Connecticut Water Trails Association
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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program Connecticut Rivers Housatonic River
Site
Location: Basic Information: 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. It rises 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. It empties into Long Island Sound in a fjord near the town of Stratford at Milford Point. The Housatonic River has a total fall of 1430 feet (959 feet from the confluence of the East and West Branches). The East Branch begins at Muddy Pond in Hinsdale and
flows a distance of approximately 17 miles, dropping 480 feet before
merging with the main stem. The West Branch starts from Pontoosuc Lake
and joins the Southwest Branch at Clapp Park in Pittsfield. From there
it flows a short distance until it is joined by the East Branch near
Pittsfield's Fred Garner Park. The Housatonic River main stem, which flows in a
southerly direction 132 miles to its outfall at Long Island Sound at
Milford Point in Connecticut. The main stem of the river has an overall
drop of 959 feet. The Housatonic River and its tributaries drain an area
of 1,948 square miles. From its headwaters flowing south toward Great
Barrington, the valley is narrow and the river flows quickly,
characterized by several swift drops in elevation, before it emerges
from the Berkshire Hills. In this section there is a good deal of
commercial and industrial development. The lower region is rich in
farmland, and through this section the river flows more slowly,
meandering its way through the valley to Falls Village in Connecticut. Its major tributaries are the
Williams,
Green and
Konkapot Rivers in
Massachusetts, the Tenmile River
in New York, and in Connecticut the
Shepaug, and
Pomperaug River.
It receives the
Naugatuck River at Derby, Connecticut. It receives the
Still River south of New Milford, Connecticut. The
river is impounded in several places in Connecticut for
hydroelectricity. While problems do exist in defined stretches, overall the river is characterized by high water quality. The river's flows are sufficient to support Class I, II, III and IV rapids.
The Housatonic River estuary produces one-third of all the seed oysters
which are a vital part of Connecticut's commercial shellfish industry.
In this lower 12 mile section of the river are tidal wetlands and salt
marshes which provide important habitat for plants, birds, shellfish,
finfish and other aquatic life.
Type:
Season: Site Contact Information: Site Coordinates:
Longitude:
73.28992700000001
ºW Latitude:
41.490773
ºN
Location Maps: Fairfield County Litchfield County New Haven County
USGS Quadrangles: Rockville and Marlborough Driving Directions: Directions Map: Regulations: Toilets: Parking: Parking Spaces: Parking Fees: Boat Launch Information: ADA Access: Site Description:
The Housatonic River begins its 149 mile journey in
southwestern Massachusetts. The main stem of the river is formed by the
joining together of the West and Southwest branches of the Housatonic
River in Pittsfield. The East Branch begins at Muddy Pond in Hinsdale
and Washington and flows a total distance of approximately 17 miles,
dropping 480 feet before merging with the main stem. The West Branch
starts from Pontoosuc Lake and joins the Southwest Branch at Clapp Park
in Pittsfield. From there it flows a short distance until it is joined
by the East Branch near Pittsfield's Fred Garner Park. The Housatonic River main stem, which flows in a
southerly direction 132 miles to its outfall at Long Island Sound at
Milford Point in Connecticut. The main stem of the river has an overall
drop of 959 feet. The Housatonic River and its tributaries drain an area
of 1,948 square miles. This area is referred to as the watershed. From
its headwaters flowing south toward Great Barrington, the valley is
narrow and the river flows quickly, characterized by several swift drops
in elevation, before it emerges from the Berkshire Hills. In this
section there is a good deal of commercial and industrial development.
