The Five Mile River (Fivemile River on federal maps
) is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 river in central
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, part of the
Chicopee River
The Chicopee River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts, known for fast-moving wate ...
watershed. It rises north of Dean Pond in the Town of
Oakham
Oakham is the county town of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, east of Leicester, south-east of Nottingham and west of Peterborough. It had a population of 10,922 in the 2011 census, estimated at 11,191 in 2019. Oakham is to the west o ...
within Rutland State Forest and flows south through Dean Pond to
Brooks Pond, northeast of
North Brookfield, then continues south to its mouth at the north end of
Lake Lashaway
Lake Lashaway is a pond located near the East Brookfield and North Brookfield, Massachusetts town line. The Lake Lashaway Community Association’s website iwww.LakeLashaway.org The town line cuts the lake approximately in half. The lake lies ...
, also in North Brookfield.
Information
The Five Mile River is a short river that connects the outflow portion of
Brooks Pond located at the boundary between the towns of North Brookfield and
Spencer, and
Lake Lashaway
Lake Lashaway is a pond located near the East Brookfield and North Brookfield, Massachusetts town line. The Lake Lashaway Community Association’s website iwww.LakeLashaway.org The town line cuts the lake approximately in half. The lake lies ...
located downstream in North Brookfield. The river is a tributary, via the
East Brookfield River, to the
Quaboag River
The Quaboag River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in Massachusetts that heads at Quaboag Pond in Brookfield at an elevation of above sea level. ...
and is part of the
Chicopee River Watershed. The Five Mile has been harnessed as a source of power for saw and grist mills and colonial foundry according to historical documentation. The proximity to iron ore, power from Brooks Pond (previously known as Johnson's Pond and North Pond), to power an air-blast bellows, and nearby abundance of wood (for charcoal), made the Five Mile River a good location for blast furnace and iron works operated by Jonathan and Nicholas Jenks in 1782. "Two Gilberts joined the enterprise and still later the venture was split in two--two furnaces, two forges etc.-each family operating one."
The Five Mile River is also fed by the outflow from the Kittredge Dam Reservoir and the Horse Pond Brook Reservoir as well as drainage from the wetlands area extending from Brooks Pond to the north and Lake Lashaway to the south. This watershed is approximately in addition to the Brooks Pond watershed.
Coordinates
Head
Mouth
[
]
See also
*List of rivers of Massachusetts
List of rivers of Massachusetts (U.S. state).
All Massachusetts rivers flow to the Atlantic Ocean. The list is arranged by drainage basin from north to south, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name, arranged travellin ...
References
*http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri994006/wrir99-4006.pdf
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Rivers of Worcester County, Massachusetts
Tributaries of the Connecticut River
Rivers of Massachusetts