US-MA-Shawsheen+River+Conservation+Area


 * =Birding in Massachusetts=

Middlesex County
=Shawsheen River Conservation Area= Bedford, Massachusetts 01730 Shawsheen River Conservation Area webpage Shawsheen River Conservation Area map

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Shawsheen River Conservation Area
Coordinates: 42.5180554, -71.2464585 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Shawsheen River Conservation Area
The headwaters of the Shawsheen originate at Hanscom Field and flow north through the eastern section of Bedford toward Billerica, with expansive grassy marshes and wet meadows bordering most of the northern reach from Page Road to Middlesex Turnpike. The Shawsheen is associated with two distinct floodplains and several small sub-watersheds which drain approximately two-thirds of the town through Elm Brook, Mongo Brook, Kiln Brook, Springs Brook, Beaver Brook, and Vine Brook. Elm Brook, originating in Concord, flows over most of the southern width of the town, converging with the Shawsheen just north of Great Road in the town center. Mongo Brook flows from Concord Road to Elm Brook, draining the wetlands between Davis and Concord Roads. Springs Brook, originating from Fawn Lake and a pond at Middlesex Community College, flows south to join the Shawsheen River north of Page Road. Vine Brook rises in Burlington at the Burlington and Vine Brook malls, flowing south of Route 62 to the Wilson Mill Pond, and thence through the spillway and north to the Shawsheen near Route 3. Beaver Brook drains a small watershed east of Route 3 in the Middlesex Turnpike area, joining the Shawsheen at the Billerica line.

The Shawsheen River is navigable by canoe or kayak at high water from Great Road in Bedford to Billerica, although the more reliable stretch runs between Route 3 and Middlesex Turnpike. There the river flows through wide open marsh and shrub swamp in a narrow, meandering channel. No formal boat launch exists, although there are several locations for informal access. Occasional river trips are sponsored by regional watershed groups.

The Shawsheen is the site of the earliest settlement of that part of Bedford which was part of Billerica in colonial times. The first settlers in the Bedford area were traders who arrived in the early 17th century and established trading posts on the Shawsheen River to barter with the Indians. Soon grain and saw mills were built on the banks of the Shawsheen, the Concord and their tributaries. Several old homesteads and mill sites still exist close to the Shawsheen's banks. Conservation restrictions have been obtained on several properties from the center of town to Middlesex Turnpike in order to establish a river greenway. The Shawsheen Conservation Area serves as the centerpiece of this effort. Bedford participates in the programs of the Merrimack River Watershed Council and the Shawsheen River Watershed Association, including water quality monitoring and stream clean-ups of the Elm Brook and the Shawsheen River.

From Shawsheen River Conservation Area webpage

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