The Megunticook team at the third annual Riverfest in Lewiston goofs off for a moment Saturday before starting their race. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — The third Annual Riverfest on Friday and Saturday at Simard-Payne Memorial Park pulled people in from all over New England to the two-day festival that promotes Androscoggin River protection and recreation. 

The festival featured food trucks, live music, local vendors, a beer garden, kickball tournament and culminated in a 1500-meter regatta Saturday. It was a collaboration between the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Lewiston Rowing and Maine Coast Rowing in Brunswick.

According to President and CEO of the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Shanna Cox, one of the goals of the festival was to encourage more people to use the river.

“Our river was the river behind [Senator Edmund] Muskie’s Clean Water Act. And so there was a time when our river was really, really bad. And our water quality now is Class B quality. So you can fish in it, you can swim in it,” Shanna Cox said.

The federal Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 to protect water and standardize how cities deal with their waste water.

Part of the effort to maintain water quality are the invasive species inspections done on boats before and after the regatta. Vernon Cox, father of Shanna Cox, was one of the two volunteers inspecting boats.

Each boat was thoroughly checked for invasive plant species and each rower asked what the last body of water the boat was in. There are 11 plants that are labeled as invasive plant species in Maine and they can be found in 1% of Maine lakes. Accordingly to Vernon Cox, it’s difficult to rid a lake of an invasive species since they don’t have any predators.

“What happens is, those lakes that are affected, the invasive species take over so much that they crowd out other plant life, which reduces food for fish,” Vernon Cox said. “It sets the whole balance off.”

Audrey Brogen departs the dock Saturday during the 3rd Annual Riverfest in Lewiston. Participants are given the opportunity to row downstream and back to get a feel for the current before starting their race. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

“So much improvement has happened to it over the years. There was a time when it was frothy and smelly. And it’s not in this part of the Androscoggin. Most of the businesses who rely on the river are relying on the river for recreation, amenities and beauty.” Shanna Cox said.

Amy Smith, president and founder of Lewiston Rowing, echoes this sentiment adding that there are many misconceptions about the water quality and safety of the river.

“A big goal from my perspective for the city is to help people understand what an amazing asset the river is because some people still think it’s polluted,” Smith said.

Amanda Wing recalls growing up in Lewiston and being told “don’t go in the river.” Nowadays, she knows the water quality has improved a lot and wonders why more people don’t use the river.

“I want to rent a little kayak and go through the canals. It’s something that should be like a tourist thing,” Wing said.

The regatta was open to rowers of different skill levels, genders and ages. Races started at 8:30 a.m. with the last race at 11:30 a.m. followed by an award ceremony. Participants in the races included 39 rowers across 10 clubs from all over New England according to Shanna Cox.

Chris Couglin, left, assists Audrey Brogen as she prepares her boat Saturday at the 3rd Annual Riverfest in Lewiston. Participants were given the opportunity to row downstream and back to get a feel for the current before starting their race. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

There was only one rower from a Lewiston and Auburn based rowing club. Sue Brixon from Lewiston Rowing says they are hoping to create a rowing club in Lewiston for high school students and adults.

“This is a really unique course because you start and finish at the same place and there’s a big U-turn,” Smith said referring to the 180 degree turn at the halfway point. “And so it’s challenging because usually rowers don’t have to turn when they’re going really fast. But it’s also great for spectating because from that bridge, you can see the whole thing.”

Marnie Read began rowing with Megunticook Rowing almost three years ago. Read rowed in a four plus boat that was nearly 40 feet long, one with four rowers and a coxswain. The group is a mix between adults and high schoolers. She credits the boat’s coxswain, who is in high school, for helping them navigate the current and stake pin turn.

“In the boat you just look straight ahead and you listen to your coxswain. So I have no idea how the turn went, but I know we did turn and we didn’t flip,” she said.

She enjoyed today’s race, although she admits the current made it difficult.

“Our hardest time was the start because we nearly ended up on the shore because the current is so strong. That was the trickiest part, everything else was OK,” Read said.

Read played a number of sports prior to rowing, but says rowing is uniquely collaborative.

“If I’m not doing exactly what my teammate is doing, the boat doesn’t work so it’s the purest form of teamwork I think there is,” Read said.