Shetucket River

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shetucket River
Country	USA
State	Connecticut
Counties	Windham, New London
Length	25 mi (40 km)
Discharge at	Willimantic, CT ^[1]
- average	718 cu ft/s (20 m³/s) Average, 1929-2005
- maximum	1,243 cu ft/s (35 m³/s) Annual mean, 1938
- minimum	337 cu ft/s (10 m³/s) Annual mean, 1965
Source	Confluence of Willimantic River and Natchaug River
- location	Willimantic, Windham County, Connecticut, USA
- coordinates	41°42′46″N 72°11′31″W / 41.71278, -72.19194 ^[2]
Mouth	Confluence with Quinebaug River to form Thames River
- location	Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
- coordinates	41°31′20″N 72°04′40″W / 41.52222, -72.07778 ^[2]
Shetucket River and environs

The Shetucket River is a tributary of the Thames River, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long, in eastern Connecticut in the United States.

It is formed at Willimantic by the junction of the Willimantic and Natchaug rivers. It flows southeast and south. Approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) northeast of Norwich it receives the Quinebaug River and broadens into a wide estuary which stretches southeast for approximately 5 mi (8 km) and joins the Thames estuary on the south side of Norwich.

The river flows through an especially unspoiled rural section of southern New England, despite the historical prevalence of industry in the surrounding region. Parts of the rivers have been designated by the federal government as the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. The National Park Service describes the river valley as the "last green valley" in the Boston-to-Washington megalopolis. In nighttime satellite photos, the valley appears distinctively dark amidst the lights of the surrounding urban and suburban regions.

A popular paddling route begins just east of Willimantic at Rec Park south of Route 14. The waters can be expected to be a combination of flatwater and quickwater for most of the route. Additional put-ins can be found at the Route 203 bridge, the Route 97 bridge, and a take-out at the Route 12 bridge. There are a few dams that should be avoided. The first at 41°39.898′N 72°7.317′W / 41.664967, -72.12195, the second at 41°35.836′N 72°2.978′W / 41.597267, -72.049633, and the last at 41°34.35′N 72°2.728′W / 41.5725, -72.045467 using NAD83.