The Umpachene River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Housatonic River in

New Marlborough, Massachusetts New Marlborough is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,528 at the 2020 census. New Marlborough consists of five villages: Clayton ...

. Issuing from small ponds and wetlands on the east side of town, it meanders generally westward through mostly wooded areas before emptying into the

Konkapot River The Konkapot River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in southwestern Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. It is a tributary of the Housatonic R ...

near the village of Southfield.

History

The name of the river was derived from a Native American sachem of the

Mohicans The Mohican ( or , alternate spelling: Mahican) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, who ...

, Aaron Umpachene (1676–1751), who lived in Massachusetts in the vicinity of Great Barrington and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

. Accounts told of him making his summer camps in the meadows alongside the river. During the early 19th century, settlers in the area harnessed the waters of the Umpachene River to operate waterwheel mills. One author noted in 1829 that as many as four mills were situated along its banks.

Geology and ecology

Rugged terrain of the

Berkshire Plateau The Berkshires () are a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and northwest Connecticut. The term "Berkshires" is normally used by locals in reference to the portion of the Vermont-based Green Mountains that ex ...

characterizes the environs of the Umpachene River, where hills and sheer gorges support a diverse array of plant life throughout woodlands and adjacent wetland areas. Sand and gravel deposits can be found along the river's course, detritus left behind roughly 13,000 years ago as glaciers retreated northward. Although most land in the surrounding region is not well-suited to farming, narrow expanses of prime agricultural soil can be found in areas adjacent to the Umpachene River.

Recreation

A small, six-acre town park is maintained at the site of a 40-foot waterfall along the Umpachene known as Umpachene Falls. Among the recreational opportunities offered there are hiking trails, picnic tables, swimming areas and fishing holes.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Berkshire County, Massachusetts New Marlborough, Massachusetts Rivers of Massachusetts Tributaries of Housatonic River