Merrimack River
In 1604, Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts heard Native Americans describe a beautiful river to the south. The French immediately pronounced its native name as Merremack. Samuel de Champlain followed this lead in 1605 and renamed it Riviere du Gas. Colonial records from Massachusetts later listed spellings like Merimacke, Merrimacke, and Merrymake. A 1721 land grant at Penacook, New Hampshire used the spelling Merrimake. William Wood's 1634 book New England's Prospect called the river Merrimacke. In the 1810 decennial census, the town of Merrimack was spelled Merrimac. By the 1820 census, officials changed the spelling to Merrimack. US Congressman John Jacob Rogers petitioned for the official spelling Merrimack in 1914. Joseph B. Walker cited Chandler Eastman Potter's 1856 work stating the name means the place of strong current. Henry David Thoreau implied the name signifies the Sturgeon River in his classic book.
Prior to glaciation, the Merrimack flowed far beyond the present border into the Gulf of Maine near Boston. Around 14,000 years ago, debris deposited north of Boston redirected the river into its current northeast bend at Lowell. The river begins in Franklin, New Hampshire at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers. It flows south through Concord, Manchester, and Nashua before entering Massachusetts at Tyngsborough. From there it turns northeast past Chelmsford, Lowell, Dracut, Tewksbury, Andover, Methuen, Lawrence, North Andover, Haverhill, Groveland, West Newbury, Merrimac, and Amesbury. The watershed covers southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. This basin is the fourth largest river basin in New England. The Neville archaeological site sits along the river banks in New Hampshire. Dozens of sub-basins make up the watershed including the Nashua River and Sudbury/Assabet/Concord rivers.
Textile mills dominated the New England economy during the 19th century. Cities like Concord, Manchester, and Nashua grew on the riverbanks in New Hampshire. Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill developed as mill towns in Massachusetts. Newburyport sat at the mouth of the river as an important shipbuilding city. Before the Middlesex Canal was built, Newburyport received timber floated downriver from New Hampshire. Pawtucket Falls in Lowell marked a key point where the border between states runs three miles north of the river. The river provided essential water power for these industrial complexes. Citizens recall that factories used the river to discharge waste directly into its waters. The damming and canalling of the river facilitated this massive industrial expansion across the region.
Since 1951, the Merrimack River has seen many alterations and pollutants dumped into it. In the 1960s, the river ranked among the ten most polluted waterways in the United States. Environmentalist Donald Eaton Carr described it in 1966 as haunted with the oldest and most hopeless pollution of any in the country. Phthalates were identified in high concentrations within the river in 1973. A 1976 study found road salt was the biggest pollution source at that time. By the 2000s, combined sewer overflow became the largest pollution concern. Elevated bacteria counts and low dissolved oxygen levels persisted through a 1997 study. The Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 required sewage treatment before discharge. Federal funding created wastewater treatment plants along the river. Birds, fish, and other animals returned to inhabit the river after infrastructure changes. American shad, striped bass, trout, and Atlantic salmon reappeared in the waters. Recent research identified mercury contamination as a significant threat to aquatic life.
On the 15th of May 2006, rainfall raised the river more than six feet above flood stage. Around 1,500 people evacuated their homes to escape the flood in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The main sewage pipeline broke, dumping raw sewage waste into the river per day. Most areas received around a foot of rain while some got much more. The city of Lowell installed a modern steel beam flood control gate at the historic Francis Gate site. This Great Gate was built in 1850 under the direction of James B. Francis. It first saved the city in 1852 and subsequently in 1936. The most significant recorded flood occurred in March 1936 when rain and melting snow swelled the Merrimack at Lowell to higher levels than the 2006 event. Part of Jack Kerouac's book Doctor Sax is set during this 1936 disaster. The New England Hurricane of 1938 also caused serious flooding but the Francis Gate prevented damage that year. Floods in October 1996 and April 2007 round out the river's most serious events measured at Lowell.
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Common questions
What is the origin of the name Merrimack River?
The name Merrimack derives from a Native American term meaning the place of strong current according to Joseph B. Walker citing Chandler Eastman Potter in 1856. Henry David Thoreau implied the name signifies the Sturgeon River in his classic book while French explorers first pronounced it Merremack in 1604.
Where does the Merrimack River begin and end?
The river begins in Franklin New Hampshire at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers. It flows south through Concord Manchester and Nashua before entering Massachusetts at Tyngsborough and turns northeast past multiple towns until reaching the Gulf of Maine near Boston.
When did the Merrimack River become heavily polluted?
Environmental pollution intensified after 1951 when many alterations and pollutants were dumped into the waterway. The river ranked among the ten most polluted waterways in the United States during the 1960s with Phthalates identified in high concentrations by 1973.
How much damage occurred during the May 2006 flood on the Merrimack River?
Rainfall raised the river more than six feet above flood stage on the 15th of May 2006 causing around 1,500 people to evacuate their homes in Haverhill Massachusetts. A main sewage pipeline broke that day dumping raw sewage waste into the river while most areas received around a foot of rain.
Which city built the Francis Gate for flood control on the Merrimack River?
The city of Lowell installed a modern steel beam flood control gate at the historic Francis Gate site under the direction of James B. Francis. This Great Gate was built in 1850 and first saved the city from flooding in 1852 before subsequently protecting it again in 1936.