New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, is a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Pskehtekwis'') is a tidal river forming the boundary of the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Maine from its origin at the confluence of the Salmon Falls River and Cochecho River to the Atlant ...
Swains Lake
Swains Lake (also known as Union Lake) is a water body located in Strafford County in eastern New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Barrington. Water from Swains Lake flows via the Bellamy River to the Piscataqua River estuary. A boat ...
Dover
Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
. It flows east through the
Bellamy Reservoir
Bellamy Reservoir is a impoundment located in Strafford County in eastern New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Madbury. An eastern arm of the lake extends a short distance into Dover. The reservoir serves as the primary water supply fo ...
tidal river
A tidal river is a river whose flow and level are caused by tides. A section of a larger river affected by the tides is a tidal reach, but it may sometimes be considered a tidal river if it had been given a separate and another title name.
Gene ...
to Little Bay, the channel connecting Great Bay with the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
.
The river at one time provided water for swimming behind a dam at Bellamy Park in Dover. This park was a favorite spot for local neighborhood children and young adults, but fell into disrepair in the late 1960s. The Dover High School class of 1976 held a school-approved burning of the remains of the dam as a class activity.
A short distance down the river from the park is the location of a former mill building, abandoned in the mid-20th century. The river helped power machinery in the mill.
Further along is the final dam, at the site of the former Sawyer Woolen Mills, a large manufacturer in Dover during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The river supplied the power to this large factory.
Beyond this dam the Bellamy River assumes its tidal nature, reverting to a small trickle at low tide.
See also
*
List of rivers of New Hampshire
This is a list of rivers and significant streams in the U.S. state of New Hampshire.
All watercourses named "River" (freshwater or tidal) are listed here, as well as other streams which are either subject to thNew Hampshire Comprehensive Shorelan ...