Housatonic River

Housatonic River
River
Looking south down the Housatonic River toward the I-95 bridge in Milford, CT.
Country	USA
States	Connecticut, Massachusetts
Counties	Fairfield, CT, Litchfield, CT, New Haven, CT, Berkshire, MA
City	Pittsfield, MA
Source	Muddy Pond
- location	Washington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA
- elevation	1,440 ft (439 m)
- coordinates	42°23′12″N 73°06′45″W / 42.38667°N 73.1125°W / 42.38667; -73.1125
Mouth	Long Island Sound
- location	Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)
- coordinates	41°10′08″N 73°06′31″W / 41.16889°N 73.10861°W / 41.16889; -73.10861
Length	149 mi (240 km)
Basin	1,948 sq mi (5,045 km²)
Discharge	for Stratford/Milford, CT
- average	4,700 cu ft/s (133 m³/s)
- max	48,600 cu ft/s (1,376 m³/s)
- min	54 cu ft/s (2 m³/s)
Discharge elsewhere (average)
- Great Barrington, MA	767 cu ft/s (22 m³/s)
Housatonic River watershed

Stevenson Dam, which blocks the Housatonic River to form Lake Zoar, and that also functions as the State Route 34 bridge across the river

The Housatonic River is a river, approximately 149 mi (240 km) long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about 1,950 square miles (5,100 km²) of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound. Its watershed is just to the west of the watershed of the lower Connecticut River.

Geography

The Housatonic rises from four sources in far western Massachusetts in the Berkshire Mountains near the city of Pittsfield. It flows southward through western Massachusetts through the Berkshires and into western Connecticut, and empties into Long Island Sound between the towns of Stratford and Milford.

The river's total fall is 1430 feet (959 feet from the confluence of its east and west branches). Its major tributaries are the Williams, Green and Konkapot Rivers in Massachusetts, the Tenmile River in New York, and the Shepaug, Pomperaug, Naugatuck, and Still Rivers in Connecticut. It receives the Naugatuck River at Derby, Connecticut, and the Still River south of New Milford, Connecticut.

Five dams impounded the river in Connecticut to produce hydroelectricity, the Falls Village, Bulls Bridge, Shepaug, Stevenson and Derby dams. The last three dams form a chain of lakes, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoar and Lake Housatonic, from New Milford south to Shelton.

History

The river's name comes from the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place".^[1]

Inspired by the river during his honeymoon, the American classical music composer Charles Ives wrote The Housatonic at Stockbridge as part of his composition Three Places in New England during the 1910s. The town of Stockbridge is located in southwestern Massachusetts. The river enters Stockbridge on the east side of town then turns south towards Connecticut.

From about 1932 until 1977 the river received PCB pollution from the General Electric plant at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. [1] Although the water quality has improved in recent decades, the river continues to be contaminated by PCBs. [2]

There is an American Nuclear Test of the same name, although it is not known if the name came from the river or some other source.

The United States Navy named a ship for the Housatonic River. The USS Housatonic has the distinction of being the first ship in history to be sunk by a submarine, the confederate vessel CSS H.L. Hunley.

Recreation

The Housatonic River is a popular whitewater paddling destination beginning at Weatogue, CT and continuing to Gaylordsville, CT. Most of the river is quickwater and Class I whitewater with long sections of Class II-III whitewater. A deadly and extreme Class VI resides at Great Falls (in Canaan (Falls Village), CT) and is most likely not able to be paddled. The most dangerous and difficult section that is navigable is by Bulls Bridge, CT with Class V whitewater.

The Housatonic River is also a popular fly fishing destination. Fly fishing on the Housatonic River has been compared with many western rivers and boasts some of the finest trophy trout fishing in the eastern United States. The most popular area for fly fishing is between the Falls Village Dam and the town of Cornwall Bridge in Litchfield County.

See also

• List of Connecticut rivers
• List of Massachusetts rivers
• List of crossings of the Housatonic River

References

Connecticut portal

External links

• Housatonic Valley Association
• Housatonic River Initiativer-Riverkeeper
• Housatonic River Restoration
• Charles Ives' Three Places in New England
• Watershed map
• Connecticut Explorer's Guide Online paddling map of the Housatonic River
• Housatonic River Fishing and River Reports
• Mouth or other endpoint (Long Island Sound) is at coordinates 41°10′08″N 73°06′31″W / 41.1688°N 73.1085°W / 41.1688; -73.1085
• Source (Muddy Pond) is at coordinates 42°23′12″N 73°06′45″W / 42.3867°N 73.1125°W / 42.3867; -73.1125
• GE/Housatonic River Site: Introduction