Housatonic River Geography

The Housatonic rises from four sources in the western end of Massachusetts at The Berkshire Housatonic Mountains River flows 149 miles of its four sources in western Massachusetts. Following a southeasterly direction as far south as the river passes through parts of From western Massachusetts and Connecticut before arriving at their destination in Long Island Sound at Milford Point. The Housatonic River has a total drop of 1430 feet (959 meters from the confluence of East and West Branches). Its main tributaries are the Williams, Green and Konkapot Rivers in Massachusetts, the Tenmile River in New York and the Shepaug, Pomperaug, Naugatuck and banks of rivers in Connecticut.

. 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. West Branch of Pontoosuc Lake and joins the Southwest Branch at Clapp Park in Pittsfield. From here it flows a short distance until it joins the eastern branch, near Pittsfield, Fred Garner Park.

The main stem of the Housatonic River, which flows south to 132 miles from its mouth at Long Island Sound at Milford Point, Connecticut. The main stem of the river has an overall fall of 959 feet. Housatonic River and its tributaries drain an area of 1,948 square kilometers. From its headwaters south to the Great Barrington, the valley is narrow and fast flowing river, which is characterized by several rapid drops in altitude before it emerges from the hills of Berkshire. In this section there are a lot of commercial and industrial development. The lower zone is rich in land culture, and through this section, the river flows more slowly, winding its way through the valley of Falls Village, Connecticut.

The Housatonic The estuary of the river produces a third of all seed oysters that are a vital part of the shellfish industry business in Connecticut. In the bottom section of this 12 miles of the river are tidal wetlands and salt marshes are an important habitat for plants, birds, molluscs, fish and other aquatic life. Housatonic River enters Long Island Sound at Milford Point.

Housatonic River History

The river's name comes from the Mohawk phrase "USI-a-di-en-uk" translated as "beyond the mountain place. The family of the Mohican Algonquian Indians, who arrived from New York west of the Taconic Mountains, were the inhabitants of the valley first. The river was sometimes known as "Potatuck", or "Big River" until the 18th century. A large part of the basin the river has been developed for agriculture in the colonial era.

The Housatonic River is located in a predominantly rural area of western Massachusetts, where agriculture was the main occupation of the settlements through the end of 1800. As with most rivers, the start of the industrial revolution the late 1800s led to the manufacture of the Housatonic River banks, in Pittsfield, MA. Water power played a prominent role in 19th century industrial development, and the remains of dams, mills and furnaces of the iron ore races can still be seen today. Northeast Utilities operates five hydroelectric plants on the river today. Dams in three of these facilities – the Shepaug, Stevenson and Derby – form a chain of lakes, Candlewood Lake, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoar and Lake Housatonic, from New Milford south to Shelton. Much of the upper section of river in Massachusetts, is still in agricultural use, however, the past industrial discharges (PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls) in the river has created water quality problems. PCBs persist in river sediments, from Massachusetts to Stevenson Dam in Connecticut. These organic chemicals synthetics that can persist for decades and are a cause for concern and action continued.

Further down in the valley, in the areas of New Milford and Brookfield, the snuff wave farms flourished until the 20th century development. South of Derby, industrial development, including steel mills and heavy industry, characterizes the stream. This stretch is also an estuary, which supports a number of critical habitats for rare plants and animals and is a significant contributor to mollusc population in Connecticut. The Housatonic Estuary is the most consistent producer of seed oysters in the northeast as a public oyster, and generates more than third of all oyster seed available to the state seafood industry.

The U.S. Navy also named a river boat Housatonic. The USS Housatonic has the distinction of being the first ship in history to be sunk by a submarine, the CSS HL Hunley confederate ship.

href = "http://www.raftingamerica.com/interior.php?page=connecticut"> Housatonic River Rafting and Recreation

With over 100,000 acres of public recreation land throughout the watershed, opportunities for swimming, canoeing / kayaking, fishing, rowing, canoeing, hiking, camping and skiing abound. The Appalachian Trail runs along the river for five miles between Kent and Cornwall Bridge, the longest stretch of riverside walk between Georgia and Maine. Further north along the river road back about a mile in Sheffield, MA.

Since it is a gentle river, navigation is usually limited to canoes and floating-rate travel. Many are launching pads along the River.

About the Author:

Ryan Hutchings is the Executive Director for Rafting America, the top white water rafting organization in the world. He works closely with rafting outfitters and various outdoor companies specializing in marketing strategy.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Recreational Guide: the Housatonic River

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