Join Rivers for Change Source to Sea Grant Ambassador  Joe Klementovich as he SUP’s his way down the Saco River learning about the indigenous lands and stories of the Abenaki and Wabanaki.

By 1800 17 sawmills stood at Saco Falls. In 1820 a canal was completed cutting off 16 miles of river. In 1825 the country’s largest cotton mill was operating at Saco Falls. Since colonial times the Saco River has been seen only for its industrial value. Cities were built with their backs to the river, using it only for a power source and a dump.

The Saco River is much more than that, it is home to 4 exemplary natural communities, 22 rare species, and supplies water to ¼ million people from 35 towns.

Joe will tell the story of the Saco River by tracing it from source to sea, the slopes of the northeast’s highest peak 136 miles downriver to the Gulf of Maine. Along the way, he will be filming, photographing, and gathering thoughts and perspectives from people connected to this vast and important waterway.

Traveling on paddleboards, he will pass through mountains, floodplains, farmlands, and estuaries focusing on the natural beauty and the people that are so dependent on the water that connects and flows through the Saco River.

Follow along #sourcetosea with him on Instagram.