Quabbin–Swift River Valley
{{Short description|Region of Massachusetts, United States}}
Image:QuabbinTowns ma highlight.png
Image:Overlooking Quabbin Reservoir from Quabbin Hill Rd, Ware MA.jpg, overlooking where the former town of Enfield was submerged.]]
The Quabbin Valley is a region of Massachusetts in the United States. The region consists of the Quabbin Reservoir and accompanying river systems{{which|date=May 2013}} in Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. The area is sometimes known as the Swift River Valley region, a reference to the Swift River, which was dammed to form the reservoir.
Geography
At its most restrictive, the Quabbin–Swift River Valley includes the towns immediately bordering the reservoir and lower length of the river. These towns include Belchertown, Hardwick, New Salem, Pelham, Petersham, Shutesbury, Palmer, and Ware.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}
The name Quabbin has also been adopted by regional partnerships bordering the reservoir but not including the entire valley. For example, the Central Quabbin Area Tourism Association consists{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} of Petersham and Hardwick on the reservoir's eastern side, as well as Barre, Hubbardston, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, and Rutland, further east. The North Quabbin Community Coalition includes{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} Petersham and New Salem bordering the reservoir, and the adjoining towns of Athol, Orange, Erving, Phillipston, Royalston, Warwick and Wendell. The north Qubbin Chamber of Commerce includes 11 towns: Athol, Barre, Erving, Hardwick, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Warwick and Wendell{{cite web | url=https://www.northquabbinchamber.com/our-communities | title=Our Communities - North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce, MA }}
Former towns
Upon the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, four towns in the valley were officially disincorporated, their area absorbed by surrounding municipalities. These towns are Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott.
Many people living in those towns fought unsuccessfully to prevent construction of the reservoir, arguing that it was unfair to move the Swift River Valley inhabitants to provide drinking water for Boston residents, and the movement has become a part of Western Massachusetts folklore.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Wikivoyage|Quabbin}}
- [http://www.foquabbin.org/valley.html Friends of Quabbin]
- [http://www.nqcc.org/ North Quabbin Community Coalition]
- [http://quabbinvalley.wordpress.com/ Official Blog of The Quabbin Valley]
{{Massachusetts}}
{{Coord|42.34|N|72.32|W|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quabbin-Swift River Valley}}
Category:Regions of Massachusetts
Category:River valleys of the United States
Category:Valleys of Massachusetts
Category:Landforms of Franklin County, Massachusetts
Category:Landforms of Hampden County, Massachusetts
Category:Landforms of Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Category:Landforms of Worcester County, Massachusetts
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