Saturday, March 12, 2011

Narraguagus River Ice Dam at the Cherryfield Bridge US Rt. 1, March 12, 2011

March 12, 2011 the Narraguagus River, frozen over from a hard Maine Winter, was beginning to break up from rising temperatures and a week  of constant rain. Two concrete bridges built sometime in the 1930s crossing  the river, the Four Corners Bridge referred to by local folks and the Cherryfield  Bridge US Route 1 which goes right through the "center" of town  so to speak. Ice flows floating on the out going tide had jammed against the Cherryfield Bridge today. There seems to be no danger of the ice jam taking out the bridge, although it is possible local flooding may occur and the river banks. Talking with onlookers at the ice dam on the river, they do not recall seeing so much ice at the bridge.  Traveling the river north to the Four Corners I saw mergansers riding the rapids and dodging  ice flows They are quick swimmers and comical in their behavior. A long time ago there was a wooden bridge which crossed the Narraguagus River on US Route 1.My guess is that an ice dam may have taken out that bridge, I'm not sure.  Nothing lasts for ever?