Salmon Falls River Watershed

Lord Brook crosses into Eliot from South Berwick near the place that Route 236 crosses the Eliot and South Berwick border. From there it runs for less than a half mile, past a subdivision and a large industrial facility, and passes through a culvert before joining Shoreys Brook.

Shoreys Brook begins east of Goodwin Road, near a large gravel pit outside of Rosemary. The brook runs north through a few small ponds and shrub wetlands, past another large gravel pit where it meets Lord Brook. At this point the brook passes through a culvert under Route 236 and then runs under a bridge at Oldfields Road. Here the brook begins to transition from freshwater to brackish tidal marsh. The brook passes through another culvert under Route 101 and then empties into the Salmon Falls River just before its convergence with the Cocheco and Piscataqua Rivers.

The Salmon Falls River ends at the Eliot border with South Berwick where the Piscataqua River begins.

York River Watershed

York Pond is the headwaters for the York River. It is 48 acres in area and is bordered by many large areas of forested and emergent wetland. There are very few houses on York Pond’s shoreline. The pond drains at its southwest corner and passes an old dam at the end of Punkintown Road. The water flows into a smaller pond after which begins the York River.

From where the York River begins, it flows for a quarter mile before backing up behind a dam near Brixham Road. It then crosses the road and runs through a 1.25 mile stretch of forest until it backs up in a marsh area behind a culvert on Frost Hill Road. After passing through the culvert, the York River flows through several backyards and a few farms before leaving Eliot.

Rogers Brook begins in a wooded area near the end of Guys Way off Brixham Road. There are only a few houses at the headwaters of this brook and as it flows southeast it passes through a mile of uninterrupted forest and enters the Town of York.

Cutts Ridge Brook enters Eliot from the south near a junk car lot east of Route 101. The junk yard is bordered by a marsh which the brook passes through before entering a half mile stretch of woods. It then passes a gravel pit and meanders north, passing under Beech Ridge Road, and crossing into York.

Spruce Creek Watershed

Spruce Creek begins in an emergent wetland just east of Route 101 on the Kitterry and Eliot border. The water gathers and runs for a tenth of a mile before entering Kittery.

Piscataqua River Watershed

Little Brook begins in East Eliot near a farm field on Goodwin Road. The brook flows into a pond which forms behind a dam just south of the Little Brook Airpark. It then flows into an area of emergent and forested wetlands near some small industrial facilities where it joins Sturgeon Creek.

Great Creek drains two large forested wetlands, one is between Routes 103 and 236, and the other is cut in half by Route 236 and a large boat storage yard. This area is highly developed and the creek runs past multiple industrial facilities and crosses a number of roads as it runs north to join Sturgeon Creek.

Behind the Marshwood Junior High School, Sturgeon Creek exits a large forested and emergent wetland fed by Little Brook and Great Creek. It runs along the edge of the schools athletic fields and passes through a culvert on depot road. The creek flows under Route 236 and Cedar Road and past several farms where it begins to transition from fresh water to brackish tidal water. Sturgeon Creek flows under a bridge on Route 103 and empties into the Piscataqua River.

Stacey Creek gathers its water from a wetland area east of River Road. It runs past a number of residences and into a tidal marsh area which pools behind a culvert on River Road before spilling into the Piscataqua River.

Spinney Creek Pond is a 127 acre freshwater impoundment that is separated from the Piscataqua River by Eliot Road. It is fed by Spinney Creek which drains a small wetland area 500 feet inland. The shores of Spinney Creek Pond are highly developed on the Eliot and Kittery sides.

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Eliot was incorporated on March 1, 1810 from a portion of Kittery and shares its early history with that town. As with other communities along the lower Salmon Falls River, Eliot’s earliest industry was timber. The river allowed easy transport of trees for lumber and ship building. During the 1800’s Eliot was renowned for shipbuilding, particularly the Hanscom Shipyard which built the famous clipper ship Nightingale. Later, shipbuilding at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard attracted people to the region, and Eliot was an attractive place to live nearby. During World War II, activity at the shipyard was in full swing and the population of Eliot increased from 1,932 in 1940 to 2,509 in 1950.

In the late 1800’s water transportation enabled dairy farmers in Eliot to sell there milk as far away as Boston. Shipping by water declined with the arrival of the railroads and by the early 1900’s the dairy and farming industry had diminished due to availability of goods from the Midwest.

During the last decades of the 20th century population in Eliot continued to grow as the town transitioned to a bedroom community for Portland and Sanford. The most dramatic growth occurred between 1970 and 1980 when the population grew by 42%.