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36-502: The aqueduct formed a key link in Boston's first major water supply system. Its genesis dates to 1845, when a Sudbury River tributary was impounded to form Lake Cochituate in Natick . The artificial lake, with 17 square miles (44 square kilometres) of watershed, 2 billion US gallons (7,600,000 m) of storage, and yield of 10 million US gallons (38,000 m) of water per day, became

72-651: A Scenic River, and the 1.7-mile (2.7 km) segment from the Route 2 bridge downstream to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock is designated as a Recreational River, along with adjoining stretches of the Assabet and Concord rivers. Mercury contamination was discovered in the 1970s from the Nyanza plant in Ashland . The EPA subsequently listed the town as a toxic site and led

108-486: A bachelor's degree or higher. Westborough Public Schools consist of three elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school: The Mill Pond School is the newest school addition to Westborough. The three elementary schools consist of kindergarten to third grade, Mill Pond School consists of grades 4 to 6, then Gibbons Middle School which consists of grades 7 and 8, and then Westborough High School. There are three options depending upon residents' geographic location in

144-456: A ceremony that drew 100,000 people. By 1951, four major aqueducts were delivering water to Boston. The Cochituate system was unnecessary with its water declining in quality and requiring treatment. It was thus abandoned, and portions were purchased in 1952 by the City of Newton for sewer lines. It is now part of a trail system, with granite bridges and gatehouses still intact along its route. In 2010,

180-508: A cleanup effort to repair the damage. It is still recommended that fish caught downriver not be eaten. An 1834 book on the history of Concord, Lemuel Shattuck, stated that in Concord the river upstream of the Assabet River was considered a continuation of the Concord River, but also some instances the south branch of the Concord and the Assabet the north branch. In Sudbury town records the river

216-483: Is 201 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flow rate changes with seasons – summer months average 80 cfs while spring months average 375 cfs. Highest recorded flow was 2,570 cfs on March 31, 2010. Water depth at the gauge on that date was 13.95 feet. Any time depth exceeds 13.0 feet the river is considered to be in major flood status. Last major flood before 2010 was April 8, 1987, 13.47 feet. Water caltrop , more commonly known as water chestnut, species Trapas natans ,

252-551: Is an invasive waterplant from western Asia. The initial introductions in the U.S. were in the 1870s in Cambridge, MA, followed by deliberate introduction into ponds near the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. This is now an invasive, habitat-destroying plant across many of the eastern states. On the Sudbury River, OARS (Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers) organizes annual plant pulling events. Volunteers in canoes hand-pull

288-613: Is crossed by 34 road bridges, five railroad bridges and two footbridges. Its watershed covers 162 square miles (420 km ). Starting in November 1979 the U.S. Geological Survey installed and maintains a gauge for river depth and flow rate on the Sudbury River, downstream of the Danforth Street Bridge, Saxonville, Framingham. The upstream watershed is 106 square miles (270 km ), 65% of the total Sudbury River watershed. The average flow rate for 37 years of complete data (1981–2016)

324-612: Is currently served by an MBTA commuter rail station on the Framingham/Worcester Line as well as public bus service through the Worcester Regional Transit Authority . Limited commercial airline service is available at the Worcester Regional Airport . The nearest international airport is Boston Logan Airport . A major CSX rail freight yard serving the Boston metro area is located near

360-756: Is home to several listings on the National Register of Historic Places : According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 km ), of which 20.5 square miles (53.1 km ) is land, and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km ) is water, or 5.09 percent. Westborough contains the headwaters of the Sudbury and Assabet rivers. The town contains numerous bodies of water, including Lake Chauncy, George H. Nichols Reservoir (Mill Pond), Westboro Reservoir (Sandra Pond), Hocomonco Pond , and Cedar Swamp Pond. Lake Chauncy

396-499: Is open to swimming, boating, and fishing, and has a public beach open to residents of Westborough and Northborough during the summer months. The average elevation of the town is approximately 300 feet (91 m). Westborough is located in east/central Massachusetts, located approximately 28 miles (45.47 km) west of Boston and 12 miles (19 km) east of Worcester . Data from the U.S. Census of 2020 shows there were 21,567 people, 7,930 households, and 5,618 families residing in

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432-552: The Charles River into Newton on a stone bridge. There is a commemorative plaque in a small open park facing Cedar Street. The aqueduct crossing of the river is via an iron siphon tube, whose original control houses on both sides have been demolished. In Newton, the aqueduct is located in the median dividing the lanes of Waban Avenue, and passes near the Waban MBTA station , before snaking through residential parts of Waban to skirt

