The River's Heritage

The Penobscot watershed is rich in natural history. Native Americans lived and traveled along the Penobscot River for 9,000 years before the first Europeans arrived. The native people were hunters and gatherers, taking their food directly from their environment. They were always on the move. They gave Penobscot its name: "waters of descending ledge."

PPL Maine conducted numerous archaeological studies of its shorelines. Researchers unearthed broken and discarded arrow and spear points, woodworking tools, broken pottery and chips from the making of stone tools. Evidence suggests that native peoples once used the sites near many of our hydro projects as campgrounds.

The studies are an important part of PPL Maine's effort to protect and document historical information and archeological artifacts near its hydroelectric projects. They also are part of PPL Maine's cultural resource management plan.