before entering the wider estuary in Wiscasset and flowing into the ocean near Boothbay. The 320-square-mile watershed includes more than 30 lakes and ponds; expansive wetlands and forests; and rare fresh, brackish, and salt-marsh systems that provide rich habitat.  

As one of only several rivers in the United States that still supports a wild returning population of endangered Atlantic salmon, the Sheepscot is also home to a genetically distinct salmon population that may be uniquely tolerant of warming waters and land-use pressure.  

The river supports all 12 of Maine’s native sea-run fish species, wild eastern brook trout, the globally rare brook floater mussel, saltmarsh sparrows, and other rare wildlife. Large blocks of unfragmented forest and intact wetlands in the northern watershed help maintain cold-water conditions essential for numerous species.  

In addition to its ecological benefits, the Sheepscot River has long shaped the region’s cultural identity. Today, the river supports paddling, fishing, and walking trails, while still bearing the impacts of log drives and mills from centuries ago. Restoration can help protect and improve water quality and provide flood resiliency, which is necessary for the health of communities that live and recreate around the river. 

Midcoast Conservancy leads conservation and restoration efforts in the Sheepscot. It has conserved approximately 7,500 acres across the watershed and leads river restoration projects, water-quality monitoring, and community science programs. Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) is a key partner, advancing land conservation and supporting restoration priorities. Today, the Sheepscot is a priority in MCHT’s Rivers Initiative, a coast‑wide effort to protect and restore key rivers essential to the long‑term health and resilience of the Gulf of Maine.  Other partners include U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Department of Marine Resources, Atlantic Salmon Federation, The Nature Conservancy in Maine, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The long-term goal is to restore the river for the benefit of all native species that depend on it (including humans) and recover a self-sustaining population of Atlantic salmon.