Below Great Barrington, the valley flattens and broadens out. This
region is rich in farmland, and through this section the river flows
more slowly, meandering its way through the valley to Falls Village in
Connecticut. As the Housatonic River moves into Connecticut, the
valley changes dramatically. The valley walls narrow and are flanked by
hills on either side. The river now flows through a much harder
substrate consisting of limestone, quartz and granite, and the river
bottom becomes much rockier. There are still some agricultural
activities in this northwestern part of Connecticut due to the presence
of the river's nutrient rich floodplains. Just south of Bulls Bridge power station, water is diverted from the river and pumped uphill, through a penstock, to Candlewood Lake, the first pump storage reservoir built in the country. Constructed in 1926, it is the largest (5,400 acres) lake in Connecticut. When river levels are too low to support the power generation at the Rocky River Power Station in New Milford, lake water is sent rushing down the penstock and through the generators. Upon leaving New Milford, the river again changes dramatically, becoming a series of 3 in-stream lakes. Each lake is formed by a hydroelectric power dam. The Shepaug Dam forms Lake Lillinonah (1,900 acres) in Bridgewater. Farther south in Monroe, the Stevenson Dam, which is the largest, creates Lake Zoar (975 acres). The third lake is Lake Housatonic (328 acres), formed by the Derby Dam between Derby and Shelton. The flow of the Housatonic River may vary in this
area. River flows are periodically "ponded" behind the dams when normal
river flows are inadequate. The water is then released to turn the
turbines which produce electric power. Below the Derby dam, the river
begins its final change, becoming an estuary, where salt and fresh water
mix. The Housatonic River estuary produces one-third of all the seed
oysters which are a vital part of Connecticut's commercial shellfish
industry. In this lower 12 mile section of the river are tidal wetlands
and salt marshes which provide important habitat for plants, birds,
shellfish, finfish and other aquatic life. The Housatonic River enters
Long Island Sound at Milford Point. Environment: Additional Info:
USGS Water Data - Gaylordsville USGS Water Data - Stevenson
Williams River The Williams River begins at the outflow of Shaker
Mill Pond in West Stockbridge and flows about 10 miles to join the
Housatonic in the northern part of Great Barrington.
Green River The Green River, known for its frigid clear waters,
emanates from No Bottom Pond in Austerlitz, NY and empties into the
Housatonic in Great Barrington just north of the Sheffield border. About
10 miles of the Green River is in New York and a nearly equal length in
Massachusetts. The Konkapot River begins at Lake Buel in New
Marlborough and Monterey, and runs to its confluence with the Housatonic
in Ashley Falls. For about 12 of its 14 miles, the river flows through
Massachusetts with the remainder in Connecticut. The Tenmile River, whose headwaters are in
Connecticut, flows south through New York state and enters the
Housatonic River at Gaylordsville, Connecticut. Its watershed covers 210
square miles, most of which lies in New York. The Still River begins in Danbury, Connecticut and
flows north, entering the Housatonic in New Milford. Its watershed has
an area of almost 72 square miles. The Shepaug River has its source west of Goshen,
Connecticut and flows south, joining the Housatonic at the Bridgewater
and Southbury border. The watershed of the Shepaug River is 156 square
miles. The Pomperaug River originates in Woodbury,
Connecticut and merges with the Housatonic at Southbury. Its watershed
is almost 89 square miles. The Naugatuck River is the largest tributary, with a
watershed of 312 square miles. It begins in Torrington, Connecticut and
joins the Housatonic River in Derby.
Housatonic River Recreation
With
more than 100,000 acres of public recreation land throughout the
watershed, opportunities for swimming, canoeing/kayaking, fishing,
sculling, boating, hiking, camping and cross-country skiing abound. The
Appalachian Trail runs along the river for five miles between Kent and
Cornwall Bridge, the longest stretch of river walk between Georgia and
Maine. Farther north the trail again parallels the river for about
one-mile in Sheffield, MA.
Housatonic River Paddling Trail
Housatonic River Whitewater There are two sections of Connecticut's Housatonic
River: Falls Village to Housatonic Meadows State Forest and
Bulls Bridge to Route 7.
Falls Village to Housatonic Meadows State Forest
.Tucked away in the northwest corner of Connecticut, the Housatonic is
set in the quaint hill towns that are built on the eastern slopes of the
Taconics. The Appalachian Trail crosses the river at the put-in to this
upper section, and two outfitters rent canoes for this run. The river
comes out of Massachusetts, where its source is in the central
Berkshires around Great Barrington. Its watershed is fairly large. Two
hydroelectric dams store a small amount of water that is released when
the demand for power is greatest (usually midday), making the Housatonic
runnable most of the year.
Bulls Bridge is a local test piece
for advanced paddlers. The drops below the covered bridge the Flume,
S-Turn, and Pencil Sharpener are Class IV, while those upstream of the
bridge Stairway to Hell and Threshold are solid class V. For the
ultra-insane, Dead Horse Falls, on a side channel, is a dangerous class
VI with only a few runs logged to date (one paddler broke several
bones). The ledgy riverbed causes powerful holes to form at most water
levels, and several of the drops are large, with Threshold leading the
group at 30 feet plus, followed by Stairway to Hell at about 20 feet
overall; the Flume falls 7 feet in a single plunge. The scenery is
nothing to sneeze at either. Small cliffs appear from time to time next
to the river, and the run takes you through the closest thing
Connecticut has to wilderness, with pine forests, low rolling hills,
and, of course, a covered bridge at the put-in.
