II. The Swift River Nomination
The Swift River arises on Mt. Kancamagus and flows east along the Kancamagus Highway for 26 miles through the towns of Livermore, Waterville Valley and Albany before joining the Saco River in the town of Conway (see map). Along this journey, the river drops more than 2,400 feet in elevation. The Swift River is a free-flowing river that offers spectacular views of whitewater cascades and waterfalls in the midst of the majestic White Mountains.
The watershed of the Swift River covers approximately 114 square miles, almost all of which is located within the White Mountain National Forest. Land use along the river and throughout the watershed is predominantly forestland. Within the National Forest, a number of areas along the river have been developed for camping, picnicking, and other recreational purposes.
From its headwaters in Livermore, the river drops 1300 feet in four miles over steep, rock-strewn slopes before entering the Albany intervals, a narrow valley through which the river travels 10 miles and drops another 400 feet. The river flows for only a short distance through the very northeast corner of Waterville Valley and then enters the town of Albany, flowing past campgrounds, picnic areas, and two residential developments. At the base of the Albany intervals, Rocky Gorge is formed by the steep mountain slopes coming down close to the river. For the next nine miles, the river cascades over difficult rapids and waterfalls before entering the broad floodplains of the Saco River in Conway.
B. River Values and Characteristics
The Rivers Management and Protection Program Act (RSA Ch. 483) lists nine resource values and characteristics which may qualify a river for designation into the program. The Swift River supports many of these natural, managed, cultural, and recreational resource values and characteristics at a level of either statewide or local significance. The resources which qualify the Swift River for designation include: geologic resources; wildlife, plant, and fish resources; water quality; scenic values; historic and archaeological resources; community resources; and recreational resources.
a. Geologic Resources: As it flows through the White Mountains, the Swift River cuts a valley between mountains which range from 2,000 to 4,000 feet in elevation. Starting at the Kancamagus Pass, the Swift River is bounded to the south by Mt. Kancamagus, Scaur Peak, the North Peak of Mt. Tripyramid, the Fool Killer, Potash Mountain, and Hedgehog Ledge. The peaks to the north, from west to east, are Mt. Huntington, Greens Cliff, Birch Hill, Bear Mountain, Table Mountain, and the Moat Range. As it flows through these mountains, the river's precipitous drop forms many areas of rapids and waterfalls.
b. Wildlife and Plant Resources: The location of the Swift River within the White Mountain National Forest ensures the continued existence of a large, contiguous tract of forest habitat surrounding the river. One pair of the federally-endangered peregrine falcon nested along the river in 1989 and is expected to return in 1990 and subsequent years. Under the state Endangered Species Act (RSA 212-A), the Department of Fish and Game lists a number of endangered or threatened bird species, one endangered mammal, and one threatened mammal which are known to occur in the Saco River Basin, which includes the Swift River. A 1983 US Department of Agriculture Cooperative Study of the Saco River Basin listed 36 species of fish, 32 species of amphibians and reptiles, 165 species of birds, and 56 species of mammals as occurring in the various habitats of the basin. The New Hampshire Natural Heritage Inventory has identified the presence of the exemplary natural community, the Northern New England level bog, in two locations near the river. There is also one record of the state endangered blue-gray gnatcatcher being present along the river.
c. Fish Resources: The Swift River is a cold water sport fishery, supporting native brook trout and introduced brown and rainbow trout. Historically, the river was one of the premier trout fishing rivers in the region. The natural reproductive capability of the native fish populations is now exceeded by angler demand, and the Fish and Game Department stocks the river with hatchery-reared brook and rainbow trout. The Swift River also supports good spawning habitat for anadromous fish (fish that live in saltwater, but return to freshwater to spawn), however seven dams in Maine prevent the salmons return to New Hampshire. An effort is underway to require fish passage facilities on the dams in Maine, thereby restoring anadromous fish runs to the Swift River.
d. Water Quality: The water quality of the Swift River is generally good to excellent. The General Court has designated the Swift River a Class B water and the river is supporting the standards of this water quality goal. The upper portions of two of the river's tributaries are designated Class A waters. The Saco River Basin is the only river basin in New Hampshire which is currently meeting all of the surface water quality standards of the federal Clean Water Act.
e. Scenic Values: The Swift River exhibits outstanding visual characteristics. The headwaters of the river lie high within the White Mountains and offer outstanding views of the surrounding mountain ranges and the valley below. Along its length, the Swift River possesses a variety of scenic values, including waterfalls, large clear pools, and rapids with rock-strewn bottoms and banks. Surrounding these river features is the beauty of the White Mountain National Forest. The Swift River is highly visible from the Kancamagus Highway, recently declared a National Forest Scenic Byway by the US Forest Service. Two of the most distinctive scenic resources on the river, Rocky Gorge and Lower Falls, are classified and managed by the Forest Service as National Scenic Areas.
a. Historic/Archaeologic Resources: The history of the Swift River is linked to the early settlement of the larger Saco River Basin. Early Indian peoples such as the Abenaki Nation inhabited this area. In 1672, a settlement containing 200 wigwams was reported where the Swift River joins the Saco River in Conway. The Kancamagus Indian trail ran along the Swift River and archaeological excavations have confirmed the presence of Indian activity near the Kennison Farm in Albany. In the early 1800s, small farmsteads dotted the region. Located near the Swift River in Albany, the Russell-Colbath House remains as an example of a farmhouse built in the 1830s. The house is now owned by the US Forest Service and is open to the public during summer months as a museum of early American life. In 1987, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Swift River is crossed by two covered bridges that were built in the mid-1800s. The Albany bridge is being restored by the US Forest Service, while the Conway bridge has been closed and is in need of repair and restoration.
b. Community Resources: The Swift River is one of the outstanding natural resources that attracts visitors to the Mt. Washington Valley, providing opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, sightseeing, fishing, and camping for residents and visitors alike. As such, the Swift River is important to both the quality of life in the river communities and the health of the regional economy.
a. Boating: Every year, the Swift River is used by thousands of people from throughout the Northeast for canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. During spring run-off, the river provides some of the best whitewater boating in the region, with most of the river runnable from mid-April to the end of May. A six mile segment of the river below Lower Falls provides one of the most difficult, uninterrupted whitewater runs in New England. A regional boater's guide describes the Swift River this way: "if veteran boaters were to pick five of the best white water rivers in New England, the Swift would surely be on everyone's list. ... Although a medium size river bed, even by New England's standards, it boasts some of the biggest, meanest source holes and choppiest waters to be found anywhere."
b. Fishing: Recreational trout fishing is a popular activity on the Swift River during the warm weather months. On weekends, anglers congregate between Rocky Gorge and the Albany-Conway town line. The Forest Service maintains an access for handicapped fisherman next to the Albany covered bridge.
c. Other Recreation: The Swift River offers recreational opportunities all year around. Most of the recreational facilities along the river are owned by the US Forest Service, including the Sabbaday Falls picnic area and the Passaconaway, Jigger Johnson, Blackberry Crossing, and Covered Bridge camping areas. During the winter, the river corridor attracts cross-country skiers for wilderness skiing along the Nanamocomuck Ski Trail developed by the US Forest Service. Summer brings swimmers and sunbathers to Rocky Gorge and Lower Falls.
d. Public Access: Public access to the river is available for most of its length within the White Mountain National Forest.