Once heavily polluted by textile mills, paper mills, and other industries located along its banks, the Androscoggin was one of the inspirations behind the Clean Water Act. Bringing together their respective backgrounds, John Lichter and Scot McFarlane will explore the role of history and ecology in understanding the Androscoggin River. This includes asking the question about why and by whom the river was forgotten and why it became Maine's working river. Not only has the Androscoggin been Maine's most polluted river, it may also be the state's most interesting.