Connecticut River

Connecticut River
The Connecticut River seen from behind Gillette Castle in Lyme, Connecticut
River map, with major tributaries and selected dams
Native name	Kwenitegok (Abenaki)[1]
Location
Country	United States
Region	New England
State	Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire
Cities	Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut
