Editing Merrimack River

{{Short description|River in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, United States}}
{{Hatnote|For similarly named articles see [[Merrimack (disambiguation)]], [[Merrimac (disambiguation)]] and [[Meramec (disambiguation)]].}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Merrimack River
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = Merrimac River
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Mouth Merrimack River.jpg
| image_caption      = Mouth of Merrimack River in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 2021
| map                = Merrimackrivermap.png
| map_size           = 300 px
| map_caption        = The Merrimack River and its major tributaries
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 300 px
| pushpin_map_caption= 
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[New Hampshire]]<br />[[Massachusetts]]
| subdivision_type3  = Region
| subdivision_name3  = [[New England]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = Cities
| subdivision_name5  = [[Concord, NH]], [[Manchester, NH]], [[Nashua, NH]], [[Lowell, MA]], [[Lawrence, MA]], [[Haverhill, MA]], [[Newburyport, MA]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|117|mi|km|abbr=on}} 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]]
| discharge1_min     = 
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|7562|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = [[Pemigewasset River]]-[[Winnipesaukee River]] juncture
| source1_location   = [[Franklin, New Hampshire|Franklin]], [[Merrimack County, New Hampshire]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|43|26|11|N|71|38|53|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|280|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[Gulf of Maine]]
| mouth_location     = [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]], [[Essex County, Massachusetts]]
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|42|49|10|N|70|48|43|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|0|ft|abbr=on}}
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = {{convert|5010|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = [[Soucook River]], [[Suncook River]], [[Cohas Brook]], [[Beaver Brook (Merrimack River tributary)|Beaver Brook]], [[Powwow River]]
| tributaries_right  = [[Contoocook River]], [[Piscataquog River]], [[Souhegan River]], [[Nashua River]], [[Concord River]], [[Shawsheen River]]
| custom_label       = 
| custom_data        = 
| extra              = 
}}
{{Merrimack River map}}
The '''Merrimack River''' (or '''Merrimac River''', an occasional earlier spelling<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Merrimac |volume=18 |page=173}}</ref>) is a {{convert|117|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} river<ref name=NHD>{{Cite web| url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/launch/| work=The National Map| publisher=U.S. Geological Survey| title=National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data| access-date=October 3, 2011}}</ref> in the northeastern United States. It rises at the [[confluence]] of the [[Pemigewasset River|Pemigewasset]] and [[Winnipesaukee River|Winnipesaukee]] rivers in [[Franklin, New Hampshire]],<ref>{{cite web | publisher=Merrimack River Watershed Council | title=The Voice of the Merrimack | year=2007 | url=http://www.merrimack.org/}}</ref> flows southward into [[Massachusetts]], and then flows northeast until it empties into the [[Gulf of Maine]] at [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]]. From [[Pawtucket Falls (Massachusetts)|Pawtucket Falls]] in [[Lowell, Massachusetts]], onward, the [[northern boundary of Massachusetts|Massachusetts–New Hampshire border]] is roughly calculated as the line three miles north of the river.

The Merrimack is an important regional focus in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The central-southern part of New Hampshire and most of northeast Massachusetts is known as the [[Merrimack Valley]].

Several U.S. naval ships have been named {{USS|Merrimack}} and USS ''Merrimac'' in honor of this river. The river is also known for the early American literary classic ''[[A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers]]'' by [[Henry David Thoreau]].

== Etymology and spelling ==
The etymology of the name of the Merrimack River—from which all subsequent uses derive, such as the name of the Civil War ironclad—remains uncertain.

There is some evidence that it is Native American. In 1604 the natives of later [[New England]] told [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts]], who was leading a colony of [[French language]] speakers to [[Acadia]] (later [[Nova Scotia]]), of a beautiful river to the south. The French promptly pronounced its native name as ''Merremack''. In 1605 [[Samuel de Champlain]] followed this lead, found the river and renamed it ''Riviere du Gas''.

The French and their name did not remain on the Merrimack. The natives dwelling along the river at the time of European exploration included the [[Agawam (Native Americans)|Agawam]] and [[Naumkeag people|Naumkeag]] on the lower reaches, the [[Pawtucket tribe|Pawtucket]] at [[Lowell, Massachusetts]], the [[Nashaway|Nashua]], Souhegan and Namoskeag around [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], the [[Pennacook]] northward from [[Bow, New Hampshire]], and the Winnepisseogee at the source, [[Lake Winnipesaukee]].

According to Joseph B. Walker,<ref>Pages 414–415.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=May 2024}} relying on Chandler Eastman Potter's ''The History of Manchester'' (1856), ''Merremack'' contains the elements ''merruh'' ("strong") and ''auke'' ("place"—a recognizable [[locative]] ending), and means "the place of strong current,- a term not inappropriate, when we consider ... the river's rapids ...." Potter was an authority on Native American affairs in colonial New England. By contrast, in ''[[A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers]]'', [[Henry David Thoreau]] implies that "its name signifies the Sturgeon River."<ref>Johnson 319</ref>

Walker goes on to cite spellings of "Merimacke", "Merimack" and "Merrimacke" in "the colonial records of Massachusetts", as well as the "Merrimake" and "Merrymake" of a 1721 land grant at [[Penacook, New Hampshire]]. William Wood's ''New England's Prospect'' of 1634 calls the river the "Merrimacke" and locates it eight miles beyond Agowamme ([[Ipswich, Massachusetts]]). It hosts, he says, "Sturgeon, Sammon and Basse, and divers other kinds of fish."<ref>Currier (1902), page 23.</ref>

[[Merrimac, Massachusetts]], settled in 1638 and originally part of [[Amesbury, Massachusetts]], was called West Amesbury until 1876, at which time it adopted its current name and spelling. [[Merrimack, New Hampshire]], was incorporated in 1746, spelling its name "Marrymac" in the record of its first town meeting. It was referred to as "Merrimac" into the early 19th century: in the 1810 decennial census, it was spelled "Merrimac", but in the 1820 census and afterward, "Merrimack".

In 1914, US Congressman [[John Jacob Rogers]] (MA) petitioned that the official spelling be "Merrimack".<ref>Frederick W. Coburn, ''History of Lowell and Its People VI'' (1920)</ref>

== History ==
Prior to glaciation, the Merrimack continued its southward course far beyond the present day New Hampshire-Massachusetts border to enter the Gulf of Maine near [[Boston]]. Upon the glacier's retreat, debris deposited north of Boston filled the lower Merrimack Valley, redirecting the river into its current northeast bend at Lowell. The [[Neville archaeological site]] is located along the river's banks in New Hampshire.

On the Merrimack River's banks are a number of cities built to take advantage of water power in the 19th century, when [[textile mill]]s dominated the New England economy: [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]], [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]], and [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]] in New Hampshire, and [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], and [[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]] in Massachusetts.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal| last1=Murphy| first1=Cait| last2=Haggerty| first2=Roseanne| date=April–May 2003| url=http://www.americanheritage.com/content/reinventing-river| title=Reinventing a River| journal=[[American Heritage (magazine)|American Heritage]]| access-date=Aug 2, 2017}}</ref> At the mouth of the river is the small city of [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]]. Prior to the construction of the [[Middlesex Canal]], Newburyport was an important shipbuilding city, in a location to receive New Hampshire timber that had been floated downriver.

