The Making of Fishable and Swimmable: The Ecological and Socio-Cultural Impacts of the Clean Water Act in the Androscoggin River Valley

Abstract

This is a historical analysis of the ecological and social impacts of the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) within the Androscoggin River Valley. The clean water movement for pollution abatement on the Androscoggin River is analyzed through a scientific and socio-cultural lens to see how successfully the CWA was at improving the water quality of the river and how it changed how river valley residents related to the river. This thesis uses a comparative analysis at two separate time periods, 1940-1972 and 1972 to 2023 to analyze the act\u27s impacts. Through research and interviews this thesis looks at the improvements in water quality spurred on by the CWA and the multivalent perspectives on the rivers transformation from an industrial to a recreational river