Watershed Protection Frequently Asked Questions – History What is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land within which all waters flow to a single river system.
What watershed is Amherst in? The Town‘s water supply comes from reservoirs in Shutesbury and Pelham, and from town wells located in the Lawrence Swamp in Belchertown and South Amherst. Amherst works closely with these three towns in jointly protecting both surface and underground drinking water supplies. Is the town of Amherst connected to the Connected River? Both the Mill River and the Fort River and their tributaries flow into the Connecticut River. Click here for a map showing mill and fort river watershed. Are the town watershed lands connected to drinking water? Yes, in fact, the town of Amherst first started protecting land in order to preserve drinking water in the 1940’s. Town owned lands provide a protective buffer around our reservoirs and wells. This buffer helps ensure drinking water quality by filtering rain and ground water.
