Westport River on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Westport River lies between
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 rising from a confluence of brooks near the village of Adamsville, Rhode Island. It flows in a southeastward direction, passing around several small islands before meeting Westport Harbor west of Westport Point. The West Branch separates the village of Acoaxet (pronounced "a-KOKE-sett") from the rest of the town; one has to pass into Rhode Island in order to reach the rest of Westport from there by land. The larger East Branch is roughly long, rising at the town line of Westport and Dartmouth at Lake Noquochoke, which is fed mostly by the Copicut and Shingle Island rivers. After a short length the river meets the Bread and Cheese Brook before reaching the Head of Westport village, where the river widens and deepens. From here the river continues southward, being fed by several brooks before an initial widening to between 100-400 yards at Widows Point. From Widows Point, the river flows due southward, crossing under the Hix Bridge before passing Gull Rock and then widening at Cadman's Neck to approximately a half mile wide. The river flows southward, with several larger islands dotting the path, before meeting the Horseneck Channel (which in turn leads to The Let) at Westport Point. The East Branch then flows under the Normand Edward Fontaine Bridge and into Westport Harbor. Once in Westport Harbor, the combined branches bend around Horseneck Point across from The Knubble before flowing into
The Westport River lies between Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sm ...
and Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Sinc ...
in Westport, Massachusetts
Westport (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,339 at the 2020 census.
The village of North Westport lies in the town. Other named areas of the town are "Westport Point," which has a ...
.
Description
The Westport River has two branches. The smaller West Branch is approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 rising from a confluence of brooks near the village of Adamsville, Rhode Island. It flows in a southeastward direction, passing around several small islands before meeting Westport Harbor west of Westport Point. The West Branch separates the village of Acoaxet (pronounced "a-KOKE-sett") from the rest of the town; one has to pass into Rhode Island in order to reach the rest of Westport from there by land. The larger East Branch is roughly long, rising at the town line of Westport and Dartmouth at Lake Noquochoke, which is fed mostly by the Copicut and Shingle Island rivers. After a short length the river meets the Bread and Cheese Brook before reaching the Head of Westport village, where the river widens and deepens. From here the river continues southward, being fed by several brooks before an initial widening to between 100-400 yards at Widows Point. From Widows Point, the river flows due southward, crossing under the Hix Bridge before passing Gull Rock and then widening at Cadman's Neck to approximately a half mile wide. The river flows southward, with several larger islands dotting the path, before meeting the Horseneck Channel (which in turn leads to The Let) at Westport Point. The East Branch then flows under the Normand Edward Fontaine Bridge and into Westport Harbor. Once in Westport Harbor, the combined branches bend around Horseneck Point across from The Knubble before flowing into
Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound is a strait of water off the coast of the U.S. state of Rhode Island at the mouth of Narragansett Bay. It forms the eastern extension of Block Island Sound and opens out the Atlantic Ocean between Block Island and Martha's Vi ...
, just west of Horseneck Beach State Reservation
Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a public recreation area comprising more than on the Atlantic Ocean in the southern portion of the town of Westport, Massachusetts. The reservation is one of the state’s "most popular facilities ... welc ...
and the point where Rhode Island Sound meets Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Sinc ...
.
Wildlife
The Westport Riverestuary
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 ...
has long been known for its wildlife. Deer, coyotes, foxes, and turkeys can all be spotted at different times along the shore. Ospreys are very prevalent. There were 41 nesting sites confirmed in 1980. Now the population has spread to over 300 statewide, due to the Westport River estuary nesting program. MassWildlife continues to provide technical assistance to monitor a sample of the nesting population to determine productivity.
References
{{Authority control Rivers of Bristol County, Massachusetts Rivers of Massachusetts Westport, Massachusetts