Weir River is a short stream and
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
that empties into
Hingham Bay, part of
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States.
History
...
in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
,
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 ...
. The name is attributed to the location of a
fishing weir
A fishing weir, fish weir, fishgarth or kiddle is an obstruction placed in tidal waters, or wholly or partially across a river, to direct the passage of, or trap fish. A weir may be used to trap marine fish in the intertidal zone as the tide reced ...
in the stream.
The river gives its name to a larger watershed and
Weir River Farm, a park and
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
owned by
The Trustees of Reservations.
[ ]
Description
Weir River is formed at the confluence of Crooked Meadow River and Fulling Mill Brook in
Hingham near the intersection of Free Street and
Massachusetts Route 228 which are fed by Cushing Pond, Fulling Mill Pond, and the wetlands around Jacob's Meadow. The river flows north through Hingham and is joined by Tower Brook and Accord Brook in its first mile (1.6 km), then gradually turns northeast and travels another before being dammed to form Foundry Pond.
[ The dam marks the southern boundary of the estuary, which is one of 30 areas designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.][ ] The estuary is split in two segments and extends over both east and north, forming the border between Hingham and the town of Hull to the north. On the west side of Weir River estuary lies World's End, another Trustees of Reservations park. The estuary reaches Hingham Bay at the north side of the World's End peninsula. Across the river from World's End are the Weir River Woods, owned by the town of Hull, with a parking lot owned by the Hull Land Conservation Trust. On the north side of the confluence with the Straits River, the Weir River Estuary Park is owned and jointly operated by the towns Hingham, Cohasset, and Hull.Weir River Estuary Park Committee
/ref>
In 2005, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designated the Weir River Watershed as "high stressed",
References
External links
Weir River Woods map
{{coord, 42, 15, 20, N, 70, 51, 40, W, type:river_region:US, display=title
Estuaries of Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hull, Massachusetts
Watersheds of Boston Harbor
Bodies of water of Norfolk County, Massachusetts