upstream of Cook's Bridge

Observers: Lynn Eaton and Carol Donnelly

1. Wildlife including otters and muskrats -- saw tracks and holes.
2. Potential conservation land -- undeveloped/unprotected land along much of the segment.

1. Phragmites in the saltmarsh.
2. Salt marshes have been ditched.
3. Erosion but natural from tidal action.
4. Culvert at Cooks Bridge has a scour pool restricts tidal flow.
5. Green field -- may have fertilizer? -- near Birch Hill Rd.

Cooks Bridge to confluence with Smelt Brook

Observers: Fred and Debbie Oberg

1. Wildlife including great blue herons and cormorants.
2. Duck blinds (3).

1. Erosion and downed trees on south side of bank near confluence with Smelt Brook (see photos).
2. Salt marshes have been ditched.
3. Erosion above Cooks Bridge culverts -- 2 five-foot culverts.

Cutts Ridge Brook to Scotland Bridge (some overlap with above section)

Observers: L. Gurtman, K. Chase

1. Geese, donkeys creating smell and possible water quality problem on north side of river, just upstream from Scotland Bridge.
2. Erosion, on north bank, possibly related to lack of vegetation on the riverbank.
3. Erosion - bank slumping all the way up the river.

NORTH shore - Scotland Bridge to I-95 Bridge

Observer: Barrie Munro

1. Good fishing, and other recreational opportunities.
2. Birds including kingfisher, egrets.
3. Potential fish spawning area -- Cider Hill Creek.
4. Undeveloped section downstream of Bass Cove -- potential resource protection zone.

1. Saltmarsh appears to be degraded -- clay bank with short salt grass?
2. Erosion, erosion, erosion. River appears murky.
3. Eroding swales for stormwater.
4. Runoff from highway, swales and residential lots, could have better treatment before entering river.
5. Possible overboard discharge -- heard a pipe "clugging".
6. Loss of saltmarsh grass due to high water/velocity perhaps caused by river silting in.

NORTH and SOUTH shore - Scotland Bridge to Dolly Gordon Brook

Observers: Sue Pike, Andy Gagnon, Hunter Gagnon, Sam Pike

1. Erosion -- some banks falling in, no obvious cause.
2. Extreme Erosion -- on north bank, just downstream of Scotland Bridge.
3. Two swales -- not sure if natural or not.
4. Phragmites near possible swale near housing development.
5. Channelized section downstream of bridge, on North Side.
6. Pipe -- PVC 4" with no flow.

SOUTH shore - Scotland Point (within Segment 5 above)

Observers: Jane Grace

1. Birds including herons, many ducks, sandhill cranes (?), owls. 
2. Pink lady slippers.

• Phragmites in one area.
• Lawns that go right to the river's edge.

NORTH shore - Cider Hill Creek to Goodrich Point

Observers: two high school classes - Mike Tuckett - York High School. - descriptions here are a combination of their observations.

1. Grant House and surrounding park.
2. Potential canoe/kayak access at Grant House.
3. Birds including golden eye, black Buffleheads, mallards, pheasants and Sandhill Cranes (?).
4. Pink lady slippers grow in this segment.

1. Erosion.
2. Water being pumped out into the river (source ??).
3. Oily, foam/scum -- just south of Bass Cove -- smell was musky and possible moldy growth.
4. Fairly little highway trash noted.
5. Swales with highway runoff (both Rt. 1 and I-95) are muddy, smelly, moldy.

NORTH shore - Brickyard opposite Ramshead Point to Rt. 103 Bridge (not including Barrells Millpond)

Observer: Kinley Gregg

1. Algae drips down banks along entire length of golf course. The manicured turf extends right to the water along the entire south edge of the golf course.
2. Barrel -- empty, just west of Rt. 103 bridge.
3. Severe erosion on up-river side of Wiggly Bridge -- too much foot traffic as well as fishing use. 
4. Golf course has swales, old dam to create pond.
5. Several pipes

NORTH shore - Barrell's Millpond

Observers: Steve and Cassie Burns

1. Water quality - water flowing out of two 3' culverts between the mill ponds is very silty, with a yucky film and a little bit of oil.
2. Scour pool created by Wiggly Bridge.
3. Yard Waste -- two locations.
4. Very green lawns, might have chemical treatment.
5. Only minor erosion.

