South Branch Souhegan River
Encyclopedia
The South Branch of the Souhegan River is a 5.8 miles (9.3 km) river
located in northern Massachusetts
and southern New Hampshire
in the United States
. It is a tributary
of the Souhegan River
, which flows to the Merrimack River
and ultimately to the Gulf of Maine
.
The South Branch begins near Mount Watatic
at the outlet of Stodge Meadow Pond in the town of Ashburnham, Massachusetts
and flows through a chain of small lakes (Marble Pond, Ward Pond, and Watatic Pond) before flowing northeast into the town of Ashby, Massachusetts
. North of Ashby, the river enters New Ipswich, New Hampshire
, passes through a small flood-control reservoir, and joins the West Branch
to form the Souhegan River, just north of the intersection known as "Gibson Four Corners".
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
located in northern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and southern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Souhegan River
Souhegan River
The Souhegan River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in the northeastern United States. long with a drainage area of , it flows north and east through southern New Hampshire to the Merrimack River....
, which flows to the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
and ultimately to the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
.
The South Branch begins near Mount Watatic
Mount Watatic
Mount Watatic is a monadnock located on the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, at the southern end of the Wapack Range of mountains. It lies within Ashburnham, Massachusetts, Ashby, Massachusetts, and New Ipswich, New Hampshire; the Wapack Trail and the Midstate Trail both cross the mountain...
at the outlet of Stodge Meadow Pond in the town of Ashburnham, Massachusetts
Ashburnham, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,546 people, 1,929 households, and 1,541 families residing in the town. The population density was 143.4 people per square mile . There were 2,204 housing units at an average density of 57.0 per square mile...
and flows through a chain of small lakes (Marble Pond, Ward Pond, and Watatic Pond) before flowing northeast into the town of Ashby, Massachusetts
Ashby, Massachusetts
Ashby is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,120 as of the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
. North of Ashby, the river enters New Ipswich, New Hampshire
New Ipswich, New Hampshire
New Ipswich is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,099 at the 2010 census. New Ipswich, situated on the Massachusetts border, includes the villages of Bank, Davis, Gibson Four Corners, Highbridge, New Ipswich Center, Smithville, and Wilder, though these...
, passes through a small flood-control reservoir, and joins the West Branch
West Branch Souhegan River
The West Branch of the Souhegan River is a river in southern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Souhegan River, which flows to the Merrimack River and ultimately to the Gulf of Maine....
to form the Souhegan River, just north of the intersection known as "Gibson Four Corners".