==Geography==
The Merrimack River [[Drainage basin|watershed]] covers {{convert|5010|sqmi|-1}} in southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Merrimack River Watershed Assessment Study |url=http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/Topics/MerrimackLower/ExistingConditions.pdf |website=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: New England District |access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref> It is the fourth largest river basin in [[New England]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Merrimack River Watershed |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/waste-mgnt-recycling/water-resources/preserving-water-resources/mass-watersheds/merrimack-river-watershed.html |website=Official Website of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs |access-date=28 July 2017 |archive-date=6 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106124530/http://www.mass.gov/eea/waste-mgnt-recycling/water-resources/preserving-water-resources/mass-watersheds/merrimack-river-watershed.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The river begins in the city of [[Franklin, New Hampshire]], at the confluence of the [[Pemigewasset River|Pemigewasset]] and [[Winnipesaukee River|Winnipesaukee]] rivers. From there, the river flows south through Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, entering Massachusetts at the town of [[Tyngsborough, Massachusetts|Tyngsborough]], where it turns northeast and winds past or through [[Chelmsford, Massachusetts|Chelmsford]], Lowell, [[Dracut, Massachusetts|Dracut]], [[Tewksbury, Massachusetts|Tewksbury]], [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]], [[Methuen, Massachusetts|Methuen]], Lawrence, [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]], Haverhill, [[Groveland, Massachusetts|Groveland]], [[West Newbury, Massachusetts|West Newbury]], [[Merrimac, Massachusetts|Merrimac]], and [[Amesbury, Massachusetts|Amesbury]], to its mouth at the Gulf of Maine between the city of [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]] and the town of [[Salisbury, Massachusetts|Salisbury]].

<gallery widths="200" heights="160">
File:MerrimackPembroke.JPG|The Merrimack River in [[Pembroke, New Hampshire]]
File:Merrimack-river-aerial-haverhill-newburyport.jpg|The Merrimack as it flows from [[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]] to its mouth in [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]]
</gallery>

===Major sub-basins===
In addition to the Merrimack River mainstem, there are dozens of sub-basins in New Hampshire and Massachusetts making up the watershed. The [[U.S. Geological Survey]] categorizes them into six fourth-level sub-basins using [[hydrological code]]s with the prefix 0107.<ref>{{cite web |title= Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units |url= https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc_name.html |website= U.S. Department of the Interior, [[U.S. Geological Survey]] |access-date= 13 August 2017}}</ref>

;New Hampshire
* [[Pemigewasset River]] (HUC 01070001)
* [[Winnipesaukee River]] (HUC 01070002)
* [[Contoocook River]] (HUC 01070003)

;New Hampshire and Massachusetts
* [[Nashua River]] (HUC 01070004)
* Merrimack River (HUC 01070006; smaller tributaries)

;Massachusetts
* [[Sudbury River|Sudbury]]/[[Assabet River|Assabet]]/[[Concord River|Concord]] rivers (sometimes referred to simply as the Concord Sub-basin or the "SuAsCo" sub-basin) (HUC 01070005)

===Other major rivers===
The following are some of the other significant rivers found within the six major sub-basins in the watershed, listed moving downstream along the Merrimack:

* [[Soucook River]] 
* [[Suncook River]] 
* [[Piscataquog River]] (not to be confused with the [[Piscataqua River]], part of the Piscataqua-Salmon Falls watershed)
* [[Cohas Brook]]
* [[Souhegan River]] 
* [[Salmon Brook (Merrimack River tributary)|Salmon Brook]]
* [[Stony Brook (Merrimack River)|Stony Brook]]
* [[Beaver Brook (Merrimack River tributary)|Beaver Brook]]
* [[Spicket River]]
* [[Shawsheen River]]
* [[Little River (Merrimack River tributary)|Little River]]
* [[Powwow River]]

