Shawsheen River

The Shawsheen River flows 25 miles from its headwaters in Bedford to its confluence with the Merrimack River in Lawrence. The river loses 70 feet in elevation along the way. According to legend, the name "Shawsheen" is a Native American word meaning "serpent" or "serpentine", while other sources interpret the name to mean "Great Spring" and "Beauty's Pathway". The Shawsheen was the site of grist, saw and textile mills in Andover from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century.

19th and 20th century businesses operating on the Shawsheen in the Town of Andover included The Ballardvale Mills on Andover Street and the American Woolen Company's Shawsheen Mills on Haverhill Street. Both companies went out of business in the 1950s.

Rising waters in the Shawsheen have created havoc for the Town of Andover over the years. Most notably, the Shawsheen River flooded in March 1936. (SeeFlood - March 1936) In October 1996, Andover experienced more than 8 inches of rain in a 36 hour period and the Shawsheen River flooded. (see Flood - October 1996 ) In March 2010, the Spicket and the Shawsheen Rivers flooded. ( See Flood - March 2010 ) The Shawsheen River flooded on Mother's Day weekend in 2006 (See Flood 2006 ) when the water levels were 8.6 feet above normal.

In the 1970's an environmental group called the Shawsheen River Stream Team formed to address contaminent flowing from Hanscomb Airforce Base. In the 1980s, the Shawsheen River Environmental Action Team formed to clean debris from the river. In 2001, a 501c3 non-profit, The Shawsheen River Watershed Association was formed.

• Shawsheen River Recreational Map

• Shawsheen River Watershed

• AVIS Shawsheen River Reservation

...Regarding the name "Shawsheen".... click to enlarge

• Shawsheen River Watershed 2000 water quality assessment report
• A Reconnaissance report on the feasibility of constructing a dam and channel in the vicinity of the Shawsheen River and Pomps Pond, Andover, Mass. for recreational improvement purposes / by the U. S. Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with the Essex Conservation District.
• Evidence and arguments on petition of the City of Boston for leave to take water from Shawsheen River / Committee on Water Supply of Massachusetts Legislature, of 1886. (MHL catalog and digital access link)
• Shawsheen water supply : hearing before committee on water supply and drainage, Massachusetts Legislature, 1883 (MHL catalog and digital access link)
• "For Powder Mill Square Residents flood hearing," Andover Townsman, June 24, 1999, p. 1.
• "Footbridge over Shawsheen begins to take shape," Eagle Tribune, February 14, 2005, p. 1.
• "Removing Shawsheen River dams under study," Andover Townsman, December 18, 2008, p. 1.
• "Fishing for an answer: Andover eyes removing dams to promote fish, use of Shawsheen," Eagle Tribune, March 30, 2008, p. C1.
• "State aims to recover vanishing wetlands: Shawsheen River project may help control flooding" Boston Globe May 19, 2002 p.21
• "Dams due to tumble, Andover gains aid to remove two of three, restore Shawsheen River flow" Boston Globe September 13, 2012
• "Trip down the Shawsheen becomes a messy labor of love" Boston Globe September 21, 2006
• "Crews determining the extent of jet fuel spill in Shawsheen River" Boston Globe June 2, 2014
• "As dams come down, herrings return to Shawsheen" Boston Globe June 25, 2017 (Globe Northwest p. 1)
• "What lies beneath? Trash" Boston Globe October 27, 2005, page 149
• "Builder promises better water access" Boston Globe June 17, 2004 (Globe Northwest p. 1)
• "Hopes raised for a clean Shawsheen" Boston Globe April 20, 1997 (Northwest Weekly p. 64)
• "Canoe racers dared undertow lost" Boston Globe May 14, 1984 p. 16

--Stephanie (talk) 12:29, 21 April 2022 (EDT)
--Glenda 16:27, January 12, 2007 (EST)
--Kim 16:54, August 28, 2013 (EDT)

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