Westfield River

River in Massachusetts, United States

Westfield River

Agawam River (archaic)

Westfield River in Huntington (the "Main Stem")

The Westfield River and its major tributaries

Location
Country| United States
State| Massachusetts
Region| Metropolitan Springfield
District| Hampden County, Massachusetts
Municipality| Westfield, Massachusetts
Physical characteristics
Source| North Branch Westfield River
• location| Berkshires
• coordinates| 42°34′09″N 73°01′54″W﻿ / ﻿42.56917°N 73.03167°W﻿ / 42.56917; -73.03167
• elevation| 1,734 ft (529 m)
Source confluence| debouch of the Swift River
• coordinates| 42°26′39″N 72°51′31″W﻿ / ﻿42.44417°N 72.85861°W﻿ / 42.44417; -72.85861
• elevation| 922 ft (281 m)
Mouth| Connecticut River

• coordinates

| 42°05′03″N 72°35′08″W﻿ / ﻿42.08417°N 72.58556°W﻿ / 42.08417; -72.58556Coordinates: 42°05′03″N 72°35′08″W﻿ / ﻿42.08417°N 72.58556°W﻿ / 42.08417; -72.58556

• elevation

| 39 ft (12 m)
Length| 78.1 mi (125.7 km)
Basin size| 517 sq mi (1,340 km2)
Basin features
Tributaries|
• left| Swift River
Dead Branch (East Branch)
• right| Middle Branch
West Branch
Little River

National Wild and Scenic River

Type| Wild, Scenic, Recreational
Designated| November 2, 1993

The Westfield River is a major tributary of the Connecticut River located in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley regions of western Massachusetts. With four major tributary branches that converge west of the city of Westfield, it flows 78.1 miles (125.7 km) (measured from the source of its North Branch) before its confluence with the Connecticut River at Agawam, across from the city of Springfield's Metro Center district.[1][2] Known for its whitewater rapids and scenic beauty, the Westfield River provides over 50 miles (80 km) of whitewater canoeing and kayaking, in addition to one of the largest roadless wilderness areas remaining in the Commonwealth.[3]

The Westfield River is the Connecticut River's longest tributary in Massachusetts, although the Chicopee River's basin is much larger, and contributes more water to the Connecticut. The Connecticut's northern tributary, the Deerfield River, is nearly as long as the Westfield—only 2.1 miles (3.4 km) shorter than the Westfield.

During the mid-20th century, the Westfield River was so polluted that it would change color based on the nature of the contaminant. Today, the river is clean enough for swimming.[4] It is a state and locally managed river featuring native trout fishing and rugged mountain scenery in the context of a historical mill town settlement (at Westfield).

## History[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

|

On its initial discovery by Massachusetts Bay Colony explorers John Cable and John Woodcock in 1635, the area stretching from the Westfield River's confluence with the Connecticut River to Westfield itself—which, the next year, would all be encompassed in the settlement that came to be known as Springfield—was named the "Agawam River", after the name of the Native American people then occupying the area. Historical literature often refers to Springfield as sitting at the confluence of the Connecticut River with the western Agawam River and eastern Chicopee River. This "Agawam River" is now known as the Westfield River, and should not be confused with the Agawam River in southeastern Massachusetts, which was named in tribute to Springfield's tribe of Native Americans.

## Branches of the Westfield River[edit]

The Westfield River runs for a total of 78.1 miles (125.7 km). Rising in the Berkshire Hills region of Massachusetts, it flows southeastwardly to join the Connecticut River at Agawam—directly across from Springfield's Metro Center (downtown).[1]

The Westfield River has a 497-square-mile (1,290 km2) drainage area that includes three named branches, which join in Huntington to form the Westfield River's main stem, which flows through Russell into Westfield. The branches are the North Branch (sometimes called the East Branch), which rises in the town of Savoy and flows southeast through Windsor, Cummington, and Chesterfield; the Middle Branch, which rises in the town of Peru and flows southeast through Worthington, Middlefield, and Chester; and the West Branch, which has its origins in Washington and Becket, then flows east through Chester.

