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Nashua River

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River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, United States

Nashua River
Nashua River, just outsideGroton, Massachusetts
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Location
Country	United States
States	Massachusetts,New Hampshire
Counties	Middlesex, MA Hillsborough, NH
Towns and cities	Lancaster,Shirley,Ayer,Groton,Pepperell (MA),Hollis,Nashua (NH)
Physical characteristics

Source	Confluence ofNorth Nashua River andSouth Nashua River
• location	Lancaster, MA
• coordinates	42°26′50″N71°40′9″W / 42.44722°N 71.66917°W /42.44722; -71.66917
• elevation	233 feet (71 m)

Mouth	Merrimack River
• location	Nashua, NH
• coordinates	42°45′58″N71°26′49″W / 42.76611°N 71.44694°W /42.76611; -71.44694
• 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

National Wild and Scenic River
Type	Scenic
Designated	March 12, 2019^[1]

TheNashua River, 37.5 miles (60.4 km) long,^[2] is a tributary of theMerrimack River inMassachusetts andNew Hampshire in theUnited States. It is formed in easternWorcester County, Massachusetts, at the confluence of theNorth Nashua River andSouth Nashua River, and flows generally north-northeast pastGroton to join the Merrimack atNashua, 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 ofFitchburg andWestminster. 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

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The river's name derives from anAlgonkian 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 ofpaper mills and the use of dyes nearFitchburg resulted in pollution that notoriously turned the river various colors downstream from the factories.

In the mid-1960s,Marion Stoddart started a campaign to restore the Nashua River and its tributaries. She built coalitions with labor leaders and business leaders, in particular the paper companies who were the worst polluters of the river. With federal help, eight treatment plants were built or upgraded along the river. A broadconservation buffer was created along about half the river and its two main tributaries. By the early-1990s, most of the industry was still located along the river, but many parts of the river were once again safe for swimming. Her work is the subject of a 30-minute documentary movie titledMarion Stoddart: Work of 1000.^[7]

Recovery has sparked recreational use of the river at places likeMine Falls Park in Nashua.

The largely volunteer Nashua River Watershed Association, based inGroton, 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 aNational Wild and Scenic River. The legislation was sponsored by Rep.Niki Tsongas (D, MA-3), supported by the Nashua River Watershed Association^[10] andThe Wilderness Society.^[11]

Watershed

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From its impoundment at theWachusett Reservoir inClinton, Massachusetts, the South Nashua River flows north and joins the North Nashua River inLancaster. The North Nashua River flows southeast fromFitchburg andLeominster to Lancaster. The Nashua River flows northward from Lancaster, meandering its way through the north-central Massachusetts towns ofHarvard,Groton,Dunstable, andPepperell, before eventually emptying into theMerrimack River atNashua, New Hampshire. The Nashua River watershed has a total drainage area of approximately 538 square miles (1,390 km²), with 454 square miles (1,180 km²) of the watershed occurring in Massachusetts and 74 square miles (190 km²) in New Hampshire. The Nashua River flows for approximately 56 miles (90 km), with approximately 46 of those miles (74 km) flowing through Massachusetts. TheSquannacook,Nissitissit,Stillwater,Quinapoxet, North Nashua, and South Nashua rivers feed it. The watershed encompasses all or part of 31 communities, 7 in southern New Hampshire and 24 in central Massachusetts. The watershed's largest water body is theWachusett Reservoir, which provides drinking water to two-thirds of the Commonwealth's population.^[12]

Major watershed components

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Wachusett Reservoir is the largest water body.
- TheStillwater River feeds Wachusett Reservoir from the northwest.
- TheQuinapoxet River feeds Wachusett Reservoir from the west.
Wachusett Reservoir Dam impounds the South Nashua River.
TheNorth Nashua River joins the South Nashua River atLancaster from the northwest.
TheSquannacook River joins the Nashua River from the northwest at the junction of the town boundaries ofShirley,Groton, andAyer.
TheNissitissit River joins the Nashua River from the northwest atPepperell.

