The Dead River, also sometimes called the West Branch, is a river in central Maine in the United States. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Its source is Flagstaff Lake, where its two main tributaries, South Branch Dead River and North Branch Dead River, join. Flagstaff Lake is located in Somerset County and Franklin County Maine in the United States. It flows generally east to join the Kennebec River at the West Forks in The Forks, Maine. The Kennebec River is a River, 150 mi (240 km long in the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. The Forks is a plantation in Somerset County, Maine, United States.

It is a popular river with whitewater boaters and rafters. Whitewater is formed in a Rapid, when a River 's gradient drops enough to disturb its Laminar flow and create Turbulence, i The whitewater releases are controlled from Flagstaff Lake, which has been dammed and made into a reservoir, and range from 1200 to 5000 ft³/s (34 to 140 m³/s) and range in difficulty from easy class 3 to class 4+. The length of the run is 15 miles (24 km) from the put-in at Spencer Stream to the take-out at West Forks with no easy access by road. Boaters must be prepared for at least 5 hours of paddling of varying difficulty. See the American Whitewater website for a detailed description.

The Dead River played a role in the American Revolution; it was on the route for the invasion of Canada in the fall of 1775 by a then newly-commissioned Colonel Benedict Arnold. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Background In the spring of 1775 the American Revolutionary War began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Benedict Arnold V ( – June 14, 1801) was a General during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental

The logging industry is prominent in the area. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Flagstaff Lake was formed by Long Falls Dam, completed in 1956, to regulate the flow of the Dead River into the Kennebec River. At the time, the river drive was still a primary means of delivering timber to the pulp mills downstream. Although improved highways and the trucking industry have replaced the river drive, water releases continue to serve hydroelectric power-generating plants downstream.

The majestic Bigelow Mountain Range looks down from the lake's southern shore, making the Dead River region a scenic favorite for outdoor enthusiasts. Mount Bigelow (also called the Bigelow Range and Bigelow Mountain) is a long mountain ridge with several summits

Coordinates: 45°20′0″N 69°58′11″W / 45.33333, -69.96972