| Artichoke River | |
|---|---|
Lower Artichoke River | |
| Location | |
| Country | US |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | West Newbury, Massachusetts |
| • elevation | 20 feet (6 m) atWest Newbury, Massachusetts |
| Mouth | |
• location | Merrimack River |
| Length | 1.2 miles (2 km) |
| Basin size | 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) |
42°49′12″N70°56′19″W / 42.82000°N 70.93861°W /42.82000; -70.93861The Artichoke River (1.2 miles (1.9 km)long),[1] is a tributary of theMerrimack River inMassachusetts in theUnited States. It is inEssex County, Massachusetts, and flows generally north, marking the boundary betweenWest Newbury andNewburyport. The Upper and Lower Artichoke reservoirs are impoundments of the river that acts as a water source for nearby towns.Despite the short length of the river, there are three dams along its course, the Emory Lane Dam, the Lower Artichoke Dam and the Upper Artichoke Dam.[1]The river is named for theJerusalem Artichoke, which had been harvested nearby by Native Americans and early settlers.[2]