Fort River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort River |
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Fort River in Amherst, Massachusetts
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Location of the mouth of the Fort River within Massachusetts
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Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
County | Hampshire |
Physical characteristics | |
Main source | Fort River at Adams Brook (location where Amythest Brook flows into Adams Brook) Pelham, Massachusetts |
River mouth | Hadley, Massachusetts 42°19′34″N 72°35′03″W / 42.3261°N 72.5843°W |
The Fort River is a river in Western Massachusetts and is a tributary of the Connecticut River and runs through the towns of, Amherst, Massachusetts, and ends in Hadley, Massachusetts.
The Fort technically begins as Adams Brook which begins at a pond near Atkin's Reservoir in Shutesbury, Massachusetts (however the ponds aren't part of the reservoir), and flows south-west ward until it reaches the spot where Amythest Brook flows into it, where it becomes the "Fort River." Although it has no dams or man-made things on the river, some of the Fort's tributaries have reservoirs.
The Fort River has a wide variety of wildlife due to it being the longest free-flowing tributary (having no dams or other man made changes made to the rivers shape or flow) of the Connecticut River. Because of this there is a lot of wildlife making it one of the 3 most diverse rivers in the state. Mussels, Eastern Pearlfish, Sea Lampreys, and American Eel's.