== River pollution and restoration ==
===History of pollution===

Since 1951, the Merrimack River has seen many alterations and pollutants. It was [[dam]]med and [[canal]]led, as well as used as a dumping spot for [[industrial waste]]. The Merrimack was essential for textile mill complexes, which used the river for discharge from their factories. Citizens recall that the river had unusual colors, smells, and vegetation as a result of the pollution from textile mills and other human-related waste.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reinventing a River |url=https://www.americanheritage.com/reinventing-river |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=American Heritage |language=en}}</ref> In the 1960s, the Merrimack River was one of the ten [[List of most-polluted rivers|most polluted waterways]] in the United States due to years of unmediated dumping of raw [[sewage]], [[paper mill|paper]] and textile mill discharge, and [[tannery]] sludge.<ref name=":1">U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2006. ''Merrimack River Watershed Assessment''. Available from: New England District, Manchester, NH.</ref> [[Phthalate]]s, a group of chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics and detrimental to human bodily systems, were identified in high concentrations within the river in 1973.<ref>Hites RA. 1973. "Phthalates in the Charles and the Merrimack Rivers". ''Environmental Health Perspectives'' 3: 17-21.</ref> A 1976 study of the chemical dynamics of the Merrimack River found that at that time, the biggest pollution source was [[road salt]].<ref>Caesar J, Collier R, Edmond J, Frey F, Matisoff G, Ng A, Stallard R. 1976. "Chemical dynamics of a polluted watershed, the Merrimack River in northern New England". ''Environmental Science & Technology'' 10 (7): 697-704.</ref> Although the river underwent significant restoration efforts from the 1970s onwards, a 1997 study found that the river continued to suffer from the long-term effects of pollution.<ref name=":1" /> The study identified that the river had elevated [[bacteria]] counts, low [[Oxygen saturation|dissolved oxygen]], and high [[Nutrient pollution|nutrient levels]]. A few years later, a 2002 statewide water assessment stated that elevated counts of ''[[E. coli]]'' and [[fecal coliform]] contributed to the river's largest cause of water quality violations. By the 2000s, the largest pollution concern was [[combined sewer overflow]]. Wildlife has been impacted through the contamination of [[shellfish]]ing beds as well as habitat contamination, and aquatic life has been affected due to excess [[lead]], [[zinc]], and other metals in the river. In addition, human recreational activities such as [[swimming]] and [[boating]] have been restricted in certain areas of the river due to high contamination levels.<ref name=":1" />

===Restoration efforts===

The Federal [[Clean Water Act]] of 1972 led to significant improvement for the Merrimack River. The law required sewage to be treated before being discharged into waterways.<ref name=":0" /> Federal funding allowed officials to create the river's infrastructure, specifically funding for [[wastewater treatment]] plants (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2006). Following these changes in the river's infrastructure, there was a noticeable change in wildlife and aquatic life. Birds, fish, and other animals returned to inhabit the river, with citizens noting specifically seeing much more [[American shad]], [[striped bass]], [[trout]], and [[Atlantic salmon]]. The involvement of local volunteers in monitoring and maintaining the river has provided effective restoration efforts over the years.<ref name=":0" />

===Current concerns===

The Merrimack River remains one of the most endangered rivers in the United States, as named by the American Rivers nonprofit in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests |date=February 16, 2019 |title=Merrimack: River at Risk |url=https://forestsociety.org/project/merrimack-river-risk |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Forest Society |language=en}}</ref> Current concerns include [[stormwater runoff]], urban stormwater, high levels of bacteria, combined sewage runoff, [[phosphorus]] creating harmful [[algal bloom]]s, reduced oxygen levels, illicit sewage discharges, and [[litter]]. Combined sewer overflows (CSO) are the largest contributors to waste discharge into the Merrimack River. Currently, there are six [[sanitary sewer]] systems from which untreated sewage flows directly into the Merrimack River due to infrastructure issues within the sewage system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=REG 01 |date=August 15, 2016 |title=Environmental Challenges for the Merrimack River |url=https://www.epa.gov/merrimackriver/environmental-challenges-merrimack-river |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref> Recent research has identified [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] contamination as a significant threat to fish and aquatic life in the Merrimack River.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Richardson |first1=Justin B. |last2=Mischenko |first2=Ivan C. |last3=Butler |first3=Mark J. |date=June 2022 |title=Mercury in Temperate Forest Soils and Suspended Sediments in the Connecticut River, Merrimack River, and Thames River Watersheds, USA |journal=Pollutants |language=en |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=252–268 |doi=10.3390/pollutants2020017 |issn=2673-4672 |doi-access=free }}</ref> This research analyzes how biological mercury hotspots and watershed transport of mercury might contribute to the exposure of aquatic life to chemical pollution within the Merrimack River. Additionally, the use of [[road salt]] in the winter has remained a major pollutant since the 1970s, and chloride contamination in the Merrimack River continues to impact aquatic life.