The three branches converge in the town of Huntington: the Middle and North Branch (or "East Branch") merge near the hamlet of Goss Heights, 2 miles (3 km) north of their junction with the West Branch (designated a National Wild and Scenic river) at Huntington village. From Huntington, the main stem of the Westfield River flows through Russell and Westfield, then forms the boundary between West Springfield and Agawam before ending at the Connecticut River.

Every April, the Westfield River in Huntington is the home of the Westfield River Whitewater Races, the oldest continuously run whitewater race in the United States.[citation needed]

Portions of the river's watershed have been designated the Westfield Creek Wild and Scenic River, and form part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

## External links[edit]

1. ^ a b National Wild & Scenic Westfield River [Map & Segment Descriptions]. Westfieldriverwildscenic.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
3. ^ "What's Special". Westfield River Wild & Scenic Committee. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
4. ^ "Westfield River Watershed Association - Taylor's History (1953-2002)". www.westfieldriver.org.

* Westfield River Watershed Association
* The Westfield River Watershed Open Space and Recreation Plan Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 2003.
* USGS site
* Geographic Names Information System feature detail report – ID 619263

* v
* t
* e

Rivers of Massachusetts by drainage system

Atlantic Ocean|

| Buzzards Bay|

* Acushnet River
* Agawam River
* Back River
* Copicut River
* Crooked River
* Mattapoisett River
* Nasketucket River
* Paskamanset River
* Pocasset River
* Sippican River
* Slocums River
* Wankinco River
* Westport River
* Weweantic River

|

Nantucket Sound|

* Bass River
* Bumps River
* Childs River
* Coonamesset River
* Mashpee River
* Mitchell River
* Oyster Pond River
* Popponesset Creek
* Quashnet River
* Santuit River

Others|

* Tiasquam River

Gulf of Maine|

| Cape Cod Bay|

* Bluefish River
* Eel River
* Herring River
* Jones River
* Little Pamet River
* Pamet River
* Town Brook

|

Massachusetts Bay|

* Aberjona River
* Alewife Brook
* Canton River
* Charles River
* Chelsea Creek
* Cochato River
* Fore River
* Fresh River
* Indian Head River
* Malden River
* Millers River
* Monatiquot River
* Muddy River
* Mystic River
* Neponset River
* North River
* Saugus River
* Stony Brook (Boston)
* Stony Brook (Waltham)
* Stop River
* Weir River
* Weymouth Back River

Merrimack River Watershed|

* Artichoke River
* Assabet River
* Back River
* Beaver Brook
* Cochichewick River
* Concord River
* Little River
* Merrimack River
* Nashua River
* Nissitissit River
* North Nashua River
* Phillips Brook
* Powwow River
* Quinapoxet River
* Salmon Brook
* Shawsheen River
* Souhegan River
* South Branch Souhegan River
* South Nashua River
* Spicket River
* Squannacook River
* Stillwater River
* Sudbury River
* Trout Brook
* Vine Brook
* Whitman River

Others|

* Annisquam River
* Blackwater River
* Eagle Hill River
* Egypt River
* Ipswich River
* Jericho Creek
* Roger Island River
* Rowley River
* Skug River