SOUTH shore - Rt. 1 Bridge to Sewall's Bridge

Observers: Gordon & Ellie Moran, Cordie Southall, LarryReilly

1. Potential conservation land -- Ramshead Point.
2. Wildlife including great blue herons, kingfisher, seals, otters and deer.
3. Salt panne on Ramshead Point area.

1. Phragmites(?) along Ramshead Point.
2. Erosion from a drainage swale.
3. Erosion along most of the riverbank.
4. Old dam, now breached so fish can pass.
5. Two or three pipes -- no discharge.
6. Cattle grazing along a creek, fence goes into the river.

SOUTH shore - Rt. 1 Bridge to Ramshead Point, then NORTH Shore to Brickyard.

Observers: Newrr/Donnelly, Dave Gittens

1. Wildlife including seals, deer, maybe moose.
2. Birds including osprey, yellow legs, sand pipers, sanderlings, plovers, king fishers, cormorants, bald eagles.
3. Fish including striped bass, flounder, pogies, Pollock, alewives, minnows, frost fish, smelt
4. Insects (an asset?) including mosquitoes, ticks, deer flies and gnats (all miraculously absent in other sections)
5. Potential Access - Rice's bridge.
6. Possible conservation lands -- River House/The Orchard, and Arsenault field?

1. Erosion from channel and possible tidal restriction at Rice's Bridge.
2. Possible phragmites on south bank, west of I-95 bridge.

SOUTH shore - Ram's Head Rock past Sewall's Bridge to Bragdon Island

Observers: Doug and Maggi Cullum

1. Some bank erosion, attributed to tidal currents, not serious damage.

SOUTH shore - Rt. 103 Bridge upstream around Harris & Bragdon Islands

Observers: Stuart and Ellen Dawson

1. Wildlife, including otters and deer, frequents this area.
2. Birds include herons, ducks, geese, hawks, eagles, kingfishers, and sandpipers.

1. Slash pile and yard waste on bank prevent vegetation from taking hold, and may create erosion.
2. Erosion under tree roots, in two places. One partly cause by a drainage 6" plastic pipe?
3. Lawns to the water's edge.

SOUTH shore - Sewall's Bridge downstream around Harris & Bragdon Islands

Observers: Rice, Rob, and Ann Kendall

1. Wildlife incl. deer, herons, egrets & seals (in last year).
2. Clam flats during this segment are open, and many clammers harvest.
3. Public access via town docks.

1. Runoff causing erosion on southeast side of Rt. 103 main bridge (before Harris Island bridge).

NORTH shore - Rt. 103 bridge to Stage Neck

Observers: Charles and Henry Harding

1. Fish including striped bass, blue fish, flounder.
2. Wildlife including muskrats, seals, and deer.
3. Birds including herons, ducks, geese, hawks and eagles.
4. Eelgrass.

1. Eight pipes -- carry runoff probably from the street. Flow identified as "grey" and "green" ; no indication of how much. Algae growing in them, but no odor.
2. Scour pool at Rt. 103 bridge.
3. 7' Dam (?) near Stage Neck Dock, in poor condition. Does allow fish passage (?). 
4. Occasional gasoline spills -- from docks.

NORTH shore - Rt. 103 bridge to Stage Neck

Observer: Kinley Gregg

1. Fisherman's Walk -- pedestrian access.
2. Donnell's Marina -- could add pump-out?
3. Wildlife and Birds, including seals, herons, ducks and geese.
4. Historical neighborhoods - with village center and stone wharves along river. 

1. Algae -- some on bottom along Fisherman's walk, also a small patch on stage neck opposite Town Dock #2.
2. Pipes -- unused sewage pipes between Rt. 103 and Varrell Wharf -- could these be removed?
3. Dam (described differently above) approx 10' built in 1800s to create recreational basin out of tidal flats. Concrete culvert exchanges water at top of tide. 
4. Historical development (stone walls, town close to river) may have negative ecological impact.

York River Tributaries

Observer: Lovejoy and Donnelly.

