Riverquest Jr.: New Duck Brook
Hello, and welcome back to Riverquest. It’s been a long while since Riverquest I (8 months to be exact), so let’s get right back into it. In June, on my yearly vacation to Maine, I and my friends explored New Duck Brook on Mount Desert Island! Nestled in the northeast corner of Acadia National Park, there are a few notable features along this brook that can be accessed through the park!
New Duck Brook in its watershed. From USGS StreamStats.
eagle lake
Eagle Lake facing south
Eagle Lake (southwest of Bar Harbor) on Mount Desert Island. From National Park Maps.
Eagle Lake, the largest freshwater lake on Mount Desert Island, is where this babbling brook begins, flowing northward towards Frenchman Bay. There are streams that flow into Eagle Lake, but for the sake of brevity and accessibility, Eagle Lake will be treated as the source of New Duck Brook.
Eagle Lake is home to several fauna, including salmon, trout, and turtles, and is known both for its crystalline waters and as a source of water for many of the eastern side of MDI’s residents. Pictured below is a structure controlling the outflow of the lake, effectively shaping the beginning of New Duck Brook.
Dam that marks the beginning of New Duck Brook
beaver pond/new mills meadow pond
New Mills Meadow Pond
Along Duck Brook Road you’ll find a pair of ponds, Beaver and New Mills Meadow. New Duck Brook pools into these ponds as it winds through a small wetland area as it makes its way northeast. Pictured above is New Mills Meadow Pond featuring a beaver lodge in the background.
duck brook bridge
Going to Acadia in June was not ideal for capturing the entire bridge in one shot.
Standing just beyond Beaver/New Mills Meadow Ponds is the crown jewel of the river, and one of the crown jewels of the entire island: Duck Brook Bridge. Directed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and designed with the aid of architect Beatrix Farrand, carriage roads were etched into the island for pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages to traverse. These roads required bridges to span natural features that would otherwise truncate them, so 17 bridges (16 funded by Rockefeller, Jr.) were built from the granite of the island, with Duck Brook Bridge being the most expensive. Spanning a wide gap over New Duck Brook, the bridge features two turrets on either side and a gorgeous view of the rocky valley below through which New Duck Brook flows.
These arches are large.
a modest estuary
After it passes under Eden Street along the northeast coast of MDI, New Duck Brook pools and flows gently over a damn, then meanders towards Frenchman Bay.
That’s it for one of the many streams of Mount Desert Island! New Duck Brook has a brief journey, but the sights along it are one’s that you won’t want to miss.
sources/further reading
Eagle Lake: https://downeastacadia.com/story/eagle-lake
Duck Brook Bridge: https://www.citrusmilo.com/acadiaguide/duckbrookbridge.cfm
On carriage roads: http://www.acadia.ws/carriage-roads.htm
More on Duck Brook Bridge: https://bridgehunter.com/me/hancock/bh63761/