The Kennebecasis River ( ) is a tributary of the
Saint John River in southern
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, Canada. The name Kennebecasis is thought to be derived from the Mi'kmaq "''Kenepekachiachk''", meaning "little long bay place." It runs for approximately 95 kilometres, draining an area in the
Caledonia Highlands, an extension of the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
, inland from the
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...
.
Kennebecasis Watershed
Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee
Description
The river's source is in the foothills of Albert County, near the rural community of Goshen. It runs southwest through the community of Penobsquis; several tributaries join the river in the town of Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
several kilometres further west.
Between Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
and the river's junction with the Saint John River at Millidgeville (part of Saint John), the Kennebecasis River runs through a well-defined river valley which has become one of the primary land transportation routes in the southern part of the province, hosting the Route 1 expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
and the Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN i ...
line to the Port of Saint John
The Port of Saint John is a port complex that occupies of land along of waterfront of the Saint John Harbour at the mouth of the Saint John River in the city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.Port of Saint JohnPort Facilities The Port of Sa ...
.
The upper two thirds of the Kennebecasis River passes through pastoral rural countryside consisting of Acadian mixed forest and various agricultural areas, notably dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
farms around Sussex. Southwest of Sussex, the river becomes increasingly larger as it passes the communities of Norton Norton may refer to:
Places
Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada
* Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan
*Norton Parish, New Brunswick
**Norton, New Brunswick, a ...
and Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
* Hampton, Victoria
Canada
* Hampton, New Brunswick
*Ha ...
, before it empties into a delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
-like area informally called the Hampton Marsh. West of Hampton, the Kennebecasis flows in a broad fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...
-like glacial valley which defines the southern side of the Kingston Peninsula. At its junction with the Saint John River, the Kennebecasis River helps to form Grand Bay.
Several large islands can be found in the river, such as Kennebecasis Island
Kennebecasis Island (also called McCormick's Island) is a small Canadian island located in the Province of New Brunswick at the confluence of the Saint John River and Kennebecasis River.
Its proximity to the city of Saint John has resulted in ...
just off-shore from Summerville on the Kingston Peninsula, and uninhabited (with the exception of a few summer cottages & an Off The Grid Community on the southern part of the island) Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, located near Rothesay
Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...
.
Hampton Marsh
Image:River in Hampton.JPG, The river widens as it flows through the Hampton Marsh.
Image:Hampton Marsh April.jpg, High water in the Hampton Marsh in April 2008.
Image:Hampton Marsh June.jpg, The same area in June 2008, demonstrating the difference in water level.
Image:Hampton Marsh.jpg, The lower end of the Hampton Marsh looking across to Darlings Island.
Lower Kennebecasis River valley
The communities of Nauwigewauk
Nauwigewauk is a rural community in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. It is located near the communities of Quispamsis and Lakeside at the mouth of the Hammond River, and borders the town of Hampton. The people of Nauwigewauk are sometimes lo ...
, Quispamsis
Quispamsis (, sometimes shortened to ) is a Kings County suburb of Saint John, New Brunswick, located to the northeast in the lower Kennebecasis River valley. Its population was 18,768 as of the 2021 census.
History
The original inhabitan ...
and Rothesay
Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...
become increasingly urban as the river approaches its junction with the Saint John River. The lower Kennebecasis River valley is largely a suburban/exurban region for Saint John. The area is outside the summer 'fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...
belt' for the Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...
and enjoys more sunshine year-round than Saint John. It is also substantially colder in winter than the Bay of Fundy-climate-controlled city proper.
"The Valley" or "KV", as the lower Kennebecasis River valley is called by locals, has experienced dramatic population growth over the past several decades, largely owing to the development of Route 1 through the area in the 1960s. Once a minor dormitory suburb of the Saint John area, the towns of Rothesay and Quispamsis constitute a moderately-sized population centre with some commercial development. Saint John, by contrast, has suffered from an erosion of its tax and commercial bases as population and businesses have migrated away from the urban core.
The Kennebecasis effectively isolates the Kingston Peninsula
The Kingston Peninsula is a peninsula in southern New Brunswick, Canada, located between the Saint John River (New Brunswick), Saint John River and the Kennebecasis River in Kings County, New Brunswick, Kings County.
The peninsula was the site of ...
from suburban sprawl. It is crossed by two ferry services, the Gondola Point Ferry
The Gondola Point Ferry is a cable ferry in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The ferry crosses the Kennebecasis River, linking Gondola Point in Quispamsis on the southern bank, to Reeds Point on the Kingston Peninsula. The ferry carries N ...
that connects Gondola Point Gondola Point is a Canadian suburban community located in Kings County, New Brunswick.
Formerly an incorporated village, it was amalgamated with the town of Quispamsis in 1998.
Geography
Gondola Point is located in the southeast of the country, ...
to Reeds Point, and the Summerville to Millidgeville Ferry The Summerville to Millidgeville Ferry is a ferry in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The ferry crosses the Kennebecasis River, linking Millidgeville on the southern bank, to Summerville on the Kingston Peninsula. It is currently served by ...
that connects Millidgeville to Summerville. A third ferry service, the Kennebecasis Island Ferry The Kennebecasis Island Ferry is a ferry crossing the Kennebecasis River in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The ferry links Summerville on the Kingston Peninsula
The Kingston Peninsula is a peninsula in southern New Brunswick, Canada, loc ...
connects Summerville to Kennebecasis Island
Kennebecasis Island (also called McCormick's Island) is a small Canadian island located in the Province of New Brunswick at the confluence of the Saint John River and Kennebecasis River.
Its proximity to the city of Saint John has resulted in ...
. Several controversial proposals have been made in recent decades to build a highway bridge over the Kennebecasis River to the Kingston Peninsula however this has been rejected by numerous provincial governments citing financial pressures as well as the likelihood of suburban sprawl occurring in this farming area as a result.
The Kennebecasis River valley communities have rich histories; many were settled by Loyalists in the 1780s and 1790s who traveled upriver from Saint John to land grants offered by the British government. They became more prominent during the late 1800s following construction of the European and North American Railway
The European and North American Railway (E&NA) is the name for three historic Canadian and American railways which were built in New Brunswick and Maine.
The idea of the E&NA as a single system was conceived at a railway conference in Portland, M ...
through the area, which allowed for easier travel between Saint John and Moncton. Over the ensuing decades, the lower Kennebecasis River valley became a summer vacation destination for wealthy Maritimers, Americans and central Canadians. It is also a popular cruising destination for recreational boating as a result of its connection with the navigable portions of the Saint John River.
See also
*List of bodies of water of New Brunswick
This is a List of bodies of water in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, including waterfalls.
New Brunswick receives precipitation year-round, which feeds numerous streams and rivers. There are two main discharge basins: the Gulf of Saint La ...
References
External links
Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee
{{authority control
Rivers of New Brunswick
Tributaries of the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)