Squamscott River

Squamscott River
Squamscott River in fall 2005 at Route 108, Newfields, NH
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Location
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Rockingham
Towns	Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, Newmarket
Physical characteristics

Source	Exeter River
• location	Exeter
• coordinates	42°58′55″N 70°56′45″W / 42.98194°N 70.94583°W / 42.98194; -70.94583
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)

Mouth	Great Bay
• location	Newmarket
• coordinates	43°3′49″N 70°54′11″W / 43.06361°N 70.90306°W / 43.06361; -70.90306
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	6 mi (10 km)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Norris Brook, Rocky Hill Brook, Parting Brook
• right	Wheelwright Creek, Mill Brook, Jewell Hill Brook

The Squamscott River is a 6-mile-long (10 km) tidal river in southeastern New Hampshire, in the United States, fed by the Exeter River.^[1] The first 33 miles (53 km) of freshwater river from Chester to downtown Exeter is known as the Exeter River, and the subsequent 9 miles (14 km) of saltwater from downtown Exeter to the Great Bay tidal estuary is known as the Squamscott River.^[2]

The combined Exeter-Squamscott watershed is 81,726 acres (127.697 sq mi) and contains 68,245 people. It includes portions of Chester, Raymond, Fremont, Danville, Kingston, East Kingston, Sandown, Kensington, Brentwood, Exeter, Newfields, and Stratham.^[2]

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Etymology

The Squamscott, also spelled Swampscott and Swamscott, gets its name from the Squamscott Indians, who called it Msquam-s-kook (or Msquamskek), translated as "at the salmon place" or "big water place". Plentiful game, the marshes and lush river-fed vegetation, and an abundance of fish supported the northeast Native American people who were present in the region for thousands of years until English settlers displaced them in the early 17th century. The Native American tribes of New Hampshire were most likely from the Abenaki nation, and independent of the Maine-based tribes. The name "Abenaki" and its derivatives originated from a Montagnais (Algonquin) word meaning "people of the dawn" or "easterners". In the eastern part of New Hampshire were the Pequaquaukes (or Pequakets), the Ossipees, the Minnecometts, the Piscataquas and the Squamscotts (Msquamskek).^{[citation needed]}

Geography

Exeter River

The Exeter River originates from a group of freshwater spring-fed ponds in Chester, New Hampshire, and ends at the Great Dam of downtown Exeter. The river moves through wetlands in Fremont and Danville, some rapids in Brentwood, and through forest at Phillips Exeter Academy before ending at the dam.^[2] The dam in Exeter was removed in the summer of 2016, restoring the river's natural flow into the Squamscott River.^[3]^[4]

There are falls and small dams at several locations along the river.

The Exeter River drainage basin encompasses an area of 126 square miles (330 km²). The upper 33.3 miles (53.6 km) of the river, from its headwaters to its confluence with Great Brook in Exeter, were designated into the NH Rivers Management and Protection Program in August 1995.

The Squamscott begins at downtown Exeter and runs north between Newfields and Stratham to Great Bay, which is connected to the Piscataqua River, and eventually feeds into the Atlantic Ocean.

After rising at the Great Bridge (a Works Progress Administration project that carries what is now New Hampshire Route 27) in downtown Exeter, the river passes the Phillips Exeter Academy boathouse, then tends north alongside the Swasey Parkway, through the haymarshes, passing by the town's water purification plant and then under Route 101, a major east–west arterial road in New Hampshire. The river next passes under Route 108 at the boundary of Newfields and Stratham. The river then debouches into Great Bay, a broad and shallow tidal estuary, just south of the mouth of the Lamprey River, arriving at the bay from Newmarket.

The Squamscott River is 9 miles (14 km) long, and transitions from freshwater to saltwater as it enters the Great Bay estuary. ^[2]

Wildlife

The watershed is dominated by hardwood and transitional forests, which provide habitat for moose, black bear, and birds. The river also is habitat for Blanding's turtles, New England cottontail, and the blue spotted salamander. Fish species include brook trout, small and large mouth bass, yellow perch, and chain pickerel; there is also a spawning area for alewife and blueback herring.

Human use

The Phillips Exeter Academy sport rowing crew team holds its practices on the Squamscott River in Exeter.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2023, there is an active sewer pipe replacement project for the sewers underneath Squamscott River. These sewers serve approximately 35% of the town including Jady Hill, Exeter Mill and sections of the commercial areas on Portsmouth Avenue, and were discovered by cleaners to be corroded from being over fifty years old. Water is being drawn into the pipe from a corrosion-caused leak, which may lead to the backup of sewage into people's homes. ^[5]

References

^ New Hampshire GRANIT state geographic information system
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Exeter-Squamscott River Local Advisory Committee (December 2012). "Exeter-Squamscott River Watershed Management Plan Update" (PDF).
^ LaCasse, Alexander (December 8, 2021). "Successful removal of Exeter's Great Dam offers lessons for other communities". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
^ Town of Exeter Great Dam Removal Project page
^ "Exeter's big dig: Costs for sewer project under Squamscott River soar above $10M". Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved 2023-06-05.

External links

Exeter Squamscott River Local Advisory Committee

Rivers of New Hampshire by drainage 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