LOCATION--Lat 42° 09'38", long 72° 30'52", Hampden County, Hydrologic Unit 01080204, on left bank 1,000 ft downstream from West Street Bridge at Indian Orchard, 1.1 mi upstream from Fuller Brook, and 7.2 mi upstream from mouth.
DRAINAGE AREA--689 mi².
PERIOD OF RECORD--Discharge: August 1928 to current year. Published as "at Bircham Bend" prior to November 1938.
Water-quality records: Water years 1953, 1957, 1994.
REVISED RECORDS--WSP 1231: 1934. WDR MA-RI-84-1: drainage area.
GAGE--Data Collection Platform with satellite telemeter. Datum of gage is 124.31 ft above NAVD 1988, estimated from topographic map. Prior to May 11, 2020, datum reported as 125 ft above NGVD 1929, estimated from topographic map. Prior to Nov. 1, 1938, water-stage recorder at site 1.8 mi downstream at different datum.
REMARKS--Diversion since 1941 from 186 mi² in Swift River basin and at times since 1931 from 97 mi² in Ware River basin for Boston metropolitan district; since 1950, for Chicopee; since 1952, for South Hadley; at times since 1966 for Worcester; at times since 1955 from 6.5 mi² in Ware River basin for Fitchburg. Diversion from Ludlow Reservoir for Springfield and, prior to 1952, for Chicopee. Flow regulated by powerplants upstream, by Quabbin Reservoir 21 mi upstream on Swift River since 1939, by Barre Falls Reservoir on Ware River since 1958, by Conant Brook Reservoir since 1966, and by smaller reservoirs.
COOPERATION BY--Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Water Resources.