Coginchaug River - Misplaced Pages

River in Connecticut, United States

Coginchaug River
The Coginchaug River in Middletown in 2023

Location
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
Cities	Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, Guilford
Physical characteristics

Source
• location	Guilford, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
• coordinates	41°24′25″N 72°42′19″W / 41.40694°N 72.70528°W / 41.40694; -72.70528
• elevation	335 ft (102 m)

Mouth	Mattabesset River
• location	Middletown, CT, Connecticut
• coordinates	41°34′42″N 72°39′30″W / 41.57833°N 72.65833°W / 41.57833; -72.65833
• elevation	20 ft (6.1 m)
Length	16.1 mi (25.9 km)
Basin size	39 sq mi (100 km)

Discharge
• location	Middletown, CT

The Coginchaug River in Connecticut, with a watershed including 39 sq mi of forests, pastures, farmland, industrial, and commercial areas, is the main tributary of the Mattabesset River. It is 16.1 mi long, and the river flows northwards from a point approximately 1.8 mi south of the Durham line in Guilford, Connecticut, into Durham and then Middlefield, meeting the Mattabesset in Middletown, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) upstream of the Connecticut River. The name "Coginchaug" comes from a local Native American name for the Durham area and it was the original name for the town. It has been said to mean "The Great Swamp."

In 2006, the Coginchaug was among Connecticut's 85 waterways cited to be of "lower quality", in view of the elevated levels of bacteria, including E. coli. Currently, efforts are being made by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture to reduce the number of bacteria introduced into the river from untreated sewage, sanitary sewer overflow, agricultural runoff, leaking septic tanks, etc.

Canoeing

The river has become a popular canoeing route. In 2006, it was considered safe for canoeing, though it is not safe for in-water activities like swimming. Flowing from Myer Huber Pond, it runs slowly through thick swamps which stretch over 3 miles (5 km) and are likely to be impassable except immediately after heavy rains. The main paddling route starts at Route 147 and continues downstream, north, through additional slow-moving waters and a swamp. There are many portages, including those at six dams and at Wadsworth Falls, the only major waterfall. Class II whitewater is possible before it flows into the tidal marsh of the Mattabesset River.

References

^ Griffin, Keith (April 25, 2007). "Monitoring the Coginchaug River for a better future". Middlesex County Advertising Supplement. The Hartford Courant. p. 9.
"Google Maps" for lower reaches of Coginchaug & Mattabesset, and adjacent portion of the Connecticut
"CT Rivers Community - Coginchaug River". Archived from the original on 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2013-04-19.

External links

[REDACTED] Media related to Coginchaug River at Wikimedia Commons

Connecticut Explorer's Guide, online paddling map of the Coginchaug River

Rivers of Connecticut by drainage system

Long Island Sound

Black Rock Harbor	Ash Creek Rooster River
Bridgeport Harbor	Pequonnock River
Connecticut River Watershed	Blackledge River Coginchaug River Connecticut River Duck River Eightmile River Falls River Farmington River Hockanum River Hubbard River Jeremy River Lieutenant River Mattabesset River Nepaug River Pameacha Creek Park River Pequabuck River Podunk River Salmon River Scantic River
Housatonic River Watershed	Blackberry River East Aspetuck River Housatonic River Konkapot River Mad River Naugatuck River Pomperaug River Rocky River Schenob Brook Shepaug River Still River Ten Mile River Whiting River
Little Narragansett Bay (Pawcatuck River Watershed)	Ashaway River Green Fall River Pawcatuck River Shunock River Wood River
Milford Harbor	Wepawaug River
New Haven Harbor	Mill River Quinnipiac River West River
Norwalk Harbor (Norwalk River Watershed)	Norwalk River Silvermine River
Saugatuck River Watershed	Aspetuck River Saugatuck River
Thames River Watershed	Basset Brook Beaver Brook Bigelow Brook Fenton River Fishers Brook Five Mile River French River Hop River Little River Merrick Brook Moosup River Mount Hope River Natchaug River Oxoboxo River Pachaug River Quinebaug River Shetucket River Thames River Willimantic River Yantic River
Others	Black Hall River Byram River Cove River Farm River Hammonasset River Indian River Mianus River Mill River (Fairfield) Mystic River Niantic River Noroton River Oyster River Rippowam River

Upper New York Bay

Hudson River Watershed	Titicus River

Categories:

Canoeing

See also

References

External links