Belle Marshe Reservoir to Rt. 91

Observer: Becka Roolf 

1. Alewives swimming upstream above Cider Hill Rd.

Rt. 91 to confluence with York River

Observers: G. Cameron Mareon, Julia S. Clough

1. Pristine and rich in wildlife.
2. Rapids (50') at low tide, too shallow and rocky to be navigable by canoe or kayak.
3. Fish -- including alewives and smelts can be netted at Cider Hill Road. They have been caught every year.
4. Much undeveloped/unprotected land.
5. Birds -- including herons, ducks, geese, hawks, swallows, redwinged blackbirds, cormorants.
6. Tadpoles. (unknown species)

1. Dump - tires and garbage -- from a property with a paved road to the riverside.
2. Erosion -- every place that the wooded bank comes down to the brook. Large trees are in danger of falling into the river, from their roots having been eroded out of the bank. 
3. Fallen trees - are a hazard to navigation (although they may provide habitat for fish).
4. Cleared area - to provide a view for a homeowner.
5. Lawn - to rivers edge (only one).
6. Floatable trash - including pallets, bouys and empty bottles (antifreeze). Potential clean up.
7. Oily scum - on clay banks and visible in the water. Source appears to be Rt. 91 culvert.

Observers: Jeanne and King Berlew

1. Wildlife including deer, fox, woodchucks, moose.
2. Potential conservation land between Rt. 91 and the river (20 acres). Also, 2 acre parcel on right as cove joins river.

1. Lawns - possibly chemically treated.
2. Slight erosion - some trees hanging over water
3. Culvert undersized - culvert at Rt. 91 has a scour pool approx 15'x30', and a swift at tide changes.
4. Dam - 6' for Kittery Water District -- not sure if fish passage is provided.

Observers: Jud Knox, Richard Myrick, Steve Palmer

1. Extensive salt marsh.
2. Potential conservation land.
3. River otters.

1. Tidal restriction at bridge at Beech Ridge Rd., rapid forms.
2. Two old dams - east of Rt. 95.

Observers: Helen Winebaum and Doreen MacGillis

1. Pristine area with salt marsh changing to freshwater marsh and upland. Beautiful forest and meadow.
2. Potential conservation land.

1. Erosion - salt marsh bank.
2. Farm dump - barrels, tires, dumping.
3. Culvert slightly too small - Cider Hill Road has a swift (rapid), but not severe.
4. Trees marked - for cutting?

Rt. 91 to confluence with York River

Observers: Jud Knox, Richard Myrick, Steve Palmer

1. Potential conservation land, noted on map.
2. Wildlife.

1. Rocks at Rt. 91 bridge have green algae - is there a problem upstream?
2. Yard waste on the stream bank.
3. Rt. 91 bridge forms a rapid, to 20' downstream, a potential tidal restriction.
4. PVC pipe.

Observer: Anne Bryer / Rob Kanzer

1. Swampy thicket with wildlife, including beaver, birds, and non-eroding banks. 
2. Birds, including 3 vireos, 1 crow, 1 chickadee, 1 robin.
3. Marsh marigolds.

1. Possible pollution - 3 pigs, pen 40' from the water.
2. Pipes running - but rained that morning, so may be just rain water. Two pipes have light foam.
3. Several culverts, apparently not restrictive. Driveway crosses the river.

Rogers Brook- crossing at Birch Hill Rd. 

Rogers Brook(?) - crossing at Beech Ridge Rd.

Observers: Carol and Milt Davis

1. Wildlife at Birch Hill Rd. crossing of Rogers Brook - including moose, coyote, fox, deer, turkeys, gulls, seen by an abutter.
2. Alewives at Birch Hill Rd. crossing of Rogers Brook, seen by an abutter.

1. Road trash - Aluminum cans, bottles, paper, plastic - Beech Hill Rd. bridge over Rogers Brook.
2. Erosion - around Beech Hill Rd. bridge.
3. Broken 2-3' dam just downstream of Birch Hill Rd. bridge over Rogers Brook. An abutter has fixed the dam (with town blessing) but vandals have destroyed it - he would like to fix the dam to form a fire pond.
4. Pipe with red-brown substance, a little scum, at Beech Hill Rd. crossing.
5. Very thick algae at Birch Hill Rd. crossing