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Deerfield River

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River in Vermont and Massachusetts, United States

Swimming in the Deerfield River inShelburne Falls

Deerfield River is a river that runs for 76 miles (122 km)^[1] from southernVermont through northwesternMassachusetts to theConnecticut River. The Deerfield River was historically influential in the settlement of westernFranklin County, Massachusetts, and itsnamesake town.

It is the Connecticut River's second-longest tributary in Massachusetts, 2.1 miles (3.4 km) shorter than theWestfield River. Deerfield River's confluence with the Connecticut is inGreenfield, downstream of Turners Falls. The Deerfield is one of the most heavily dammed rivers in the country,^{[according to whom?]} with 10 dams along its course. InShelburne Falls,glacial potholes and theBridge of Flowers are popular tourist attractions around the river.

Geography

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The great descent of the river of nearly 1,100 feet (340 m) over 50 miles (80 km) furnished water power at many places. Several streams nearly as large as the main river enter the Deerfield River from the north.^[2] Among its tributaries is theGreen River.

Dams

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There are 10 dams on the Deerfield, owned by three different electric utilities:

Great River Hydro LLC purchased from theTransCanada Corporation in 2017^[3] the Somerset, Searsburg,Harriman, Sherman, Deerfield #2, #3, #4 and #5 hydroelectric generating stations and dams;^[4]
Brookfield Power owns theBear Swamp Pump Storage project and Fife Brook dam;
Nautilus Power LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina, owns the relatively small Gardner Falls Dam, which dates from 1904.^[5]

The various hydroelectric facilities were purchased from National Energy & Gas Transmission, Inc. (NEGT) subsidiary USGen New England, Inc. at the conclusion of NEGT's Chapter 11 bankruptcy and liquidation of the assets of the USGen subsidiary in 2005.^[6]

In 1994, an agreement on relicensing the various dams with theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Massachusetts and Vermont state authorities that regulate water quality led to comprehensive coordinated water release and power generation schedules to enable more recreational use of the river, with minimum water flow measures to mitigate the dam impact on riverine habitat.^[7]^[8]

A 260-foot-tall (79 m) dam was proposed for the Stillwater section of the river in Deerfield in the mid to late 20th century. Local opposition helped to defeat the proposal.^[9]

Name	Capacity (MW)	In service	Notes
Searsburg Station	5	1922
Harriman Station	39	1925
Sherman Station	7	1927
Deerfield #5	14	1974
Former Deerfield #5 powerhouse			Discontinued, located underwater in lower Bear Swamp reservoir, relocated to position above
Bear Swamp Generating Station	600	1974	Upper reservoir pumped from 770' to 1600', released in high demand periods.
Fife Brook Station	10	1974
Deerfield #4	6	1913	Charlemont-Buckland border
Deerfield #3	7	1912	Shelburne Falls
Gardners Falls	3.5	1904
Deerfield #2	6	1913

History

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Early bridges over the Deerfield River inGreenfield, Massachusetts, circa 1915

The hydroelectric development of the Deerfield River began in 1910 when the New England Power Company was formed to acquire water rights on the Deerfield and construct dams. The largest dam, Harriman, was built in the early 1920s and has an unusual overflow structure known as the "Glory Hole." This structure is a funnel-like concrete tube that leads to a tunnel under the earthen dam and prevents high flows from overtopping the dam.

The last dam built on the Deerfield was Fife Brook Dam, which was built in the early 1970s in conjunction with the development of theBear Swamp Pumped Storage facility. This facility acts as a battery for power generated during times of low demand. By using excess electricity to pump water to the top of the mountain, where a reservoir was created by building levees around an existing high swamp, energy is stored. When electrical demand is higher (usually midday or afternoon/evening) the water from the upper reservoir can be released through the turbines (which act as pumps in reverse) to meet demand.

The third commercial nuclear reactor in the United States was built in the town ofRowe, Massachusetts, on the banks of the Deerfield River by Sherman Reservoir. Known as "Yankee Rowe", it generated electricity for New England from 1960 to 1992.

HistoricBardwell's Ferry Bridge over the Deerfield River

The eastern entrance of theHoosac Tunnel is located on the river in the town ofFlorida, Massachusetts. It is a railroad tunnel, still in use, started in 1851 and completed in 1875. The Burleigh Rock Drill, one of the firstpneumatic drills, was used in its construction. Construction also featured the first large-scale commercial use ofnitroglycerine and electric blasting caps. TheAmerican Society of Civil Engineers made the tunnel aHistoric Civil Engineering Landmark in 1975.

TheBardwell's Ferry Bridge is a 198-foot-long (60 m) pin-connected through truss, built in 1882 and spanning the Deerfield River between the towns ofShelburne andConway in Franklin County. It is the longest single-span lenticular bridge in Massachusetts. It has been listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.^[10]

Recreation

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Deerfield River inCharlemont, Massachusetts

Activities on and around the Deerfield includewhitewater kayaking, canoeing, tubing, fishing,swimming, andcamping. A popular swimming area by the Stillwater Bridge inDeerfield has waterside cliffs up to 40 feet (12 m) high that swimmers jump from; this activity is tolerated but not condoned. There are two sections of the river for whitewater paddling: theFife Brook section^[11]forclass II and III paddlers, and the "Dryway"^[12] for class IV paddlers.

There are several tributaries of the Deerfield River that provide excellent whitewater creek runs, including the class IV-V West Branch of the Deerfield^[13] inReadsboro, Vermont, the class V Dunbar Brook^[14] inMonroe, Massachusetts, the class V Pelham Brook^[15] in Rowe, Massachusetts, the class IV Cold River^[16] inFlorida andCharlemont, Massachusetts, and the class III Chickley River^[17] inHawley, Massachusetts.

This is also an excellent trout fishery, great for fly fishing. Two sections between the Fife Brook dam and the Route 2 bridge arecatch and release. There are five dams that control the majority of the river flow and allow selectable trout fishing through the year.^[18]

References

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^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at theWayback Machine, accessed April 1, 2011
^Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920)."Deerfield River" .Encyclopedia Americana.
^"Our History".
^"Facilities".
^[1]The Greenfield Recorder.
^USGEN NE Plan of LiquidationNational Energy and Gas Transmission. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
^Dam Good Paddling Archived 2006-09-29 at theWayback Machine by Elizabeth Grossman;AMC Outdoors Appalachian Mountain Club (April 2006)
^Dam(n) relicensing tries everyone's patience by Mathew Witten.Vermont Business Magazine (October 1994).
^News » Polly Bartlett earns top honors fromThe Greenfield Recorder
^Lenticular truss bridges of Massachusetts Archived 2008-05-26 at theWayback MachineDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA
^Deerfield River, MA; Fife Brook Section (Bear Swamp to Route 2)American Whitewater
^Deerfield River, MA; Monroe Bridge to Bear Swamp (The Dryway)American Whitewater
^Deerfield River, West Branch, VT; Heartwellville to Readsboro Village.American Whitewater
^Dunbar Brook, MA; South Road to Deerfield RiverAmerican Whitewater
^Pelham Brook, MA; Rowe Center to Deerfield RiverAmerican Whitewater
^Cold River, MA; Route 2 hairpin turn to Deerfield RiverAmerican Whitewater
^Chickley River, MA; Route 8A to Deerfield RiverAmerican Whitewater
^Deerfield River top 10 fly fishing spots in the northeast

External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toDeerfield River.

Deerfield River Watershed Association
Deerfield River Hydroelectric System National Energy & Gas Transmission
Lozer Cup Downriver race series held annually during the Monroe Bridge section release season

Rivers of Massachusetts bydrainage system

Atlantic Ocean

Buzzards Bay	Acushnet River Agawam River Back River Copicut River Crooked River Mattapoisett River Nasketucket River Paskamanset River Pocasset River Sippican River Slocums River Wankinco River Westport River Weweantic River
Nantucket Sound	Bass River Bumps River Childs River Coonamesset River Mashpee River Mitchell River Oyster Pond River Popponesset Creek Quashnet River Santuit River
Others	Tiasquam River

Gulf of Maine

Cape Cod Bay	Bluefish River Eel River Herring River Jones River Little Pamet River Pamet River Town Brook
Massachusetts Bay	Aberjona River Alewife Brook Canton River Charles River Chelsea Creek Cochato River Fore River Fresh River Indian Head River Malden River Millers River Monatiquot River Muddy River Mystic River Neponset River North River Saugus River Stony Brook (Boston) Stony Brook (Waltham) Stop River Weir River Weymouth Back River
Merrimack River Watershed	Artichoke River Assabet River Back River Beaver Brook Cochichewick River Concord River Little River Merrimack River Nashua River Nissitissit River North Nashua River Phillips Brook Powwow River Quinapoxet River Salmon Brook Shawsheen River Souhegan River South Branch Souhegan River South Nashua River Spicket River Squannacook River Stillwater River Sudbury River Trout Brook Vine Brook Whitman River
Others	Annisquam River Blackwater River Eagle Hill River Egypt River Ipswich River Jericho Creek Roger Island River Rowley River Skug River

Long Island Sound

Connecticut River Watershed	Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River
Housatonic River Watershed	Housatonic River Konkapot River Schenob Brook Umpachene River
Thames River Watershed	French River Quinebaug River

Narragansett Bay

Mount Hope Bay (Taunton River Watershed)	Assonet River Canoe River Cedar Swamp River Cocasset River Cotley River Forge River Hockomock River Matfield River Mill River Nemasket River Poor Meadow Brook Quequechan River Rumford River Salisbury Plain River Satucket River Segreganset River Shumatuscacant River Snake River Taunton River Three Mile River Town River Wading River Winnetuxet River
Providence River Watershed	Abbott Run Blackstone River Bungay River Chockalog River Mill River Mumford River Peters River Quinsigamond River Sevenmile River Tannery River Ten Mile River West River Wilde River
Others	Barrington River Cole River Coles Brook Kickemuit River Lees River Palmer River Runnins River

Upper New York Bay

Hudson River Watershed	Hoosic River Kinderhook Creek

v t e Rivers of Vermont bydrainage system
Connecticut River Watershed	Black River Connecticut River Deerfield River Fall River Green River Halls Stream Leach Creek Moose River Nulhegan River Ompompanoosuc River Ottauquechee River Passumpsic River Rock River Saxtons River Utley Brook Waits River Wells River West River Whetstone Brook White River Williams River Winhall River
Hudson River Watershed	Batten Kill Hoosic River Walloomsac River
Saint Lawrence River Watershed	Barton River Black River Brownington Branch Browns River Coaticook River Cold River Clyde River Jail Branch River Johns River Lamoille River Lemon Fair River Mad River Mettawee River Mill River Missisquoi River Otter Creek Pherrins River Poultney River Rock River Stevens Branch Tomifobia River Willoughby River Winooski River

Connecticut River watershed

Tributaries

Connecticut	Blackledge River Coginchaug River Connecticut River Duck River Eightmile River Falls River Farmington River Hockanum River Hubbard River Jeremy River Lieutenant River Mattabesset River Nepaug River Pameacha Creek Park River Pequabuck River Salmon River Scantic River
Massachusetts	Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River
New Hampshire	Ammonoosuc River Ashuelot River Blow-me-down Brook The Branch Cold River Connecticut River East Branch Mohawk River Gale River Great Brook Halls Stream Ham Branch Indian River Indian Stream Israel River Johns River Knox River Little River Little Sugar River Mascoma River Millers River Mink Brook Mirey Brook Mohawk River Nash Stream North Branch Gale River North Branch Millers River North Branch Sugar River North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Oliverian Brook Otter Brook Partridge Brook Perry Stream Phillips Brook Simms Stream South Branch Ashuelot River South Branch Gale River South Branch Israel River South Branch Sugar River Stocker Brook Sugar River Tarbell Brook Upper Ammonoosuc River West Branch Mohawk River West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Wild Ammonoosuc River Zealand River
Vermont	Black River Connecticut River Deerfield River Fall River Green River Halls Stream Leach Creek Moose River Nulhegan River Ompompanoosuc River Ottauquechee River Passumpsic River Rock River Saxtons River Utley Brook Waits River Wells River West River Whetstone Brook White River Williams River Winhall River

Lakes

Connecticut	Barkhamsted Reservoir Lake Beseck Lake Hayward Lake Pocotopaug
Massachusetts	Brooks Pond Browning Pond Lake Monomonac Quabbin Reservoir Lake Wyola
New Hampshire	Ashuelot Pond Back Lake Canaan Street Lake Cedar Pond Christine Lake Comerford Reservoir Connecticut Lakes Crystal Lake Dublin Pond Eastman Pond Echo Lake Lake Francis (Murphy Dam) Goose Pond Grafton Pond Granite Lake Lakes of the Clouds Little Sunapee Lake Mascoma Lake McIndoes Reservoir Lake Monomonac Moore Reservoir Pearly Lake Silver Lake Spofford Lake Lake Sunapee Surry Mountain Lake Lake Tarleton
Vermont	Ball Mountain Lake Comerford Reservoir Harriman Reservoir Harvey's Lake McIndoes Reservoir Moore Reservoir North Hartland Lake Lake Rescue Townshend Lake

Towns

Connecticut	Chester Cromwell Deep River East Haddam East Hampton East Hartford East Windsor Enfield Essex Glastonbury Haddam Hartford Higganum Lyme Middletown Moodus Old Lyme Old Saybrook Portland Rocky Hill South Windsor Suffield Thompsonville Wethersfield Windsor Windsor Locks
Massachusetts	Agawam Chicopee Deerfield Easthampton Gill Greenfield Hadley Hatfield Holyoke Longmeadow Millers Falls Montague Northampton Northfield South Hadley Springfield Sunderland Turners Falls West Springfield Whately
New Hampshire	Bath Charlestown Chesterfield Claremont Clarksville Colebrook Columbia Cornish Dalton Groveton Hanover Haverhill Hinsdale Lancaster Lebanon Littleton Lyme Monroe Northumberland Orford Piermont Pittsburg Plainfield Stewartstown Stratford Walpole West Lebanon Westmoreland Woodsville
Quebec	East Hereford
Vermont	Ascutney Barnet Beecher Falls Bellows Falls Bloomfield Bradford Brattleboro Brunswick Canaan Concord Dummerston Fairlee Gilman Guildhall Hartford Hartland Lemington Lunenburg Maidstone Newbury Norwich Putney Rockingham Ryegate Springfield Thetford Vernon Waterford Weathersfield Wells River Westminster White River Junction Wilder Windsor