It originally contained a series of eight small waterfalls in a narrow stream between what is now South Main Street and the tidal Taunton River.

The upper portion of the river, east of Pleasant Street, was dammed to provide additional water power and storage for the mills.

There is a bike path on the abandoned railroad that parallels Interstate 195 directly over the Quequechan, and plans to expose the falls where they were downtown are often discussed.

The upper, eastern portion of the river was originally a relatively narrow and shallow stream flowing through a flat, wide valley of glacial deposits overlaying a deep granite ridge.

The steep, western portion of the river between downtown and the waterfront originally consisted of a series of eight small waterfalls confined within a narrow, rocky bed.

The earliest use of the river for industrial purposes occurred in 1703 when Benjamin Church established a grist mill with a small dam just west of what is now South Main Street.

The original members of the Watuppa Reservoir Company were David Anthony, Nathaniel B. Borden, Oliver Chace and Bradford Durfee.

During periods of low water, the extensive area of "flats" became covered in a putrid muck consisting of industrial and human waste and various other garbage.

Similarly, the coastal cities in Southern New England proposed a "Tri-State" highway linking areas such as New Haven with Providence and Cape Cod.

[9] However, business leaders in New Bedford and downtown Fall River protested, claiming the highway would allow patrons to by-pass their cities altogether.

The proposed highway would also require the demolition of the Second Granite Block, old City Hall, the Troy Mills and several other buildings.

The portion of the Quequechan River between Plymouth Avenue and the waterfront was redirected into a series of underground culverts, passing under Interstate 195 to a new gate house located at the corner of Hartwell and Fourth Street.

From there, it then flows parallel to the south side of the highway to Pocasset Street, passing under the Fall River Chamber of Commerce property and highway ramps before re-emerging on the uphill side of the former American Printing Company Mill #7 before it passes under the mill.

The river then reappears under the Braga Bridge before flowing under the stone arch of Central Street and into Battleship Cove.

[10] Other plans propose to "daylight" the falls, restore or re-create them, and build a green belt with a connection to the waterfront.