Major tributaries

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Nashua River Basin
River system	Drainage area	Communities
Stillwater River	39.3 square miles (102 km²)	Princeton,Leominster,Sterling, andWest Boylston, Massachusetts
Quinapoxet River	57 square miles (150 km²)	Princeton,Rutland,Paxton,Holden, andWest Boylston, Massachusetts
North Nashua River		Gardner,Ashburnham,Westminster,Ashby,Fitchburg,Lunenburg,Leominster,Sterling, andLancaster, Massachusetts
Squannacook River	73 square miles (190 km²)	Greenville,New Ipswich, andMason, New Hampshire, plusWest Groton,Shirley,Townsend, andAshby, Massachusetts
Nissitissit River	23 square miles (60 km²)	Wilton,Mason,Milford,Brookline andHollis, New Hampshire, plusPepperell, Massachusetts

References

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^"Explore Designated Rivers". Rivers.gov. RetrievedJanuary 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. RetrievedDecember 29, 2020.
^"Nashua River".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.
^The Native North American Almanac. Gale Research, Incorporated. April 24, 2001.ISBN 9780787616557 – via Google Books.
^Farr, Roger C.; Strickland, Dorothy S.; Abrahamson, Richard F.; Company, Harcourt Brace & (April 24, 1999).Signatures. Harcourt Brace.ISBN 9780153101243 – via Google Books.{{cite book}}:|last4= has generic name (help)
^"Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000".Documentary Educational Resources. RetrievedApril 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. Archived fromthe original on September 29, 2014. RetrievedJune 23, 2014.
^Rowsome, Alan (June 12, 2013)."House Natural Resources Committee mark-up mixed bag for wilderness". Wilderness Society. RetrievedJune 23, 2014.
^"Nashua River Watershed". Retrieved2007-01-03.

"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

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Nashua River Watershed Association

Merrimack River watershed

Towns

Landmarks

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

Rivers of New Hampshire bydrainage system

Gulf of Maine

Atlantic coastal tributaries	Blackwater River Browns River Drakes River Hampton River Hampton Falls River Little River Old River Taylor River
Merrimack River watershed	Baboosic Brook Back River Baker River Bear Brook Beards Brook Beaver Brook Beebe River Big River Black Brook Blackwater River Cockermouth River Cohas Brook Contoocook River East Branch Baker River East Branch Pemigewasset River Fowler River Frazier Brook Gridley River Gunstock River Lane River Little River (Big River) Little River (Merrimack River) Little Massabesic Brook-Sucker Brook Little Suncook River Lost River Mad River Melvin River Merrimack River Merrymeeting River Middle Branch Piscataquog River Moosilauke Brook Nashua River Newfound River Nissitissit River North Branch Contoocook River North Fork East Branch Pemigewasset River Nubanusit Brook Pemigewasset River Pennichuck Brook Piscataquog River Powwow River Purgatory Brook Red Hill River Salmon Brook Shedd Brook Smith River Soucook River Souhegan River South Branch Baker River South Branch Piscataquog River South Branch Souhegan River Spicket River Squam River Stony Brook Suncook River Tioga River Turkey River Warner River West Branch Mad River West Branch Souhegan River West Branch Warner River Winnipesaukee River
Merrymeeting Bay (Androscoggin River watershed)	Androscoggin River Chickwolnepy Stream Clear Stream Dead River Dead Diamond River East Branch Dead Diamond River Little Dead Diamond River Little Magalloway River Magalloway River Middle Branch Dead Diamond River Middle Branch Little Magalloway River Mollidgewock Brook Moose Brook Moose River Peabody River Rattle River South Branch Little Dead Diamond River Swift Diamond River West Branch Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Magalloway River West Branch Magalloway River West Branch Peabody River Wild River
Piscataqua River watershed	Bean River Bellamy River Berrys River Branch River Bunker Creek Cochecho River Ela River Exeter River Fresh River Isinglass River Jones Brook Lamprey River Little River (Brentwood) Little River (Exeter) Little River (Lamprey River) Mad River North River North Branch River Oyster River Pawtuckaway River Piscassic River Piscataqua River Rattlesnake River Salmon Falls River Squamscott River Winnicut River
Saco Bay (Saco River watershed)	Bearcamp River Beech River Chocorua River Cold River (Bearcamp River) Cold River Cutler River Dan Hole River Deer River Dry River East Branch Saco River East Branch Whiteface River East Fork East Branch Saco River Ellis River Little Cold River Lovell River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Mill Brook New River Ossipee River Pequawket Brook Pine River Rocky Branch Saco River Sawyer River Shepards River South River South Branch Mad River Swift River (Bearcamp River) Swift River (Saco River) West Branch Whiteface River Wildcat Brook Wonalancet River