The Quinebaug River ( ) is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously , , etc., meaning "long pond", from , "long", and , "pond". The river is one of the namesake rivers in the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.
Course The river is about in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 It originates from East Brimfield Lake and ponds northwest of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, flows generally southeast and south through Connecticut (Putnam, Danielson, Plainfield, Canterbury and Jewett City), the river joins Aspinook pond which begins in Canterbury and ends in Jewett City. The river then continues to the Shetucket River northeast of Norwich. That river flows from there into the Thames River and drains into the Long Island Sound. It is dammed in its upper reaches at East Brimfield Dam, Westville Dam, and West Thompson Lake -- all for flood control -- and has as well numerous mill dams, which powered mills along the river's course. Some of these still provide hydroelectric power today.
Watershed The Quinebaug River watershed covers , and extends into western Rhode Island. It is heavily forested with 29 named streams including six major tributaries (the French, Moosup and Five Mile Rivers, and the Wales, Mill and Cady brooks). The watershed also contains 54 lakes and ponds, 31 of which with an area of or more, for a total of about ; the largest is East Brimfield Reservoir in Brimfield and Sturbridge, in area. The watershed is home to fish species including trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, and panfish. Elevations range from above sea level on Mount Pisgah in Wales, Massachusetts, to about in Norwich, Connecticut.
Crossings StateCounty Town Carries BuiltCTNew LondonLisbon and GriswoldProvidence and Worcester Railroad I-395 (Connecticut Turnpike)1956 Route 12/Route 138Silvandale Road crossing (abandoned)WindhamCanterburyProvidence and Worcester RailroadButts Bridge RoadCanterbury and Plainfield Route 14Brooklyn and Plainfield Route 205Brooklyn and Killingly US 6Pomfret and Killingly Route 101Cotton Bridge RoadPutnamLandfill access bridge (private)1999Technology Park Drive2015Airline Rail Trail US 441925Bridge Street1958 Route 1711988ThompsonWest Thompson Road1964Blain Road (bridge removed)Red Bridge Road1964Brickyard Road1964Fabyan Road1999 Route 197MAWorcester Dudley Route 131Southbridge Branch RR (abandoned)West Dudley RoadSouthbridgeEast Main StreetAO Factory Road (private)AO Factory Pedestrian Bridge (private)AO Factory Pedestrian Bridge (private)AO Factory Pedestrian Bridge (private)Pipeline crossingBusiness Park Road (Private) Route 1691956Central StreetRiver StreetMill Street1956 Route 131Sturbridge and SouthbridgeWestville Dam service road2003Breakneck Road/Wallace Road1956SturbridgeOld Mashapaug Road1956Grand Trunk Rail Trail2002Farquhar Road1939Haynes Street1961 I-841971Old Sturbridge Village Road1972OSV Pedestrian Bridge (Private)OSV Covered Bridge (Private)Stallion Hill Road1956Holland Road1956HampdenBrimfieldHolland-East Brimfield Road1958HollandMorse Road (closed)1939Pond Bridge Road1934
Paddling the river Three sections of the Quinebaug River have been designated National Recreation Trails by the National Park Service, some of the first water trails to receive this designation. The sections are: Holland Pond to East Brimfield Reservoir (in Holland and Brimfield, Massachusetts), Paper Mill Dam in Dudley to West Thompson Lake, and Simonzi Park in Putnam to Aspinook Pond in Canterbury. The East Coast Greenway runs along the river in some spots.
Canoe/kayak launch sites are located at the following locations: Pond Bridge Road, Holland US Route 20 boat ramp, Brimfield Old Mashapaug Road, Sturbridge West Dudley Road, Dudley Fabyan Road, Thompson West Thompson Lake boat ramp, Thompson Simonzi Park on Kennedy Drive, Putnam Route 101, Pomfret Riverside Park off Day Street, Brooklyn Town Park off Route 12, Killingly Quinebaug Trout Hatchery, Plainfield Robert Manship Park off Route 14, Canterbury Butts Bridge Road, Canterbury
Gallery
See also
List of rivers of Connecticut List of rivers of Massachusetts
References
External links Quinebaug Watershed Profile from the Environmental Protection Agency French and Quinebaug Rivers Watershed - profile and documents from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection