The Oxbow is an extension of the Connecticut River

Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...

, located in Northampton, Massachusetts

Northampton, Massachusetts

The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...

. It is famous for its appearance in the 1836 painting The Oxbow

The Oxbow

View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm, commonly known as The Oxbow, is a painting by Thomas Cole.-Background:...

by Thomas Cole

Thomas Cole

Thomas Cole was an English-born American artist. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century...

.

History

Historically, the Oxbow was connected directly to the Connecticut river as a large U-Shaped bend. In 1840, flood waters cut through the narrow section, separating the Oxbow from the main river and the current. In the early 1900s, the Oxbow was used extensively for logging operations, as a holding area for logs sent down river. The northern end was later cut off to build Interstate 91

Interstate 91

Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...

, which runs between the Oxbow and the Connecticut River. The Connecticut River is still accessible by a channel made under Route 91 and Route 5 bridges.

Wildlife

The Oxbow is habitat for many migratory and resident bird species. The Arcadia wildlife sanctuary (a project of Mass Audubon) protects a total of 776 acres (314 ha) of land which forms the outer shore of the Oxbow. Among these species include Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...

, Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret

The Snowy Egret is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World Little Egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas....

, Cormorant

Cormorant

The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...

, Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...

, Osprey

Osprey

The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...

, Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...

, Swift

Swift

The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...

s, gulls, Canadian Geese, and ducks.

Current use

The Oxbow is used today primarily for pleasure boating, and is home to one of the largest marinas on the Connecticut River in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation operates a state boat ramp facility accessible from Route 5 in Easthampton, Massachusetts

Easthampton, Massachusetts

Easthampton is the second largest city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is on the southeastern edge of an area called the Pioneer Valley near the five colleges in the college towns of Northampton and Amherst, MA...

. Because it is partially separated from the main river body, boats are protected from strong current and floating debris. Other uses include flat water paddling and fishing. The Oxbow also facilitates Northampton Youth and Community Rowing (also known as "Hamp Crew"), one of the larger scholastic and masters rowing clubs in western Massachusetts. The club offers competitive rowing programs for many schools in the area, including Northampton High School. The Oxbow water ski show team also shares facilities.