Deerfield River

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Photo by flickr user abkfenris

The most popular activities on the Deerfield River are whitewater rafting, camping and hiking. Because of the steep descent of the river, there are plenty of short tributaries and sections of the river the offer excellent class IV – V whitewater rafting trips, making it a popular Massachusetts rafting destination. Kayaking is also popular on the sections of the Deerfield River as well as the many side tributaries and large streams that stem from the river.

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The Deerfield River is located in Vermont and Massachusetts on the East Coast of the United States. The Deerfield River starts in Vermont, where it then flows through the state into Massachusetts, eventually joining with the Connecticut River. In all, the Deerfield River flows for 73 miles (649.7 total miles including streams of its complete watershed) from its head source in Vermont until it meets with the Connecticut. During this route, it drops about 2000 feets, starting at about 2800 feet above sea level all the way down to about 120 feet above sea level.

One of the most distinguishing facts of the Deerfield River is the many dams throughout the 73 mile length of the river. On average, there is a dam about every 7 miles on the river, making the Deerfield one of the most heavily used rivers (for electrical power purposes) in the nation. There are 10 dams in total on the Deerfield River, and they are all owned by three different utility companies.

Written by  Ryan Hutchings.

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