Winnipesaukee River

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Winnipesaukee River
Winnipesaukee River at Tilton and Northfield

Winnipesaukee River at Tilton and Northfield

Data
Water code US :  870957
location New Hampshire (USA)
River system Merrimack River
Drain over Merrimack River  → Atlantic Ocean
origin Lake Winnipesaukee
43 ° 27 ′ 42 "  N , 71 ° 32 ′ 15"  W.
Source height 153  m
Union with Pemigewasset River to Merrimack River Coordinates: 43 ° 26 ′ 14 ″  N , 71 ° 38 ′ 53 ″  W 43 ° 26 ′ 14 ″  N , 71 ° 38 ′ 53 ″  W
Mouth height 84  m
Height difference 69 m
Bottom slope 4.1 ‰
length 17 km
Catchment area 1264 km²
Flowing lakes Winnisquam Lake
Small towns Laconia , Franklin
Communities Tilton , Northfield
Course of the Winnipesaukee River from Lake Winnipesaukee to the union with the Pemigewasset River

Course of the Winnipesaukee River from Lake Winnipesaukee to the union with the Pemigewasset River

The Winnipesaukee River is the left headwaters of the Merrimack River in the US state of New Hampshire .

The Winnipesaukee River forms the 17 km long drain of Lake Winnipesaukee . It unites with the Pemigewasset River in Franklin to form the Merrimack River. The river is located in the Lakes Region of Central New Hampshire. The catchment area of the river covers around 1264 km².

Despite its relative shortness, the river consists of two different sections. The upper reaches consists of a series of watercourses that connect a chain of lakes and begins at Lake Winnipesaukee. After the dam at the outflow of Lake Winnipesaukee near Laconia , the river enters Opechee Bay almost immediately . After less than two kilometers, the river leaves this lake and flows through the center of Laconia. Its banks are here of industrial buildings from the 19th century. These were created in order to use the water power of the river. Then outside of Laconia the river reaches Winnisquam Lake , the third largest lake in New Hampshire after Winnipesaukee Lake and Squam Lake . The route through the lake to its drain is around eight kilometers long. There follows a short descent to Silver Lake .

The lower reaches of the river begins at the natural outflow from Silver Lake, on the city limits between Belmont and Tilton . The river flows between the twin cities of Tilton and Northfield before descending through a narrow valley to Franklin, New Hampshire. From Tilton to Franklin, the river drops up to 30 meters per mile (1,609 m). The rapids in this area attract paddlers who launch their boats at the Cross Mill Bridge and exit the river at the US Highway 3 bridge in Franklin. In Franklin, where the United States Geological Survey , a level measuring point operates several dams and use weirs , the water power of the river.

Directly below the center of Franklin, the Winnipesaukee River then flows together with the Pemigewasset River to form the Merrimack River.

Hydropower plants

There are several hydropower plants along the Winnipesaukee River.

A selection of the hydropower plants in the downstream direction:

Surname Power
in MW		 Number of
turbines		 location operator
Lakeport 0.7 ( ⊙ ) Lakeport Hydroelec Assoc
Lochmere 1.2 4th ( ⊙ ) HDI Associates
Clement Dam 2.4 1 ( ⊙ ) Clement Dam Hydroelectric
Franklin Industrial Complex 1.9 2 ( ⊙ ) Franklin Power

Web links

Commons : Winnipesaukee River  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lake Winnipesaukee in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
  2. ↑ Winnipesaukee River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
  3. ↑ New Hampshire GRANIT state geographic information system ( Memento of 3 August 2013 Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ energyjustice.net