Souhegan Watershed Association

Introduction The Watershed

Maps

Meetings

Water Quality

Monitoring Program Monitoring Results Canoe Guide NH Rivers Management Program

Salmon Release Program

Distinctions and Disgraces Stories and Images Related Links How to Join

Souhegan Watershed Facts

River Length: 34.8 miles from the convergence of the South Branch and West Branch of the Souhegan in New Ipswich to the Merrimack River.

Watershed Area: 170 square miles.

Towns in the Watershed:Ashby (MA), Ashburnham (MA), New Ipswich, Temple, Sharon, Greenfield, Lyndeborough, Greenville, Brookline, Wilton, Milford, Mont Vernon, Amherst, and Merrimack.

Watershed Population: 35,000 people.

Average Monthly Flows: high - 818 cubic feet per second in April; low - 39 cfs in September.

Water Quality: Class B (fishable and swimmable) for its entire length.

Major Tributaries: Furnace Brook, Temple Brook, Blood brook, Gambol Brook, Stony Brook, Purgatory Brook, Tucker brook, Caesar's Brook, Beaver Brook, Great Brook, and Hartshorn Brook.

Groundwater Resources: Five municipal water supply wells are located within the watershed.

Water Withdrawals: 16 registered water withdrawals: 11 surface water withdrawals for irrigation, hydropower, snowmaking with one municipal water supply, industrial supply, and fish hatchery.

Water Discharges: 5 NPDES discharges: 2 municipal wastewater treatment facilities (Greenville, 0.25 MGD and Milford, 2.15 MGD design capacity) and 3 industrial discharges; 2 other discharges for aquaculture and sand/gravel extraction.

Dams: Five operating hydro facilities on the river: 1 in New Ipswitch, 2 in Greenville, 2 in Wilton. Five other currently unused dams: 1 in New Ipswich, 1 in Wilton, 2 in Milford, and 1 in Merrimack. There are also 13 flood control dams on the tributaries.

Recreation: Canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking.

Fisheries: Stocked with Rainbow, Brook, and Brown trout for put and take fishery. Stocked with 100,000 Salmon fry each year as part of Salmon Restoration Program. Salmon can not be caught.

Threatened and Endangered Species: 28 species of plants and animals on endangered or threatened list. Seven exemplary natural communities.

Web pages by Richard Hart.
Send comments and contributions to me at harts@ultranet.com.
Or visit my family's web page.

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