Contoocook River
| Contoocook River | |
|---|---|
 Covered railroad bridge in village of Contoocook | |
   | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Counties | Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack |
| Towns | Jaffrey, Peterborough, Bennington, Antrim, Hillsborough, Henniker, West Hopkinton, Contoocook, Penacook |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Contoocook Lake |
| • location | Jaffrey |
| • coordinates | 42°48′4″N 72°1′38″W / 42.80111°N 72.02722°W |
| • elevation | 1,007 ft (307 m) |
| Mouth | Merrimack River |
• location | Penacook |
• coordinates | 43°17′11″N 71°35′23″W / 43.28639°N 71.58972°W |
• elevation | 242 ft (74 m) |
| Length | 71 mi (114 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Nubanusit Brook, North Branch, Warner River, Blackwater River |
| • right | Gridley River |
The Contoocook River (populated place of West Hopkinton. Residents and tourists have made the Contoocook popular for fishing and whitewater boating.
The name Contoocook came from the Pennacook tribe of Native Americans and perhaps means "place of the river near pines". Other variations of the name include the Abenaki meaning "nut trees river" or Natick language meaning "small plantation at the river."[2][3]
The river gives its name to Contoocook, New Hampshire, a census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Hopkinton.
Principal tributaries
From south to north:
- Nubanusit Brook begins at Nubanusit Lake in Nelson and joins the Contoocook in Peterborough.
- The North Branch of the Contoocook starts in Stoddard and joins the main stem in Hillsborough.
- The Warner River starts in Bradford and joins the Contoocook in Hopkinton.
- The Blackwater River begins at Pleasant Lake in New Londonand joins the Contoocook in Hopkinton.
See also
- List of New Hampshire rivers
References
- ^ New Hampshire GRANIT state geographic information system
- ^ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. pp. 424–426.
coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
- ISBN 1558491511.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
External links
- Department of Environmental Services River Management and Protection
- American Whitewater description of the Freight Train rapids section
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