Misc Info Fly Fishing On The Housatonic Housatonic River - Cornwall Bridge Housatonic River - Bull's Bridge
Site History: The river's name comes from the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk",
translated as "beyond the mountain place".
Further down in the valley, in the areas of New Milford and Brookfield, tobacco farms flourished until the surge of 20th century development. South of Derby, industrial development, including steel mills and heavy manufacturing, characterizes the river. This stretch is also a tidal estuary, which supports a number of critical habitats for rare plants and animals and is a significant contributor to Connecticut's shellfish population. The Housatonic estuary is the most consistent producer of seed oysters in the northeast as a public oyster bed, and generates over one-third of all oyster seed available to the state shellfish industry. 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 1910's. The town of Stockbridge is located in extreme SW Massachusetts, the river entering from the eastside of town then turning south towards Connecticut. From about 1932 until 1977 the river received PCB pollution from the General Electric plant at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Much of the upper section of the river in Massachusetts is still in agricultural use, however, past industrial discharges of PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls) into the river has created water quality problems. PCB's still remain in the river's sediments from Massachusetts to the Stevenson Dam in Connecticut. These synthetic organic chemicals can persist for decades and are a cause for concern and continued action. Although the water quality has improved in recent decades, the river continues to be contaminated by PCBs. The United State Navy also 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.
The Dutch in the Housatonic Valley by Robert Novak Jr Imagine the scene, not long after the year 1614
- The waters of the Housatonic flow swiftly
downstream through the Housatonic Valley. After tumbling over the Great
Falls at present day New Milford, where the shad journeyed every year to
spawn, they wind their way downriver to merge with the waters of its
largest tributary, the Naugatuck. The shores on both sides are heavily
wooded, trees growing right up to the shore of the mighty river. Here and
there, on both sides, can be found Native American villages and
encampments. The majestic stillness of the high bluffs and tranquil flood
plains along the river is broken only by the occasional splash of a fish
jumping, the chirping and screeching of birds both large and small, the
howl of a wolf, or the calls of Native Americans. The waters swirl past an unfamiliar small craft,
being rowed, paddled, or possibly sailed up the river. Curious Native
Americans on both sides of the river peer behind trees, bolder ones coming
straight to the shore. Some of the Indians may have borne the marks of
smallpox, the mysterious, imported disease which absolutely devastated the
Native American population in Connecticut. The men they gazed upon in the small boat were
strange. They had hair on their faces. They were dirty. They spoke in a
strange tongue. Their skin was pale, appearing sickly-looking to the
Natives. Their clothes were of odd colors and materials. While their boat
may have been a canoe purchased or procured by the Indians downriver, it
may also have been a whaleboat, which would not have been suited for the
swift current of the Great River. The strangers for their part, continued around
the long bend in the river at what is now Sunnyside in Shelton, gradually
coming around Two Mile Island. Gazing upriver, European eyes for the first
time beheld the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. They
probably put ashore at the point between the two rivers, at what is now
Derby, but could just as easily have put ashore on the east (Derby) or
west (Shelton) bank. As their boots touched the Great River’s shore for
the first time, they bore witness to the first words ever to be uttered by
a European in the Housatonic Valley, which may have been something like: “Schoon!”
