Nashua River
| Nashua River | |
|---|---|
Lancaster, MA | |
| • coordinates | 42°26′50″N 71°40′9″W / 42.44722°N 71.66917°W |
| • elevation | 233 feet (71 m) |
Nashua, NH | |
• coordinates | 42°45′58″N 71°26′49″W / 42.76611°N 71.44694°W |
• elevation | 95 feet (29 m) |
| Length | 37.5 mi (60.4 km) |
| Basin size | 108 square miles (280 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 150 cu ft/s (4.2 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Squannacook River, Nissitissit River |
| • right | Still River |
| Type | Scenic |
| Designated | March 12, 2019[1] |
The Nashua River, 37.5 miles (60.4 km) long,[2] is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, at the confluence of the North Nashua River and South Nashua River, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the Merrimack at Nashua, New Hampshire. The Nashua River watershed occupies a major portion of north-central Massachusetts and a much smaller portion of southern New Hampshire.
The North Nashua River rises west of Fitchburg and Westminster. It flows about 30 miles (48 km) generally southeast past Fitchburg, and joins the South Nashua River,[3] shown on USGS topographic maps as the main stem of the Nashua River,[4] about 5 miles (8 km) below its issuance from the Wachusett Reservoir.
History
The river's name derives from an Algonkian word meaning "beautiful river with a pebbly bottom."[5][6]
The Nashua River was heavily used for industry during the colonial period and the early years of the United States. During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the heavy concentration of paper mills and the use of dyes near Fitchburg resulted in pollution that notoriously turned the river various colors downstream from the factories.
In the mid-1960s,
Recovery has sparked recreational use of the river at places like Mine Falls Park in Nashua.
The largely volunteer Nashua River Watershed Association, based in Groton, Massachusetts, oversees the condition of the river.[8]
In 2013, Public Law 116–9[9] designated 27 mi (43 km) of the Nashua River as a National Wild and Scenic River. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Niki Tsongas (D, MA-3), supported by the Nashua River Watershed Association[10] and The Wilderness Society.[11]
Watershed
From its impoundment at the
Major watershed components
- Wachusett Reservoir is the largest water body.
- The Stillwater Riverfeeds Wachusett Reservoir from the northwest.
- The Quinapoxet River feeds Wachusett Reservoir from the west.
- The
- Wachusett Reservoir Dam impounds the South Nashua River.
- The North Nashua River joins the South Nashua River at Lancaster from the northwest.
- The Squannacook River joins the Nashua River from the northwest at the junction of the town boundaries of Shirley, Groton, and Ayer.
- The Nissitissit River joins the Nashua River from the northwest at Pepperell.
Major tributaries
| River system | Drainage area | Communities |
|---|---|---|
Stillwater River
|
39.3 square miles (102 km2) | Princeton, Leominster, Sterling, and West Boylston, Massachusetts |
| Quinapoxet River | 57 square miles (150 km2) | Princeton, Rutland, Paxton, Holden, and West Boylston, Massachusetts |
| North Nashua River | Gardner, Ashburnham, Westminster, Ashby, Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Leominster, Sterling, and Lancaster, Massachusetts | |
| Squannacook River | 73 square miles (190 km2) | Greenville, New Ipswich, and Mason, New Hampshire, plus West Groton, Shirley, Townsend, and Ashby, Massachusetts |
| Nissitissit River | 23 square miles (60 km2) | Wilton, Mason, Milford, Brookline and Hollis, New Hampshire, plus Pepperell, Massachusetts |
See also
- List of rivers of Massachusetts
- List of rivers of New Hampshire
- Nashua River Rail Trail
- Nashaway people
References
- ^ "Explore Designated Rivers". Rivers.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed October 3, 2011
- ^ "Nashua River, Massachusetts & New Hampshire". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Nashua River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ISBN 9780787616557– via Google Books.
- ISBN 9780153101243– via Google Books.
- ^ "Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000". Documentary Educational Resources. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ "Nashua River Watershed Association - Home". www.nashuariverwatershed.org.
- Pub. L. 116–9 (text) (PDF)
- ^ "Tsongas testifies in favor of bill to designate Nashua River as Wild and Scenic". House Office of Rep. Tsongas. June 6, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ^ Rowsome, Alan (June 12, 2013). "House Natural Resources Committee mark-up mixed bag for wilderness". Wilderness Society. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ^ "Nashua River Watershed". Retrieved 2007-01-03.
- "The Promise of Restoration", National Geographic Magazine, November, 1993, Special Edition: Water.
- Parfit, Michael, "New Ideas, New Understanding, New Hope", National Geographic Magazine, November, 1993, Special Edition: Water.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