468-712: The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority issued a Use Permit to the Natick Conservation Commission for 16 acres (65,000 m) of the Natick section for future conservation and recreation purposes. Portions of the aqueduct route have been overbuilt by roads and other construction, but it is in many areas still discernible. The Cochituate Aqueduct begins at a gatehouse on the east side of Lake Cochituate, north of Massachusetts Route 30 . It passes roughly eastward, eventually running along

504-529: The old Connecticut Path leading west from Massachusetts Bay ; the Narragansett Trail leading south, and the trail (along the present Milk Street) leading to Canada. The early English explorer John Oldham followed these trails through Westborough in 1633, and settlers in search of fertile farmlands followed not long after. By late 1675, a few families had settled near Lake Chauncy, in the "west borough" of Marlborough . On November 18, 1717, Westborough

540-556: The South Bridge Boat House, on Route 62 west of the center of Concord offers "Rent a canoe or kayak and explore miles of peaceful waterways on the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers." 42°27′52″N 71°21′30″W  /  42.4644°N 71.3583°W  / 42.4644; -71.3583 Westborough, Massachusetts Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts , United States. The population

576-563: The Wesson Tavern Common, Forbush Tavern and Nathan Fisher's store prospered. The center of commerce shifted downtown in 1824 with the arrival of the steam train through Westborough's center. The railroad brought a new era to the town industry: over the next century, local factories shipped boots and shoes, straw hats, sleighs, textiles, bicycles, and eventually abrasive products, across the nation. Westborough dairies supplied cities with milk and local greenhouses shipped out carnations, while

612-600: The boundary with Hopkinton , the Sudbury River meanders generally northeast, through Fairhaven Bay , and to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock in Concord, Massachusetts , to form the Concord River . It has a 162-square-mile (420 km ) drainage area. A 1775 map identifies the river by this name as passing through the town of Sudbury, itself established 1639. On April 9, 1999, nearly 17 miles (27 km) of

648-550: The cornerstone of Boston's public water system. The aqueduct was built in 1846 to 1848 to convey water from Lake Cochituate to the Brookline Reservoir . Its route was 14 miles (23 km) long and passed through Natick , Wayland, Wellesley , Newton , and Brookline . From there, pipelines ran to small distribution reservoirs throughout Boston, including Beacon Hill Reservoir atop Beacon Hill . In 1848 Lake Cochituate's water first flowed into Frog Pond on Boston Common in

684-661: The eight orchards found ready markets for their produce. In 1848, the State Reform School for Boys , the first publicly funded reform school in the United States, was opened on Lake Chauncy. It operated as a State reform school until 1884 at which time the newly established Westborough State Hospital took over the property. In the same year, the reform school was relocated nearby on Chauncy Street and renamed The Lyman School for Boys . From 1947 through 1985, Westboro Speedway operated as an auto racing venue. Westborough

720-456: The industrial progress of the country. Born in 1765, he invented the cotton gin in 1795 after graduating from Yale . In 1798, he introduced mass production to the United States at his Whitney Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut . In 1810, the route from Boston to Worcester was straightened and improved into an official turnpike (the present Route 9 ), and along its Westborough route,

756-456: The population. Westborough has a significant Indian-American Community making up 15.4% of the population, as well as boasting a strong immigrant community with nearly 5,000 residents of non-U.S. origins (25.9%). According to ACS estimates, there are 4,912 family households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Of all households 31.8% were made up of individuals 65 years of age or older. The average household size

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792-552: The river were "recognized for their outstanding ecology, history, scenery, recreation values, and place in American literature," by being designated as a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System . The 14.9-mile (24.0 km) segment of the Sudbury River beginning at the Danforth Street Bridge in the city of Framingham , downstream to the Route 2 bridge in Concord, is designated as

828-706: The southern edge of Cold Spring Park. It proceeds northeasterly to skirt the northern edge of the Newton Centre Playground, where the Sudbury Aqueduct runs along the playground's south side. It then loops northward around Prospect Hill before turning southeast, passing through the Boston College campus, where its route has been obliterated by St. Thomas More Road. It skirts the west side of Chestnut Hill Reservoir (whose construction it predates), before heading mainly southeast, paralleling Reservoir Road, to

864-622: The surface-floating rosettes of leaves and nuts before the nuts mature and fall to the bottom. The infestation on the Sudbury River is particularly bad between the Fenwick Street and Saxonville dams, where the water surface can be more than 80% covered. OARS - the Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers has detailed on-line and downloadable maps for six sections of the Sudbury River, including locations and descriptions of put-ins for canoes or kayaks. For those interested in renting,

