West Branch (New Hampshire)

West Branch
The West Branch at summer low level north of Ossipee Lake
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Location
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Carroll
Towns	Madison, Freedom, Ossipee
Physical characteristics
Source	Silver Lake
• location	Madison
• coordinates	43°50′55″N 71°10′17″W / 43.84861°N 71.17139°W / 43.84861; -71.17139
• elevation	468 ft (143 m)
Mouth	Ossipee Lake
• location	Ossipee / Freedom
• coordinates	43°48′32″N 71°9′44″W / 43.80889°N 71.16222°W / 43.80889; -71.16222
• elevation	407 ft (124 m)
Length	5.5 mi (8.9 km)

The West Branch is a 5.5-mile-long (8.9 km)^[1] river located in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is the northern tributary of Ossipee Lake, part of the Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean.

The West Branch begins at the outlet of Silver Lake in the southern corner of Madison, New Hampshire, and takes a winding course south towards Ossipee Lake. It forms the boundary between the towns of Freedom and Ossipee. The flat, sandy terrain through which the river flows is known as the West Branch Pine Barrens and is the site of a nature preserve owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy.