McKay / Ripogenus

Near Millinocket, ME

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Updated: Tue, October 13, 11:27:46 am (EDT)

918.00 cfs as of 2026-10-13 11:00:00 AM (EDT)

Total Flow

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McKAY PUT-IN ACCESS DURING MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY

An image showing the proper path to the rafting put-in.

Great Lakes Hydro America expects McKay Station to be in an outage condition from approximately Sunday, September 20-Saturday, October 10, 2026.

Maintenance activities associated with the outage may periodically affect access near the McKay Station put-in, particularly while the crane or boom lift may be in use. To accommodate our work, raft drop-offs should occur from the upper parking lot or turnaround area outside the former gate location (green circle) and walk down to the station (green line), as the lower parking lot (red circle) adjacent to McKay Station will be unavailable during the outage.

River users should exercise caution while in the area and follow any posted signage or instructions provided by on-site personnel.


STAY SAFE

Make sure you have up to date waterflow information when you head out for a day on the water.

Call the Safe Waters hotline when in areas with limited data connectivity: 1-844-430-FLOW (3569)

Private (Noncommercial) Whitewater Boating

Maine law requires requires that any person without a commercial outfitter’s license file a free noncommercial trip registration prior to launching a whitewater craft on the Kennebec River or West Branch of the Penobscot River. The registration must be completed by each person using the craft for each day on the river.

Planned Siren Testing - October 10-14

Fri, October 02 , 12:00 pm

Great Lakes Hydro America will perform maintenance testing of its River Monitoring System sirens October 10 through October 14.

These sirens are located at the Big Eddy Campground, at three sites in the town of Medway, downstream of the Weldon Dam, and at Jordan Mills.
The siren at each site will be activated momentarily to verify proper operation.

Due to weather conditions or other unplanned circumstances, the testing schedule is subject to change without prior notice.

Short-term Schedule

StartEndFlow (cfs)
10/12/26 12:00 AM10/22/2026 12:00 AM900
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Long-term Schedule

Flows listed below are minimum requirements downstream of McKay Station and Ripogenus Dam. During normal operational conditions, flows can range from minimum flows (shown below) to 3,200 cfs during the applicable hours. The 3,200 cfs limit may be exceeded in certain circumstances.

 

Annual Release Schedule

May 1 – September 15 between the hours of 0830 and 1700

“Normal” hydrologic year

  • 2300 CFS on Saturday and Sunday
  • 2200 CFS on Monday and Friday
  • 2000 CFS Tuesday through Thursday

“Wet” or “Dry” hydrologic years

  • 2200 CFS on Saturday and Sunday
  • 2000 CFS on Monday and Friday
  • 1800 CFS Tuesday through Thursday
September 16-October 1 between the hours of 0830 and 1700

“Normal” hydrologic year

  • 2300 CFS on Saturday and Sunday

“Wet” or “Dry” hydrologic years

  • 2200 CFS on Saturday and Sunday
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Please note!

Water release schedules often change without notice due to unanticipated changes in weather conditions and power system requirements. Use caution near dams. A large amount of water may be discharged without warning at any time. Your safety depends on obeying all posted safety regulations and warnings.