Project Overview

The Mill River is a tributary of the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts and drains approximately 30,000-acres (12,500 ha) in the towns of Conway, Deerfield, Hatfield, Northampton, Whately, and Williamsburg. The Mill River is fed by four main tributaries: Bloody Brook, Roaring Brook, West Brook and Running Gutter Brook.

Geographically the Mill River watershed extends from the Lake Hitchcock lowlands on its eastern boundary to the eastern foothills of the Berkshires on its western boundary. The eastern half of the watershed is characterized by extensive lowlands, and includes exceptionally fertile agricultural land. The gentle landscape we see today was once the bottom of Glacial Lake Hitchcock, which filled the valley for a few thousand years during the last glaciation. At its maximum, the lake's shoreline reached what is our present-day 300-foot elevation (which explains why no stones or stonewalls are found below this elevation; they are buried under the lake's silts and clays). As might be expected, the flatter, eastern portion of the watershed is where most homes, businesses and roads are located. However, because most of the soils consist of fine silts, it can be difficult to adequately treat septic system waste.

The uplands on the western half of the watershed are still primarily forested and are the source of the Mill River's three main tributatries--West Brook, Roaring Brook and Running Gutter Brook. All of these tributaries feed public water supply reservoirs, which serve the communities of Hatfield, Northampton and South Deerfield. Along the Mill River, near the Hatfield/Whately line, is a narrow aquifer that provides drinking water for Hatfield and Whately residents and businesses.