The Nashua River's name comes from the Native American word Nash-a-way, meaning "River with the Pebbled Bottom." For hundreds of years, the Nashaway tribe inhabited the Nashua valley. Many years after the arrival of the Pilgrims, the river was a barrier to westward civilization as native inhabitants fought to retain their way of life along the river.

Industrialization

In the mid-1700s, European settlers began to put the river to work with grist and saw mills. By the mid-1800s, the Industrial Revolution brought manufacturing to the watershed's rivers. Mill cities like Gardner, Fitchburg, Leominster, and Nashua rose up around the centers of production.

The Nashua River in the 1960s

Until thirty years ago, the river and its tributaries were fouled. Paper, shoe, and textile factories focused on water sources like the Nashua River to aid manufacturing by taking water from the river and releasing industry-generated wastes directly to the river. Some sections of the river were so polluted that the river would change color almost daily, due to dyes released from paper production.

By 1965, the Nashua was one of the most grossly polluted rivers in the nation, classified U-- unfit to receive further sewage. The river's stench rendered the land along its banks worthless. Sewage worms were the chief form of aquatic life.

Beginning the cleanup

Marion Stoddart (National Geographic photo)

In 1965, Marion Stoddart, a staunch advocate for the river's revival, formed the Nashua River Clean-Up Committee. Marion and her supporters had a two-fold vision: clean the river and protect the land along its banks.

To aid their efforts to restore and protect the Nashua, the Clean-Up Committee formed the Nashua River Watershed Association in 1969. The NRWA then went to work researching and producing a long-range plan targeted at improving the health of the watershed.

Much of the point source pollution from the mills has been cleaned up, largely due to the Clean Water Act, the construction of eight new sewage treatment plants (and upgrades to existing facilities), and the efforts of the Nashua River Watershed Association. More than 8,000 acres of land throughout the watershed and 85 miles of greenway along the riverbanks have been permanently conserved. This represents the protection of more than half of the watershed's riverbank miles.

Where do we go from here?

There is still work to be done to protect and preserve the Nashua River and its tributaries. Today, natural systems in the watershed face an array of forces that threaten water quality and biological diversity. Within the watershed's boundary, wildlife habitat is being fragmented, open land is disappearing, and the by-products of civilization threaten waterways in the form of polluted run-off.

The North Nashua River in Fitchburg, MA

Our lives are dependent on clean water, clean air, good soil, and the actions of each other. Our challenge is to plan for growth and protect natural resources. We invite you to join us to ensure a sustainable future for all watershed inhabitants.

Please see our How to Join page for information about becoming a member of the NRWA.