As we looked back at the bridge, we saw the head of the Minute Man statue peeking out from the trees. The river drains a small rural and suburban region northwest of Boston. Fishing and boating access throughout the state of Massachusetts. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction. [8] Alewife and other anadromous fish are migratory. The Concord River is a 16.3-mile-long (26.2 km)[1] tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. While the area is highly urbanized, the city is hidden from the river by trees and thick greenery. Paddle upstream (south) on the Sudbury River from South Bridge Boat House, beneath the Commuter Rail railroad bridge and you'll cruise along mostly unpopulated river banks, beneath the MA Route 2 and Sudbury Road bridges, eventually to Fairhaven Bay, a widening of the water popular as a vista among Concord's 19th-century litterati. For exploration ideas, go to our online Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord River recreation maps! The current version of the bridge (a reproduction) is preserved by the National Park Service. The launch went smoothly, and we slowly eased into the river, past We put together a picnic, grabbed the life jackets, and set off for a summer adventure. In May 2000, the U.S. Encompassing a drainage basin of 766 square miles, the Contoocook has a total drop of over 700 feet which affords one of the premier whitewater boating stretches in New England. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction. We are the home of America’s Favorite Boats, the world’s largest Mercury® outboard retailer and a proud retailer of TRACKER OFF ROAD™ ATVs and UTVs. Its drainage basin stretches into Worcester County and includes 36 towns within Massachusetts. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Massachusetts Riverways Program, and volunteers from the Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) released 7,000 adult alewife (river herring) into the Concord River. It consists of two segments: the route we took today, Egg Rock to Carlisle-Bedford Bridge, and Carlisle-Bedford Bridge to Middlesex Canal. They hatch in fresh water, make their way to the sea to grow, then return as adults to fresh water to spawn, usually near where they had hatched. The Sudbury Assabet Concord River Council’s website has a map and more information. His book recounted a seven-day boat trip on the rivers with his brother John, who had since died. Because the river is a bit wider, motorized boats and sometimes jet skis use the river. This imprinted the young alewives with the Concord as their new home river. Rent a Canoe or Kayak and explore miles of peaceful waterways on the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers A leisurely 1.5 mile paddle to the Old North Bridge … Fly fishing only, no boats. Whitewater enthusiasts can challenge themselves in … Once we were out on the river, it felt like we had entered a different world. Henry David Thoreau wrote his first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, in 1849 while living at nearby Walden Pond. Call. Sean managed to reach the river’s west bank and called for help, setting off a search for Alec that involved Fish and Game, State Police, Marine Patrol, and the Concord fire and police departments. Just beyond the Carlisle-Bedford Bridge, the Concord River opens out to what seems like a whole new river. This instinct is imprinted within the fish when it is born. The action was brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) because the town of Billerica exceeded allowable effluent limits for phosphorus, fecal coliform bacteria, pH, and ammonia nitrogen. There are over 1200 miles of seashore and hundreds of lakes, ponds, and streams in Massachusetts. You’ll find canoe and kayak rentals just minutes away at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown. Heading back, we found the landing next to a small beach in Great Meadows, where we tied up and had our picnic. Concord’s Merrimack River: Placid on the top, deadly beneath the surface A life vest sits attached to the bow of a New Hampshire Fish and Game boat on Friday morning, August 7, 2020. As a result this is an attractive run even though it runs thru the heart of the city. Our route would take us five miles from the Bedford landing to Egg Rock and back. U.S. Geological Survey. Native Americans called it the Musketaquid or "grass-grown" river, because its sluggish waters abound in aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation and its banks are fringed with wild grasses and sedges which stretch for miles along both sides of this placid stream. The trails are easily accessible from the landing, but we decided to save that for another day. [13], Perchlorate was detected in the Concord River in August 2004. [9] At this point, water was diverted north to Lowell and south to Charlestown to run the Middlesex Canal. We are just 15 minutes south of Portland, where you can enjoy boating or fishing in the Willamette River. [6] The last mile of the river in Lowell is serious class 3+/4 whitewater.[7]. The Concord River is a 16.3-mile-long (26.2 km) tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. And with two local outfitters, equipment is easy to find. Merrimack Valley NH Boating Guide Concord Nashua New Hampshire Marinas & Boat Dealers. Located at Concord Marina. [10] Industrial development within the watershed peaked in the 1920s. Field-Juma said boating is safe in the Lower Concord River, but residents should exercise some caution eating any fish they catch. The company was using 220 gallons per month of perchloric acid in a bleaching process, and rinse water was being discharged into the sewage system. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. Surrounded by lakes, ponds, and five rivers - an amazing landscape of waterways defines the Capital Region - Concord is the perfect place to get out on the water. We meet at the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, located at 50 Warren Street in Lowell, MA about half an hour north of Boston. One of the most famous small rivers in U.S. history, it was the scene of an important early battle of the American Revolutionary War and was the subject of a famous 19th-century book by Henry David Thoreau. There’s a restroom, a wildlife observation tower, a wildlife observation platform, and direct access to the Concord River.). The Concord runs through the heart of downtown Lowell. The river drains a small rural and suburban region northwest of Boston. The river flows slowly, and is navigable by small motor boats, canoes, and kayaks. This eventually led to the installation of three wastewater treatment plants on the banks of the Concord River: one in Concord and two in Billerica. You can also generate directions by right clicking and then selecting “Directions to here”. The river offers both quickwater and flatwater experiences for canoeists as well as short stretches of whitewater, including rapids in the vicinity of the breached dam at Sewalls Falls. So, when the route upstream became blocked, the cycle was broken. Information: Bear Brook State Park at 603-485-9874 … Parking: Shorebank, 24 hours, no fees. Generally the current is gentle enough to paddle downstream and then return upstream, if the kids are old enough and you have the time and energy. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, "Concerning the Nuptial Plumes Worn by Certain Bitterns and the Manner in Which They are Displayed", "SuAsCo Watershed Year 2001 Water Quality Assessment Report", "Concord, MA: City of Lowell to Merrimack River", "Teaching the Eco-Justice Ethic: The Parable of the Billerica Dam", "Merrimack River Watershed Assessment Study: Summary of Information on Pollutant Sources", "Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge: Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan", "Concord River Diadromous Fish Restoration FEASIBILITY STUDY", Environmental Pollution of the Concord River, a Historic American Waterway, North Fork East Branch Pemigewasset River, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Concord_River&oldid=973317203, Rivers of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Wikipedia articles with style issues from September 2009, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 August 2020, at 15:25. The U.S. Speed limit for all boats is 10 miles per hour so they should not be The early 1960s saw an increase in the number of chemical and metal firms, many supporting the electronics industry within the Boston metropolitan area. We considered tying up and getting out to read the inscription on the rock (carved in the late 1800s), but the river was extremely low due to the lack of rain this year, so we decided not to push our luck and turned around for our five-mile return trip. According to the EPA, Billerica's discharges of phosphorus created an overabundance of nutrients, which damaged the river by stimulating excessive aquatic plant growth.[8]. Lot's of skinny water on the Simonette River. Recreation: Boating, fishing, hiking, and bird watching. Restroom. Handicap access at B pier, parking. [15], In May 2007, Billerica was the subject of legal action and forced to pay a $250,000 penalty for discharging pollutants into the Concord River. Boating . When boating • please follow the current State COVID-19 Boating Guidelines. Otherwise, each one-way segment is just about five miles - a one-hour ride in a small motor boat, or a half-day trip by kayak. We passed a number of fishermen slowly trolling up and down the river, as well. From there it flows through the Concord unit of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The river continues for miles to the south, to reservoirs in Framingham. We put together a picnic, grabbed the life jackets, and set off for a summer adventure. And the perfect ending to our perfect summer adventure? Concord River Boat Launch in Bedford. 38 reviews of Southbridge Boat House "These folks rent, sell and repair kayaks and canoes. The act imposed stricter controls on point source discharges into rivers and other navigable waters. A great escape near the city, you can rent a canoe and kayak with paddles, cushions, maps, and life preservers and head out on the Concord or Sudbury River. Dams were built along the Concord River to increase crop production and also to provide a source of power for operating mills. Massabesic Lake, Pawtuckaway Lake and the mighty Merrimack river are just a few of the many boating area in the Merrimack Valley region of NH. Initially, it was believed that explosives used in road and building construction were the source of this pollutant. The Contoocook River is a 71-mile-long (114 km) river in New Hampshire. It flows from Pool Pond and Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. We didn’t see quite that many, but the blue herons, hawks, ducks, and geese along the shoreline were plentiful. It flows from Pool Pond and Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. These plants have helped to prevent subsequent damage to the river ecosystem when they were able to operate within federally mandated limits. [11] Throughout much of the Sudbury River and downstream into the Concord River, fish consumption is banned due to mercury-laden sediments from the Nyanza Superfund site and other sources. [16] Anadromous describes species that live in salt water but lay eggs in fresh water - such as alewives and shad; diadromous is a larger grouping which includes species that mature in fresh water but return to salt water to lay eggs - such as eels. Uncle Tom stopped by this weekend with his boat in tow. We run this section twice on each Concord River rafting trip. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Gulf of Maine at Newburyport. A feasibility study published in 2016 is again exploring steps necessary for returning diadromous fish to the Concord River, and farther upstream, to the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers. You will find river access points, walking trails, and bike paths. Paved and natural surface walking trails wind through the park. [11] The Concord River empties into the Merrimack River. The Concord River runs for about 11 miles and is great for canoeing, kayaking and rafting. The South Bridge Boat House (496 Main Street, Concord; 978-369-9438) rents canoes and kayaks, or you can launch your own boat at several access points along the river. It is a gently flowing stream with little variation in topography along most of its route. From Egg Rock at the beginning of the Concord River in Concord to the Middlesex Canal in Billerica runs approximately 11 miles. 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