You can swim in the Merrimack, although it is strongly advised not to do so soon after a storm/rain.
Is the Merrimack River safe to swim in 2021?
A new study released by the Merrimack River Watershed Council shows water conditions in the Merrimack river are safe most of the time, but at some times, swimmers and boaters may encounter unsafe levels of bacteria. The council released the results of their 2021 water quality monitoring project this month.
Is the Merrimack River clean?
Nearly 50 years after the Clean Water Act, the Merrimack has become one of the most polluted waterways in New England, one of dozens of rivers in the region that are repeatedly inundated with raw sewage from treatment plants overwhelmed by heavy rains.
How deep is the Merrimack River in Lowell MA?
However, the deepest point on the river is located at the Merrimack River Bl Concord River At Lowell reporting a gauge stage of 41.38 ft.
Can you swim in the Merrimack River Manchester NH?
All sites meet the Class B designation for the Merrimack River and all but one meets the more stringent designated swim beach standards. These low bacteria counts are expected when there has been little or no rain. For these four sites, we feel that upper Merrimack watershed is relatively clean and healthy.
Where can you swim in the Merrimack River?
SoR 095 Boston Post Road Canoeport, Amherst 209.8. Sor 070 Seaverns Bridge, Merrimack 290.9. SoR 057 Indian Ledges, Merrimack 122.3. SoR 034 Turkey Hill Bridge, Merrimack 77.6.
Why is the Merrimack River so polluted?
The primary source of bacteria pollution to the Merrimack River is untreated sewage.
What lives in the Merrimack River?
Species that were seasonally present in great numbers included:
- American shad, river herring (alewife and blueback herring)
- Sturgeon (Atlantic and shortnose)
- American eel.
- Striped bass.
- Atlantic salmon.
- Sea lamprey.
Where does Lowell MA water come from?
Water Source:
The only water supply for Lowell’s Water Treatment Plant is the surface water from the Merrimack River, which has its source in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Intake Station is situated on the riverbank north of the city and water is pumped one half mile to the treatment plant.
What river runs through Lowell MA?
The Merrimack River
The river provides drinking water for about 500,000 people in five Massachusetts communities; Lowell, Methuen, Andover, Tewksbury and Lawrence. The Merrimack River also provides water to many communities in the greater Nashua, N.H. area, which are served by Pennichuck Water. Manchester, N.H. and Haverhill, Mass.
Can you fish in the Merrimack River?
The warmwater fishery in the Merrimack River is excellent. There are large carp, bass, and pike in the system. There are even trophy panfish, including large black crappie and beautiful big redbreast sunfish. The lower portions of the Merrimack River also provide options for striped bass and American shad fishing.
Can you kayak the Merrimack River?
The Council invites the community to explore the river from a kayak! Our paddle will begin at Greeley Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. At this point the Merrimack runs along the East side of the city. There are signs of development, but most of it is hidden by the wooded river bank.
How fast is the current in the Merrimack River?
The flow rate of the Merrimack at the U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Lowell this past week averaged about 4,500 cubic feet per second.
How deep is the Merrimack River in NH?
A channel seven feet deep and 150 feet wide extending from the U.S. Route 1 Bridge at Newburyport to the railroad bridge at Haverhill, a distance of 16.5 miles.
Can you boat on the Merrimack River?
In Merrimack, there is access at Depot Street (off Exit 12 on the Everett Turnpike) at Reeds Ferry. This access is suitable for motorboats, as the river slows from the rocky rapids upstream. A paved ramp at the north end of Greeley Park in Nashua also allows access to the river for boaters.
Is the Merrimack River a water source?
Merrimack RiverSources
Can you swim in the Shawsheen River?
Shawsheen River Watershed Association
Favorite places to swim and paddle. Though privately maintained through the Fosters Pond Association, it is open to the public.
How old is the Merrimack River?
The confluence of river and American history doesn’t end there. Archaeological surveys have shown at least four Native American sites on the river, dating from 8,000 to 350 years ago.
Can you swim in the Concord River?
The Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers all have a Class B, “fishable and swimmable” water quality classification, although none of the rivers meet this classification at present.
What is the Merrimack River famous for?
The river is perhaps best known for the early American literary classic A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Henry David Thoreau.
Why is the Merrimack considered one of the most endangered rivers in the US?
The Threat
The U.S. Forest Service ranks the Merrimack River watershed as the most threatened in the country due to the development of forest lands, fourth for associated threats to water quality, and seventh for loss of habitat for species at risk.