Kennebec, << KEHN uh `behk` or `kehn` uh BEHK, >> River flows for about 165 miles (266 kilometers) through southern Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Bath. The river drops over 1,000 feet (300 meters) during its course. A series of waterfalls along the river is used to generate power. Augusta, the state capital, lies along the Kennebec. The first attempt at permanent English settlement in Maine was made at the mouth of the river in 1607.