Sheepscot River, Maine
With a watershed spanning 576 km2, the Sheepscot River flows 106 km through Maine to the Atlantic. The river cuts through glacial sediments that were deposited during the last Glacial Maximum about 25,000 years ago. The river was impacted by anthropogenic land alteration with the onset of logging practices in the late 1600s which lead to the creating of many saw mills and hydropower dams in the Sheepscot watershed. The space behind these dams became traps for fine grained sediment which was more readily available due to clearcutting of forests on the hillslopes.
Charles River, Massachusetts
The Charles River flows 129 km through eastern Massachusetts, passing through 23 cities and towns before it reaches the Atlantic in Boston Harbor. Its watershed accommodates a drainage area of 798 km2, and contains over 8,000 acres of protected wetlands. Though the river has a very low gradient from source to outlet, it was one of the most industrialized areas in the country by the 19th century with many dams built to provide hydropower for mills and factories.
South River, Massachusetts
Flowing 17 miles from Ashfield Lake in to the Deerfield River in northeastern Massachusetts, South River drops 1,000 feet along its path and drains a watershed of 42.3 km2. The river has been historically dammed and approximately 67% of the river's length was straightened prior to 1887 in an attempt to mitigate potential dam breach risks – efforts which were largely unsuccessful.
White Clay Creek, Pennsylvania and Delaware
The White Clay Creek watershed covers 172.2 km2 and drains parts of Chester County, PA and New Castle County, DE. It is the site of the first dam removal in Delaware in an effort to restore native American Shad migration patterns.
Piney Run, Maryland
Piney Run flows from Westminster through the Piney Run Park recreational area in Sykesville, and empties into the South Branch of the Patapsco River in Marriottsville, MD. Sections of the southern reach, below the park, are slated for restoration in the coming year. Various spots along the river have been dammed or altered, one example being the creation of a 300 acre lake in Piney Run Park.