Connecticut River
| Region | Type | Maps & Charts (if available, no international) |
|---|---|---|
| North America, New England, Atlantic | River | Connecticut River |
Longest river in New England, 407 miles long; rises in Connecticut Lakes, N N.H., and flows S along the Vt./N.H. state line, then across Mass. and Conn. to enter L.I. Sound at Old Saybrook, Conn.; drains c.11,000 sq miles. There are many rapids and falls on the river; Holyoke Falls, the highest, drops 57 ft. The river is navigable to Hartford, Conn.
The Connecticut Valley is one of the best agrarian regions in New England. World-famous cigar binder and wrapper tobacco once grown in the lower part of the valley have largely disappeared; vegetable farming and dairying are also important. Waterpower resources led to the rise of industrial cities in the 1800s, and the valley became a prime mfg. region; large centers include Holyoke and Springfield, Mass., and Windsor, Conn. Several hydroelectric facilities are on the river, and at Vernon, in S Vt., the waters flow past a nuclear power plant. In 1953 the Connecticut R. Flood Control Compact was established; it has sponsored the building of flood-control devices on the river.
Earliest towns along river include Windsor (1633) and Springfield (1636).
Sources
Robert A. McCaughey Upstream; A Voyage on the Connecticut RiverRelated People
Adraen BlockCompiler
Peter Richards