Shetucket River

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Coordinates: 41°31′20″N 72°04′40″W / 41.52222°N 72.07778°W / 41.52222; -72.07778
Shetucket River
River
Country United States
State Connecticut
Counties Windham, New London
Tributaries
 - left Quinebaug River
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°N 72.19194°W / 41.71278; -72.19194 [1]
Mouth Confluence with Yantic River to form Thames River
 - location Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
 - coordinates 41°31′20″N 72°04′40″W / 41.52222°N 72.07778°W / 41.52222; -72.07778 [1]
Length 20 mi (32 km)
Discharge for Willimantic, CT [2]
 - average 718 cu ft/s (20 m3/s)
 - max 1,243 cu ft/s (35 m3/s) Annual mean, 1938
 - min 337 cu ft/s (10 m3/s) Annual mean, 1965
Shetucket River and environs

The Shetucket River is a tributary of the Thames River, 20.4 miles (32.8 km) long,[3] 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 miles (6 km) northeast of Norwich it receives the Quinebaug River and broadens into a wide estuary which stretches southeast for approximately 5 miles (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 Plains Road bridge, 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°N 72.121950°W / 41.664967; -72.121950, the second at 41°35.836′N 72°2.978′W / 41.597267°N 72.049633°W / 41.597267; -72.049633, and the last at 41°34.35′N 72°2.728′W / 41.57250°N 72.045467°W / 41.57250; -72.045467 using NAD83.

Crossings

Carries Location Built
Route 2 Norwich
Providence and Worcester Railroad
Route 12/Route 2
Route 2
8th Street
Providence and Worcester Railroad Norwich and Lisbon
Route 12
Route 169
Connecticut Turnpike
Bridge Street/Main Street Norwich and Sprague
Route 97 Sprague
Route 203 Windham
Providence and Worcester Railroad
Plains Road

See also

  • List of Connecticut rivers

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey (September 12, 1979). "Geographic Names Information System Feature Detail Report: Shetucket River". Retrieved 2007-06-09. 
  2. ↑ United States Geological Survey (2005). "Water Resources Data Connecticut Water Year 2005". Retrieved 2007-06-09. 
  3. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011

External links

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