900-510: The town (official). The population density was 998 people per square mile (unofficial). The latest 2013–2017 American Community Survey (ACS) estimated the town's total population at 18,836, residing in 7,095 households. According to the latest ACS estimate, the racial makeup of the town was 70.1% White , 2.4% Black or African American , 0.5% Native American , 23.6% Asian , 0% Pacific Islander , 1.1% from other races , 2.3% from two or more races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of

936-524: The town for preschool through third grade. The Town of Westborough is located on the west side of the Massachusetts Turnpike ( Interstate 90 ) and Interstate 495 intersection. Route 30 (Main Street) and Route 135 (South Street/Milk Street) intersect in a rotary at the town's center, while Route 9 runs nearby, serving much of the town's commerce. In terms of public transportation, Westborough

972-584: The town line between Wayland and Natick . It eventually turns southeasterly, skirting around the east side of Morses Pond in Wellesley shortly after passing under Massachusetts Route 9 . It again turns east, passing north of Wellesley Town Hall before turning northeasterly through the Hunnewell Field athletic complex and toward Indian Spring Park, where it again turns east. It passes under Walnut and Cedar Streets in eastern Wellesley before descending to cross

1008-624: The towns of Westborough, Hopkinton, Southborough, Ashland, Framingham, Wayland, Sudbury, Lincoln and finally Concord, where it merges (42.4653°N 71.3584°W) with the Assabet River at Egg Rock to form the beginning of the Concord River, at an elevation of 100 ft (30 m). As of 2017 there are five historic dams on the Sudbury River: two Framingham Reservoir dams, Fenwick Street Dam and Saxonville Dam in Framingham, and Myrtle Street Dam, in Ashland. The river

1044-602: The western end of the Brookline Reservoir , where its end gatehouse is located. 42°19′34″N 71°12′28″W  /  42.3262°N 71.2078°W  / 42.3262; -71.2078 Sudbury River The Sudbury River is a 32.7-mile-long (52.6 km) tributary of the Concord River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts , in the United States. Originating in the Cedar Swamp in Westborough, Massachusetts , near

1080-551: The years toward independence from Great Britain . Forty-six minutemen from Westborough fought under Captain Edmund Brigham in the Revolutionary War . In 1775, Northborough split off as the "north borough" of Westborough, much as Westborough split off from Marlborough some 58 years before. However, the two towns shared a meetinghouse for some time more. Westborough's most famous native son, Eli Whitney , contributed to

1116-402: Was $ 107,604, and the median income for a family was $ 132,543. The per capita income for the town was $ 47,993. Of the population 4.7% was below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over. The labor force numbered 10,218 with an unemployment rate in the town of 3.6%. Of the population over age 25, 96.4% graduated high school (or equivalent) and 65.7% hold

Cochituate Aqueduct - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-429: Was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.26. In addition, the town the population was spread out, with 12.5% under the age of 10, 15.6% from 10 to 19, 17.9% from 20 to 34, 29% from 35 to 54, 12.7% from 55 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. The median income for a household in the town (based on U.S. Census ACS five-year estimate)

1188-469: Was 21,567 at the 2020 Census , in over 7,000 households. Incorporated in 1717, the town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed by a five-member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various administrative positions, and calling a town meeting of citizens annually or whenever the need arises. Before recorded time, the area now known as Westborough

1224-420: Was a well-travelled crossroads. As early as 7,000 BCE , prehistoric people in dugout canoes followed the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers to their headwaters in search of quartzite for tools and weapons. From 1200 to 1600 CE , seasonal migrations brought Nipmuc Indians to hunt and fish near Cedar Swamp and Lake Hoccomocco. Using Fay Mountain as a landmark, Indians crisscrossed Westborough on well-worn paths:

1260-506: Was incorporated as the hundredth town in Massachusetts, populated by twenty-seven families, including Thomas Rice who had represented Marlborough in the Great and General Court . Soon large farms were carved out, mills built along the Assabet River and Jackstraw Brook, and taverns flourished. Westborough's first minister, Reverend Ebenezer Parkman, shepherded the growing town of colonists through

1296-656: Was referred to as the Great River early on, later the Sudbury River. West of Framingham the Sudbury was called the Hopkinton River (it borders Hopkinton, west of Ashland). Not until 1856 maps was it the Sudbury River from Westborough to Concord. The Sudbury River starts at Cedar Swamp Pond in a swampy area in Westborough and flows northeast 32.7 miles (52.6 km), starting at an elevation of 327 feet (100 m) and descending through

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