The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the
Connecticut River, approximately long, in southwestern
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. It drains a mountainous area of , including much of the area known as the
Monadnock Region
The Monadnock Region is a region in southwestern New Hampshire. It is named after Mount Monadnock, a 3,165 foot isolated mountain, which is the dominant geographic landmark in the region. Although it has no specific borders, the Monadnock Region i ...
. It is the longest tributary of the Connecticut River within New Hampshire.
Etymology
''Ashuelot'' is a
Native American word meaning "collection of many waters".
Course
The Ashuelot River rises out of
Butterfield Pond south of
Sunapee Mountain in
Pillsbury State Park, near
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
in southeastern
Sullivan County. It flows southwest through
into
Cheshire County, then south past
Keene and
Swanzey and along the east side of the
Pisgah Mountains. At
Winchester, approximately from the
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
state line, it turns west, flowing past the village of
Ashuelot and joining the Connecticut from the east at
Hinsdale, in the extreme southwest corner of New Hampshire.
The river is impounded to supply
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
at Marlow, Keene, Swanzey, and Hinsdale. The river is part of the
Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
of the U.S. government.
Covered bridges
The Ashuelot River has several covered bridges spanning its waters. All are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. From source to mouth:
*
Carleton Bridge N.H. #7 -
Swanzey (
South Branch Ashuelot River)
*
Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge N.H. #6 - Swanzey
*
West Swanzey Covered Bridge N.H. #5 -
West Swanzey
*
Slate Covered Bridge N.H. #4 - Swanzey
*
Coombs Covered Bridge N.H. #2 -
Winchester
*
Ashuelot Covered Bridge N.H. #1 -
Ashuelot
Selected tributaries
From source to mouth:
*Cherry Brook (headwaters of the Ashuelot)
*Butler Brook
*Abbott Brook
*Grassy Brook
*Dart Brook
*Thompson Brook
*
The Branch/Beaver Brook
*Ash Swamp Brook
*
South Branch Ashuelot River
*California Brook
*Wheelock Brook
*
Mirey Brook
*Broad Brook
See also
*
List of New Hampshire rivers
References
External links
Keene, NH: Ashuelot River ParkAtlas of the Ashuelot River(PDF)
{{authority control
Rivers of New Hampshire
Tributaries of the Connecticut River
Rivers of Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Rivers of Sullivan County, New Hampshire
New Hampshire placenames of Native American origin