Long Island Sound|

| Connecticut River Watershed|

* Burnshirt River
* Chapel Brook
* Chicopee River
* Connecticut River
* Cranberry River
* Deerfield River
* East Brookfield River
* Farmington River
* Fall River
* Five Mile River
* Green River
* Hubbard River
* Manhan River
* Mill River (Northampton)
* Mill River (Springfield)
* Millers River
* Mirey Brook
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Westfield River
* North River
* Otter River
* Quaboag River
* Scantic River
* Seven Mile River
* Tarbell Brook
* Ware River
* Westfield River

|

Housatonic River Watershed|

* Housatonic River
* Konkapot River
* Schenob Brook
* Umpachene River

Thames River Watershed|

* French River
* Quinebaug River

Narragansett Bay|

| Mount Hope Bay
(Taunton River Watershed)|

* Assonet River
* Canoe River
* Cedar Swamp River
* Cocasset River
* Cotley River
* Forge River
* Hockomock River
* Matfield River
* Mill River
* Nemasket River
* Poor Meadow Brook
* Quequechan River
* Rumford River
* Salisbury Plain River
* Satucket River
* Segreganset River
* Shumatuscacant River
* Snake River
* Taunton River
* Three Mile River
* Town River
* Wading River
* Winnetuxet River

|

Providence River Watershed|

* Abbott Run
* Blackstone River
* Bungay River
* Chockalog River
* Mill River
* Mumford River
* Peters River
* Quinsigamond River
* Sevenmile River
* Tannery River
* Ten Mile River
* West River
* Wilde River

Others|

* Barrington River
* Cole River
* Coles Brook
* Kickamuit River
* Lees River
* Palmer River
* Runnins River

Upper New York Bay|

| Hudson River Watershed|

* Hoosic River
* Kinderhook Creek

|

* v
* t
* e

Connecticut River watershed

Tributaries|

| Connecticut|

* Blackledge River
* Coginchaug River
* Connecticut River
* Duck River
* Eightmile River
* Falls River
* Farmington River
* Hockanum River
* Hubbard River
* Jeremy River
* Lieutenant River
* Mattabesset River
* Nepaug River
* Pameacha Creek
* Park River
* Pequabuck River
* Salmon River
* Scantic River

|

Massachusetts|

* Burnshirt River
* Chapel Brook
* Chicopee River
* Connecticut River
* Cranberry River
* Deerfield River
* East Brookfield River
* Farmington River
* Fall River
* Five Mile River
* Green River
* Hubbard River
* Manhan River
* Mill River (Northampton)
* Mill River (Springfield)
* Millers River
* Mirey Brook
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Westfield River
* North River
* Otter River
* Quaboag River
* Scantic River
* Seven Mile River
* Tarbell Brook
* Ware River
* Westfield River

New Hampshire|

* Ammonoosuc River
* Ashuelot River
* Blow-me-down Brook
* The Branch
* Cold River
* Connecticut River
* East Branch Mohawk River
* Gale River
* Great Brook
* Halls Stream
* Ham Branch
* Indian River
* Indian Stream
* Israel River
* Johns River
* Knox River
* Little River
* Little Sugar River
* Mascoma River
* Millers River
* Mink Brook
* Mirey Brook
* Mohawk River
* Nash Stream
* North Branch Gale River
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Sugar River
* North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River
* Oliverian Brook
* Otter Brook
* Partridge Brook
* Perry Stream
* Phillips Brook
* Simms Stream
* South Branch Ashuelot River
* South Branch Gale River
* South Branch Israel River
* South Branch Sugar River
* Stocker Brook
* Sugar River
* Tarbell Brook
* Upper Ammonoosuc River
* West Branch Mohawk River
* West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River
* Wild Ammonoosuc River
* Zealand River

Vermont|

* Black River
* Connecticut River
* Deerfield River
* Fall River
* Green River
* Halls Stream
* Leach Creek
* Moose River
* Nulhegan River
* Ompompanoosuc River
* Ottauquechee River
* Passumpsic River
* Rock River
* Saxtons River
* Utley Brook
* Waits River
* Wells River
* West River
* Whetstone Brook
* White River
* Williams River
* Winhall River

