Winnipesaukee River
Winnipesaukee River in Tilton and Northfield
Course of the Winnipesaukee River from Lake Winnipesaukee to union with the Pemigewasset River
The Winnipesaukee River is the source of the river Merrimack River left in the U.S. state of New Hampshire.
The Winnipesaukee River is the 17 km -long outflow of Lake Winnipesaukee. He joins the Pemigewasset River in Franklin to the Merrimack River. The river is located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire -. The catchment area of the river includes approximately 1264 km ².
The River is, despite its relative brevity of two different sections. The upper course consists of a series of waterways that connect a chain of lakes and begins at Lake Winnipesaukee. After the dam at the outlet of Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, the flow occurs almost immediately into the Opechee Bay. After less than two kilometers of the river exits the lake and flows through the center of Laconia. Its shores are here of industrial buildings from the 19th century. These have to be to take advantage of the water power of the river. Then the river reaches outside of the Winnisquam Laconia Lake, the third largest lake in New Hampshire after the Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake. About eight kilometers is the distance across the lake to its drain. It is followed by a short descent to Silver Lake.
The lower reaches of the river begins at the natural outflow from the Silver Lake, on the boundary between Belmont and Tilton. The river flows through between the twin cities of Tilton and Northfield, before it descends through a narrow valley to Franklin, New Hampshire. From Tilton to Franklin the river drops up to 30 feet in a mile ( 1609 m). The rapids in this area attract paddlers who leave their boats at the Cross Mill Bridge to water and leave on the bridge of U.S. Highway 3 in Franklin river. In Franklin, where the United States Geological Survey operates a level measuring point, use several dams and weirs, the water power of the river.
Directly below the center of Franklin then flows to the Winnipesaukee River, together with the Pemigewasset River, forming the Merrimack River.
Hydropower plants
In the course of the River Winnipesaukee River are several hydroelectric plants.
A selection of water turbines in downstream direction: