Oyster River (New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oyster River |
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Oyster River at head of tide in Durham, New Hampshire
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Strafford |
| Towns | Barrington, Lee, Madbury, Durham |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Creek Pond Barrington 205 ft (62 m) 43°10′3″N 71°1′58″W / 43.16750°N 71.03278°W |
| River mouth | Little Bay Durham 0 ft (0 m) 43°7′21″N 70°52′4″W / 43.12250°N 70.86778°W |
| Length | 17.0 mi (27.4 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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The Oyster River is a 17-mile (27 km) long river in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It starts in Barrington and flows southeast through Lee. Then it goes east-southeast in a winding path past Durham. Finally, it joins Great Bay and Little Bay. These bays are connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Piscataqua River, which is a tidal estuary.
The part of the river with fresh water is about 14.1 miles (22.7 km) long. The tidal part, where the ocean's tides affect the water, stretches for 2.9 miles (4.7 km) from Durham to Great Bay. The Oyster River reaches the tidal zone at a dam in the center of Durham. This is just west of where NH Route 108 crosses the river. Because of siltation (when dirt and sand build up), it's hard for motorboats to use the river. They can only go west of the Durham Water Plant for about three hours around high tide. People who use boats have noticed more and more silt since 1998.
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History of the Oyster River Valley
The Oyster River valley, like the rest of New England, was completely covered by a huge sheet of ice during the last Ice Age. This was a very long time ago! Today, you can still see signs of the Ice Age in the area. These include large rocks called glacial erratics, which were left behind by the melting ice. There are also kettle holes, which are hollows in the ground formed by melting ice blocks. One example is Spruce Hole Bog, located about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) south of the river in Durham.
Early Settlers and River Changes
When European settlers first came to the Oyster River area, they began to change the river and use its resources. In the 1600s, before people made big changes, Great Bay was a busy port. Large ships could anchor at a place called Durham Landing. But as time went on, settlers built dams and cut down forests to create farmland. When the forests were gone, the soil that tree roots usually held in place started to wash into the river. This made the river fill with silt. By the 1800s, large ships could no longer reach Durham Landing, except during very high tides.
The Oyster River community was one of the first three settlements in Dover. The other two were Hilton Point and the current Durham town center. At its busiest, around the mid-1600s, about 300 people lived in this settlement. However, the population became much smaller in 1694 after a difficult event. This event is known as the Raid on Oyster River. During this raid, about 94 people living there were either killed or taken captive.
The Mill Pond Dam
The Oyster River flows over the Mill Pond Dam near NH Route 108 in Durham. This is where the river meets the tidal waters. The current dam was built in 1913. It is listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places as the Oyster River Dam. Before this dam, there were older wooden dams. These dams provided power for sawmills and gristmills (mills that grind grain) as far back as the mid-1600s.
In 2019, people started thinking about removing the dam. This was because it would be expensive to repair it, and there were concerns about the water quality in the Mill Pond. The Mill Pond is the body of water created by the dam. In 2020, experts suggested that the dam should either be removed or made stronger. They warned that doing nothing could lead to a safety problem in the future. In 2021, reports estimated that fixing the dam would cost about $4 million, while removing it would cost around $1.3 million.
Water for the Community
The Oyster River is a very important source of drinking water. It provides water for the town of Durham and the University of New Hampshire. As more people move into the area, the demand for water from the Oyster River is growing. It is expected that the amount of water used by homes will increase by 54% by the year 2025. Also, water used for other purposes, like businesses, factories, and watering crops, is expected to go up by 62%. This means the Oyster River will become even more vital for the community.
Protecting the River
The river flows under the busy U.S. Route 4 in three different spots in Lee. It also passes very close to the busy Lee Traffic Circle. This is a concern because runoff from the road could get into the water and cause pollution.
Along the river, there are still large areas of untouched floodplains and forests. These areas stretch for almost 100 acres (40 hectares). Floodplains are very helpful because they hold extra water during heavy rains. This helps to reduce damage to buildings and roads along the river. These floodplains are also home to many different kinds of plants and animals that live in New Hampshire.
Wildlife in the Oyster River
One animal that has been greatly affected by changes in the Oyster River's health is the oyster itself. Because of siltation and water pollution in the river, the number of oysters dropped very low in 2000. However, the population started to grow back a few years later.
Another special animal that lives in the Oyster River is the American Brook Lamprey (Lampetra appendix). This type of lamprey is found only in this river in the entire state of New Hampshire! Overall, the Oyster River is home to seven different fish species that are considered to be of special concern. This means they need protection to make sure their populations stay healthy.
