The Pemigewasset originates at
Profile Lake in
Franconia Notch State Park, in the town of
Franconia. It flows south through the
White Mountains and merges with the
Winnipesaukee River to form the
Merrimack River at
Franklin. The Merrimack then flows through southern New Hampshire, northeastern
Massachusetts and into the
Atlantic Ocean. The
Interstate 93 highway runs parallel with the river between
Franconia Notch and
New Hampton. The river passes through the communities of
Lincoln,
North Woodstock,
Woodstock,
Thornton,
Campton,
Plymouth,
Holderness,
Ashland,
Bridgewater,
Bristol, New Hampton,
Hill,
Sanbornton, and Franklin. The river descends over waterfalls in Franconia Notch, including "The Basin", passes cascades in North Woodstock, and drops over Livermore Falls north of Plymouth. The remainder of the northern Pemi, from Lincoln to Ashland, passes over copious gravel bars and attracts numerous boaters and fishermen. Below Ashland, the river is impounded by the
Ayers Island Dam, a
hydroelectric facility, for over five miles. A short stretch of heavy whitewater is found below the dam, before the river reaches the impoundment zone for the
Franklin Falls flood control
reservoir. The river crosses one additional hydroelectric dam below Franklin Falls before joining the
Winnipesaukee River in the center of Franklin, becoming the Merrimack River. The Pemigewasset watershed consists of over of rivers and of lake, pond, and reservoir area. The watershed comprises about 20 percent of the Merrimack's total watershed area. ==Tributaries==