“Dit is een goede plaats om zaken te doen” (Literal translation: “Beautiful!” and “This is
a good place to do business/trade”) Some of the Natives who gazed upon the first
Dutch expedition up the Housatonic may have seen Europeans before. Many
would spend their summers along the Stratford coast, particularly
Lordship, where seafood was plentiful and easy to come by, and the weather
was cooler and breezier. It was during the summer of 1614 that a strange
ship, the 16 ton vessel Onrust (meaning "Restless" in Dutch), on a voyage
of exploration under the command of Adrian Block, was sighted by the
Indians on the shore. The Onrust paused at the mouth of the Housatonic
while the captain recorded the river was “a bow shot wide”. Naming it the
River of Roodenberg, or Red Hills, he sailed east, fading over the horizon
and out of sight of the curious and inquisitive Native Americans on the
Lordship shoreline. Later the river became known on Dutch charts as the
Mauritius River. Adrian Block would soon give his name to Block Island. While the news that the Dutch were here decades before English settlement of the Connecticut shoreline may have been surprising to some, it has long been known that the Dutch were the first to explore the Connecticut shoreline and the Housatonic River. We also know that the Dutch had an extensive trading network in Connecticut, the chief trading post being the House of Good Hope located at present day Hartford. The Dutch did, of course, settle along the Hudson in New Amsterdam. Being the first ones to explore Connecticut, their claim on the state reached as far as the Connecticut River. As late as 1642, Dutch trade existed in the Valley, as Adrian Van der Donck reported on the river “…to which the name Red Hills has been given…Many beavers are taken here, since a demand for our goods has stimulated the naturally slothful savages”. Dutch trappers may very well have journeyed along smaller streams in the Valley's interior to search of them. It also appears that Dutch traders regularly visited Native villages and other sites on both sides of the river and bartered for beaver pelts and other goods. It is very possible, even probable, that the first European structure in the Valley was Dutch. Most likely it would have been on Derby Point. While there may well have been a small, rude trading post there to do business with the Native Americans of the Housatonic and Naugatuck, it appears that all visits were temporary. None of the incursions, as far as recorded history is concerned, involved the actual, permanent relocation of Dutch settlers from Holland or New Amsterdam to Connecticut, the establishment of farms and families, and the subsequent dislocation of Native Americans as a result. After the Pequot War of 1637, the English had
begun to establish dominance on this part of Connecticut, which was
claimed (but not occupied) by the Dutch, who were not in a position to
enforce it. By 1640 places like Fairfield, New Haven, Milford, and
Stratford were established and growing. The 1600s were very stressful for
the English settlers. Relations with the Indians were never the same after
the terrible carnage of the Pequot War, plus the Dutch in New Amsterdam
were a constant thorn. The English settlers lived in constant fear of
being attacked and possibly exterminated by the Indians or the Dutch. In 1642, a group of English settlers under John
Wakeman of New Haven built a trading post on Derby Point. We can speculate
that they may have taken over a rough Dutch trading post that was already
there but only occasionally occupied. What history does record, is the
little trading post at Derby Point caught the attention of the Dutch
governor of New Amsterdam. William Kieft sent a letter written in Latin to
New Haven. The letter, dated August 3, 1646, accused the English of
“possessing an insatiable desire of possessing that which is ours…have
indirectly entered the limits of New Netherlands…and have been very
injurious unto us.” The letter continued ominously “And because you…have
of late determined to fasten your foot near the Mauritius River…and there
not only disturb our trade…but utterly destroy it…if you do not restore
the places you have usurped and repair the loss we have suffered, we
shall…manfully recover them, neither do we think this crosseth the public
peace, but shall cast the cause of ensuing evil upon you”. The Housatonic Valley, and control of trade with
its Native inhabitants, had now grown into an international incident. The
governor of New Haven colony sent back a quirky reply to the Dutch, also
in Latin. It recapped the Dutch accusation of the encroachment of the
Housatonic, known at this point by the English as the Paugassett River,
and stated “…we know no such (Mauritius) river…It is true we have lately
fell upon the Paugassett River…built a small house within our own limits,
many miles, nay leagues from the Manhattoes (Native Americans of
Manhattan). The letter stated the Indians were “…free to trade with you,
us, Connecticut, Massachusetts, or any other”. By this time, a New Haven man named John Wakeman had explored the area, and in the Spring of 1642, The General Court of New Haven Colony agreed to excuse two of his employees from their mandatory guard duty "because of their imployment at Powgassett" - the first reference to the area in English records. Meanwhile, the Dutch were significantly weakened by the increasing numbers of English settlers, as well as a devastating war with the Indians around the Hudson. The war began in 1643, lasted about four years, saw atrocities on both sides, and greatly increased antagonisms and paranoia between the local Native Americans and English. Fears of war turned into a reality when England and Holland declared war in 1652, only one year after Derby received its first permanent settler - Edward Wooster. The English were afraid the Dutch would turn the Native Americans against them, but the war was resolved quickly without any action taken in North America. An idea of the paranoia manifested in the area can be seen by the witch trials that occurred a year later. One woman each was executed in Stratford and Fairfield. That same year (1653) the United Colonies (Connecticut, New Haven, Massachusetts, and Plymouth) decided to send and expedition of 500 men against New Amsterdam, but the venture fell through when Massachusetts changed their mind and refused to comply. As relations with the Dutch continued to deteriorate, Connecticut and New Haven colonies jointly manned a frigate with 12 guns and 40 men to defend the coast in 1654.
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