What we Do
We are a non-profit organization with a mission to protect and improve the water quality, indigenous fisheries, recreational opportunities and natural character of the Presumpscot River.
Get Involved
Your support is critical to our advancing our more than 25-year citizen-led effort to restore the Presumpscot River. We rely on volunteers, members and donors to sustain our work.
Celebrating More Than 30 Years as the Voice of the Presumpscot
For more than a quarter of a century the Friends of the Presumpscot River has worked passionately to restore and protect the vitality of our small but mighty river. Our efforts have improved water quality, restored migratory fish populations, and increased public awareness of the Presumpscot's economic and recreational potential.
A River of Many Falls & Many Fish
The Presumpscot River flows from Sebago Lake through woods, towns and cities into the saltwater of Casco Bay, Maine's most densly populated region. The river's name means "many falls" or "many rough places" in the Abanaki language spoken by the first people or the region, who survived on the river's abundance and fertile shore lands for centuries. During this time, vast amounts of spawning Atlantic salmon, shad and alewives swam upriver. The Presumpscot was also home to land-locked salmon, brook trout and the now extinct Presumpscot Jumper.
Picking Up Chief Polin's MantlE: Fighting for Fish Passage Then & Now
In the 1750s Abenaki leader Chief Polin began a struggle to restore fish passage to the Presumpscot. In 1992, more than 250 years later, Friend's picked up Polin's mantle and began fighting for fish passage, improved water quality and restoration of the natural character of the Presumpscot after two and a half centuries of industrialization. Learn more about the successes we've achieved over the last 25 years and about our current initiatives.
Tales from the Presumpscot: A River of Resilience
Emma Deans, a multi-media storyteller, present the second in a nine-part series focusing on how our river of “many falls” is making a comeback after two and half centuries of damning, pollution and disregard. Learn how the Presumpscot got its name from the indigenous people who lived here for millennia, depending on its bountiful fish supply as a vital food source, and how today increasing opportunities to enjoy a revitalized river – walking, canoeing and fishing – help us to connect with the importance of keeping it clean.