Housatonic River
Housatonic River | ||
Housatonic River near Kent, CT |
||
Data | ||
Water code | US : 212670 | |
location | Massachusetts , Connecticut (USA) | |
River system | Housatonic River | |
origin |
Muddy Pond near Washington, MA 42 ° 23 ′ 12 " N , 73 ° 6 ′ 45" W |
|
Source height | 439 m | |
muzzle | at Milford Point in the Long Island Sound Coordinates: 41 ° 10 ′ 8 ″ N , 73 ° 6 ′ 31 ″ W 41 ° 10 ′ 8 ″ N , 73 ° 6 ′ 31 ″ W |
|
Mouth height | 0 m | |
Height difference | 439 m | |
Bottom slope | 1.8 ‰ | |
length | 240 km | |
Catchment area | 5045 km² | |
Drain |
MQ |
133 m³ / s |
Left tributaries | Konkaput River , Shepaug River , Pomperaug River , Naugatuck River | |
Right tributaries | Green River , Tenmile River , Still River | |
Reservoirs flowed through | Lake Lillinonah , Lake Zoar | |
Medium-sized cities | Pittsfield , New Milford , Shelton , Stratford | |
Small towns | Stockbridge , Brookfield , Derby | |
Housatonic River catchment area |
The Housatonic River [ ˌhuːsəˈtɒnɪk ] is a 240 km long river in the northeastern United States .
It rises in western Massachusetts , flows southeast through Connecticut and flows into Long Island Sound at Milford Point .
geography
The Housatonic River has five sources in the Berkshire Mountains near the town of Pittsfield in western Massachusetts. It flows mostly in a southerly direction, first through the Berkshire Mountains, then into western Connecticut and flows into Long Island Sound at Milford Point. In the lower reaches the river gains width, which in places reaches more than 1 km. The main tributaries of the Housatonic River are the Williams River , Green River, and Konkaput River in Massachusetts, and the Tenmile River , Shepaug River , Pomperaug River , Naugatug River, and Still River in Connecticut.
Dams
A total of five dams dam the river in Connecticut and are used to generate electricity: The dams at Falls Village, Bulls Bridge, Sherpaug, Stevenson and Derby. The reservoirs of Lake Lillinonah and Lake Zoar were created after the construction of the two dams Sherpaug Dam and Stevenson Dam.
Hydropower plants
There are several hydropower plants on the Housatonic River.
The Rocky River pumped storage power plant is located near Milford Haven and pumps water from the Housatonic River into Candlewood Lake or drains it back into it.
Below Lake Lillinonah is the Shepaug hydropower station, and below Lake Zoar is the Stevenson hydropower station.
The hydropower plants in the downstream direction:
Surname | Power in MW |
Number of turbines |
location | operator |
---|---|---|---|---|
Falls Village | 9 | 3 | ( ⊙ ) | First Light Hydro |
Bulls Bridge | 7.2 | 6th | ( ⊙ ) | First Light Hydro |
Rocky River | 24 | 3 | ( ⊙ ) | First Light Hydro |
Shepaug | 37.2 | 1 | ( ⊙ ) | First Light Hydro |
Stevenson | 30.5 | 4th | ( ⊙ ) | First Light Hydro |
Derby | 8th | 4th | ( ⊙ ) | McCallum |
Covered bridges
There are three wooden covered bridges on the Housatonic River :
- Bulls Bridge Covered Bridge , between Gaylordsville and Kent, built in 1842
- West Cornwall Covered Bridge , near Cornwall , built in 1841
- a burned and 1998 rebuilt bridge near Sheffield
history
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the Housatonic River valley was home to the Housatonic , a Mahican tribe . These are not to be confused with the Mohegan , whose residential area was 150 km further east. The Indians called the river "Usi-a-di-enuk", which translates as "below the mountains". On Adriaen Block's voyage along Long Island Sound in 1614, he went up the Housatonic River. He called it the River of Red Hills . Until the 18th century, the river was called "Potatuck" or "Great River" by the whites. During the colonial period, the settlers used the valley and the adjacent areas for agriculture. In the 19th century, hydropower played an important role and remains of dams, mill wheels and smelting furnaces for iron ore bear witness to this. Today, five dams damm the river in the lower reaches for electricity generation, while agriculture is predominant in the upper reaches in Massachusetts.
From 1932 to 1977 there were significant problems with industrial effluents, most notably from PCB discharged into the river by General Electric at Pittsfield. Although water quality has improved over the past few decades, concentrations of PCBs are still detected in river water between Pittsfield and Stevenson Dam in Connecticut.
Tobacco is grown on the lower reaches of the river near New Milford and Brookfield, further south there are steelworks and heavy industry plants. This section of the river is subject to the tides and forms the habitat, albeit endangered, for rare animals and plants. The most productive oyster farms in the American Northeast are located in the mouth of the Housatonic River .
Flora and fauna
The 5045 km² catchment area of the Housatonic River has a rich flora and fauna. The different landscape forms, the geology and the climate create ideal conditions for the habitat of certain plants and animals. The course of the river can be divided into five vegetation sections:
- Northern hardwoods are found on the upper reaches of the river in Massachusetts. Sugar maples , birches , yellow birches , white pines and hemlocks grow in this region . In the valley of Schenob Brook in Sheffield, vegetation thrives that is more likely to be found further south in the Atlantic coastal plain in North Carolina .
- Transitional hardwoods are predominant in southern Massachusetts, such as red oak , linden , white ash, and black birch . Less common in this region marsh rosemary , swamp willow-herb , Canada violets and hard club moss .
- Central hardwoods characterize the area in northern Connecticut from Cornwall Bridge to New Milford. Red, white and black oaks , hickories and chestnuts thrive here . There are also New England grapes , hairy wood mint and Wiegand's wild rye .
- The Appalachian oak is found from New Milford to Derby, there are also red, white and black oak, yellow poplar , black birch, white ash and hemlock. Green violet, Virginia snake root (Eupatorium rugosum), green milkweed (Asclepias) and Vaseys pondweed (Potamogeton) are among the typical plants of this region.
- Coastal hardwood grows in the tidal section of the river, including alders , willows , reeds , bushes, wild vines, and plants also found in southeastern Piedmont and the coastal plains. Rare species such as Eaton's bream (Isoetales) and mudweed grow at the mouth .
The open area is a habitat for pheasants , rabbits , red foxes and marmots , while deer , gray foxes , gray squirrels , hares , porcupines , grouse and woodcock can be found in the forests . Mostly fur-bearing mammals live on the river banks, such as beavers , muskrats , raccoons , otters and minks . The area is rich in water birds, including Canada geese , black, forest, Krick- and goldeneye , as well as birds of prey such as peregrine falcons , bald eagles and osprey .
Web links
- Housatonic Valley Association
- Housatonic River Initiative Riverkeeper
- Map of the catchment area
- Connecticut Guide for Paddlers
Individual evidence
- ↑ Geology at hvatoday.org
- ↑ energyjustice.net
- ↑ Human History at hvatoday.org
- ↑ Wildlife at hvatoday.org