United States politicians from New Hampshire and Massachusetts are calling for the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) to reassess a permit allowing [[landfill]] water to be dumped into the Merrimack River. <!--Turnkey landfill is not in the Merrimack River watershed: The water from the Turnkey landfill in the [[Cocheco River]] watershed of New Hampshire contains per- and [[polyfluoroalkyl substances]] (PFAS), chemicals that are capable of accumulating and remaining in environmental and food sources for extremely long periods of time. PFAS have been linked to [[cancer]], [[thyroid disease]], [[infertility]], and other health issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OA |date=October 14, 2021 |title=Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS |url=https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref> The water being discharged from the Turnkey landfill has high levels of these chemicals, some of which exceed the EPA’s lifetime health advisory by over 1,000 times. ...end comment-->Politicians are also seeking increased federal funding to update water infrastructure for the Merrimack River, as the river's current sewer infrastructure has resulted in the dumping of over 100,000 gallons of untreated water into the river.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Representatives Pappas and Trahan Tour Communities Along the Merrimack River to Highlight Critical Need for Federal Investments |url=http://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/representatives-pappas-and-trahan-tour-communities-along-merrimack-river |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Congressman Chris Pappas |language=en}}</ref>

== Navigation ==
[[Image:Lowell merrimack river sunset.JPG|right|thumb|Merrimack River in Lowell, Mass.]]
The Merrimack is listed as one of the Navigable Waters of the United States, subject to Section 10, Rivers and Harbors Act Jurisdiction.<ref>[https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/regulatory/JurisdictionalLimits/US_Navigable_Waters.pdf Navigable Waters of the United States in New England / Subject to Section 10, Rivers and Harbors Act Jurisdiction]</ref>

== May 2006 flooding ==
{{main|2006 New England flood}}
[[Image:Merrimack-flood-2005.jpg|left|thumb|Merrimack River in flood, October 2005, [[Manchester, New Hampshire]]]]
While the Merrimack River is prone to minor [[flooding]], on May 15, 2006, rainfall raised the river more than {{convert|8|ft|m|1}} above flood stage, forcing evacuations, damaging property, and breaking the main sewage pipeline in the city of [[Haverhill, Massachusetts]], dumping {{Convert|35E6|gal|L}} of raw sewage waste into the river per day. Reports of total rainfall vary, but most areas appear to have received around a foot of rain with some areas receiving as much as {{convert|17|in|cm|0}}.

According to ''The Boston Globe'', around 1,500 people evacuated their homes to escape the flood.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/05/16/the_saturation_point_flooding_besets_region_more_rain_in_forecast/| title=Flooding besets region; more rain in forecast| author=Brian MacQuarrie| work=[[The Boston Globe]]| date=May 16, 2006}}</ref>

This flood also prompted the [[Massachusetts]] city of [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]] to install a modern (albeit temporary) flood control gate comprising square steel beams at the site of the historic [[James B. Francis|Francis Gate]], a 19th and 20th-century wooden flood gate. When lowered, the Francis gate seals the city's canal system off from its source on the Merrimack. The Great Gate, as it is also called, was built in 1850 under the direction of [[James B. Francis]]. Considered unnecessary when it was first constructed, "Francis' Folly" first saved the city in 1852 and subsequently in 1936.