Lakes|

| Connecticut|

* Barkhamsted Reservoir
* Lake Beseck
* Lake Hayward
* Lake Pocotopaug

|

Massachusetts|

* Brooks Pond
* Browning Pond
* Lake Monomonac
* Quabbin Reservoir
* Lake Wyola

New Hampshire|

* Ashuelot Pond
* Back Lake
* Canaan Street Lake
* Cedar Pond
* Christine Lake
* Comerford Reservoir
* Connecticut Lakes
* Crystal Lake
* Dublin Pond
* Eastman Pond
* Echo Lake
* Lake Francis (Murphy Dam)
* Goose Pond
* Grafton Pond
* Granite Lake
* Lakes of the Clouds
* Little Sunapee Lake
* Mascoma Lake
* McIndoes Reservoir
* Lake Monomonac
* Moore Reservoir
* Pearly Lake
* Silver Lake
* Spofford Lake
* Lake Sunapee
* Surry Mountain Lake
* Lake Tarleton

Vermont|

* Ball Mountain Lake
* Comerford Reservoir
* Harriman Reservoir
* Harvey's Lake
* McIndoes Reservoir
* Moore Reservoir
* North Hartland Lake
* Lake Rescue
* Townshend Lake

Towns|

| Connecticut|

* Chester
* Cromwell
* Deep River
* East Haddam
* East Hampton
* East Hartford
* East Windsor
* Enfield
* Essex
* Glastonbury
* Haddam
* Hartford
* Higganum
* Lyme
* Middletown
* Moodus
* Old Lyme
* Old Saybrook
* Portland
* Rocky Hill
* South Windsor
* Suffield
* Thompsonville
* Wethersfield
* Windsor
* Windsor Locks

|

Massachusetts|

* Agawam
* Chicopee
* Deerfield
* Easthampton
* Gill
* Greenfield
* Hadley
* Hatfield
* Holyoke
* Longmeadow
* Millers Falls
* Montague
* Northampton
* Northfield
* South Hadley
* Springfield
* Sunderland
* Turners Falls
* West Springfield
* Whately

New Hampshire|

* Bath
* Charlestown
* Chesterfield
* Claremont
* Clarksville
* Colebrook
* Columbia
* Cornish
* Dalton
* Groveton
* Hanover
* Haverhill
* Hinsdale
* Lancaster
* Lebanon
* Littleton
* Lyme
* Monroe
* Northumberland
* Orford
* Piermont
* Pittsburg
* Plainfield
* Stewartstown
* Stratford
* Walpole
* West Lebanon
* Westmoreland
* Woodsville

Quebec|

* East Hereford

Vermont|

* Ascutney
* Barnet
* Beecher Falls
* Bellows Falls
* Bloomfield
* Bradford
* Brattleboro
* Brunswick
* Canaan
* Concord
* Dummerston
* Fairlee
* Gilman
* Guildhall
* Hartford
* Hartland
* Lemington
* Lunenburg
* Maidstone
* Newbury
* Norwich
* Putney
* Rockingham
* Ryegate
* Springfield
* Thetford
* Vernon
* Waterford
* Weathersfield
* Wells River
* Westminster
* White River Junction
* Wilder
* Windsor

Crossings|

* Amtrak Old Saybrook – Old Lyme Bridge
* Arch Bridge
* Bulkeley Bridge
* Calvin Coolidge Bridge
* Canalside Rail Trail Bridge
* Cheshire Bridge
* Columbia Bridge
* Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge
* Dexter Coffin Bridge
* French King Bridge
* Gill–Montague Bridge
* Hampden County Memorial Bridge
* Janice Peaslee Bridge
* Joseph E. Muller Bridge
* Ledyard Bridge
* Lyme–East Thetford Bridge
* Morey Memorial Bridge
* Mount Orne Covered Bridge
* Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge
* Piermont Bridge
* Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge
* Ranger Bridge
* Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge
* Sunderland Bridge
* Vietnam Memorial Bridge
* Wells River Bridge
* Willimansett Bridge

Authority control

General|

* VIAF
* 1
* WorldCat (via VIAF)

National libraries|

* Israel
* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template