| Agawam River | |
|---|---|
Agawam River and environs | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• coordinates | 41°45′33″N70°40′45″W / 41.75917°N 70.67917°W /41.75917; -70.67917 |
| Length | 10.7 mi (17.2 km) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Wareham River |
TheAgawam River is a 10.7-mile-long (17.2 km)[1] stream in southeasternMassachusetts, USA, that is part of theWareham River estuary watershed. The Agawam River is named in honor of the peaceful Native Americans that helped theMassachusetts Bay Colony establish its firstConnecticut River Valley settlement atSpringfield, Massachusetts in 1636, and helped it to flourish while many of theConnecticut Colony settlements south of Springfield were attacked or destroyed by more war-like Native American tribes.
The Agawam River originates atHalfway Pond, east of theMyles Standish State Forest inPlymouth, flows southwest throughGlen Charlie Pond and East Wareham, and drains into theWareham River near the center ofWareham. As the estuary's major contributor of nutrients and fresh water, the Agawam was one of the most importantherring rivers in Massachusetts. Its herring runs have been operated by European settlers since 1632 and were officially established as a managed run in 1832.
Even today, it remains one of the few managed herring runs in Massachusetts, although few fish reach the river's spawning and nursery habitat. It includes 570 acres (2.3 km2) of water bodies that could serve as habitat toalewife, bluebackherring, andAmerican shad. Approximately 36% of this habitat is in Halfway Pond. Fishway retrofit projects aim to restore river herring population to historic levels, perhaps as many as 100,000+ fish annually.
The Agawam River receives discharges from the Wareham Sewage Treatment plant, which discharges 0.76 million US gallons (2,900 m3) per day of nitrogen-rich sewageeffluent.