== Other flooding events ==
The most significant flood in the recorded history of the Merrimack was in March 1936, when a double flood of rain and melting snow and ice swelled the Merrimack at Lowell to {{convert|68.4|ft|m|1}}, {{convert|10|ft|m|0}} higher than the 2006 flood. Part of the [[Jack Kerouac]] book ''[[Doctor Sax]]'' is set during this event.

In addition to the 1936 flood, the 1852 flood, and the Mother's Day Flood of 2006, the [[New England Hurricane of 1938]] and floods in October 1996 and April 2007 round out the river's most serious <ref>{{Cite web| url=http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=box&gage=lowm3&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6&type=0| title=Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Boston: Merrimack River at Lowell| publisher=Water.weather.gov| access-date=August 2, 2013}}</ref> flood events, measured at Lowell. The Francis Gate had been left in place after being dropped in 1936, so it prevented flooding in 1938 as well. In 2007, the steel beam system was again assembled in place.

== In media ==
The song "Merrimack River" and its instrumental [[reprise]] are featured on the 2009 album ''[[Amanda Leigh]]'' by Nashua, New Hampshire, native [[Mandy Moore]].

[[Anya Seton]]'s historical novel ''[[Avalon (novel)|Avalon]]'' includes a section depicting the fictional [[Pre-Columbian]] arrival of 9th century Irish and English travelers at the Merrimack River and their interactions with local [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]].

== See also ==
{{portal|New Hampshire}}
* [[List of rivers of Massachusetts]]
* [[List of rivers of New Hampshire]]
* [[List of crossings of the Merrimack River]]
* [[List of most-polluted rivers]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

== General and cited references ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |author=Currier, John James |year=1902 |title=History of Newbury, Mass. 1635–1902 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofnewbury00incurr |location=Boston |publisher=Damrell & Upham }} Downloadable from Google Books.
* {{Cite book |author=Johnson, Linck C. |year=1986 |title=Thoreau's Complex Weave: The Writing of ''A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers'' with the Text of the First Draft |location=Charlottesville, VA |publisher=University of Virginia Press }}
* {{Cite book |author=Meade, J. W. |title=The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries |publisher=B. B. Russell |year=1869 |location=Boston}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Walker |first=Joseph B. |year=1863 |orig-date=13 June 1860 (the date the speech was delivered) |title=The Valley of the Merrimack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y7kMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA414 |journal=Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society |publisher=[[New Hampshire Historical Society]] |pages=414–432 |via=[[Google Books]]}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Cite web |author=U.S. Geological Survey |author-link=United States Geological Survey |year=2007 |title=Merrimack River Drainage Basin |url=http://ma.water.usgs.gov/basins/merrimack.htm |access-date=2004-03-01 |archive-date=2008-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121175200/http://ma.water.usgs.gov/basins/merrimack.htm |url-status=dead }}
* [http://www.mass.gov/eea/waste-mgnt-recycling/water-resources/preserving-water-resources/mass-watersheds/view-watersheds-by-region.html Map of Massachusetts Watersheds] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929233006/http://www.mass.gov/eea/waste-mgnt-recycling/water-resources/preserving-water-resources/mass-watersheds/view-watersheds-by-region.html |date=2017-09-29 }})
* [https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/documents/nh-watersheds.pdf Map of New Hampshire Watersheds] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017140255/https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/documents/nh-watersheds.pdf |date=2020-10-17 }})

{{Gulf of Maine drainage estuaries}}
{{Merrimack River}}
{{Massachusetts rivers}}
{{Rivers of New Hampshire}}
{{Coastal waterbodies of Massachusetts}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Merrimack River| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Essex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Rivers of Middlesex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Rivers of New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Concord, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Geography of Lowell, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Manchester, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Nashua, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Lawrence, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Haverhill, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Rivers of Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Rivers of Merrimack County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Watersheds of the United States]]
[[Category:Massachusetts placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:New Hampshire placenames of Native American origin]]