Cobbosseecontee Stream
2. Gardiner to Kennebec River
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 70 fpm |
| Gauge | Cobbosseecontee Stream at Gardiner, Maine |
| Flow Rate as of 48 minutes | 756 cfs |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 13, 2020 |
River Description
Put-In for this section is at what is currently listed on Google Maps as the Gardiner Dog Park. Driving West out of downtown Gardiner on Rt 9/126, you'll see the dam on your right with a road going down the hill back the way you came, that's the one you want. The building there controls the outflow of the dam, and historically the dam manager has preferred that boaters not park down there at the turnaround, though he is fine with folks driving down to unload boats there. Park in the dirt lot across the road from Spruce Street.
Take-Out parking is the Municipal Parking on Arcade Street, though if water is high and things are pushy, it might be easier to use the Gardiner Landing for your take-out.
500cfs is on the low side for this section (runnable but you'll scrape). 800cfs is a nice medium level. 1000cfs+ and things get pushy but not too crazy. There is not necessarily an upper runnable limit for this section, and higher water for the most part does not make any moves significantly more difficult. This is all true for kayaks, duckies, OC1, decked canoes, rafts, etc. Open tandem canoes might have some trouble on this section at higher flows, as there are not many spots to stop and dump your boat.
Typical put in is below the outflow from the station, though many choose to launch as close to the dam as possible, which offers a fun, slightly steeper upper section. Take caution if doing this, as the embankments can be tricky. Scout this section before putting on, as there aren't a lot of stopping points once you're in the rapid.
At the hydro station, things open up pretty wide and shallow, but they quickly narrow again into the next rapid. This one has a surf wave in it that can be caught on the fly or from the eddy on river right.
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...River Features
Put In
Take Out
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