Our Projects > Studies and Information About York's Rivers, Maine > Flow / Flushing

Estuary Flushing

The rate of flushing for the York River was calculated as part of a water quality study on dissolved oxygen.

Freshwater Flow

No formal monitoring of stream flow has been conducted in the York River. The river is small enough, that there is no U.S. Geological Survey Gaging Station. However, sufficient freshwater flow is vital to maintain the health of freshwater fish habitats, and may also affect the upper reaches of the York River saltmarshes. In dry summers, the demand for water from the reservoirs may mean that no water will flow out of the reservoirs into the small tributary streams. This causes these streams to go dry, and adversely affects stream ecology. Native populations of brook trout and other fish may be erradicated.

Some anecdotal information is available:

Dry Streams - 1995 was a dry summer. In July 1995, IF&W stream surveys showed two tributaries to be dry: Rogers Brook at Birch Hill Rd., Unnamed Brook at Old York Woods Road.

Dams - As part of the building of the Belle Marsh Reservoir, IF&W recommended that a minimum flow of 2-3 cfs be maintained during smelt spawning season.

Stream Flow Graphs: IF&W collected some stream flow data, but without attribution or date. These charts appear in the field office files in Grey. If stream flow becomes a priority in the future, it may be worth figuring out what these graphs represent. (Sample included in file).

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