Chicopee River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chicopee River | |
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| Origin | Three Rivers, Massachusetts |
| Mouth | Connecticut River |
| Length | 18 mi (28.9 km) |
| Source elevation | 290 ft (88.4 m) |
| Mouth elevation | 44 ft (13.4 m) |
| Avg. discharge | 600 ft³ /sec (16.992 m³ / sec) |
| Basin area | 720 mi² (1864.8 km²) |
The Chicopee River is a Massachusetts river formed by the confluence of the Ware, Swift, and Quaboag Rivers in Three Rivers, Massachusetts.
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[edit] History
Chicopee is an Indian name meaning violent water (Douglas-Lithgow), cedar growth (MGB 1932), cedar tree, or birch bark place (Stelle). Until the 1950s, many industries maintained factories on this river and obtained power from it.
[edit] Description
Heads at the junction of the Ware and the Quaboag Rivers in Three Rivers, flows west to the Connecticut River about 0.8 miles west of Chicopee, Massachusetts. This river flows through or near the cities of Chicopee, Springfield, and the towns of Ludlow, Wilbraham, Monson, and Palmer.
[edit] Watershed
The Chicopee River Watershed - the largest of the 27 major drainage basins in Massachusetts - drains more than 720 square miles of central Massachusetts before joining the Connecticut River in the City of Chicopee. It includes all or part of 39 cities and towns and a population of almost 200,000 people (based on 2000 U.S. Census data). The watershed has a drainage area of approximately 720 square miles (1864.8 km²) and includes approximately 135 rivers, 842 miles (1355 km) of brooks and streams, and 170 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs that collectively cover more than 48 square miles (124.32 km²). It is comprised of three major river systems: the Swift, Ware, and Quaboag Rivers that each drains approximately 200 square miles (518 km²) of land. The three rivers join to form the Chicopee River in the aptly named village of Three Rivers.
[edit] Coordinates
- River mouth
- Ludlow
- Palmer
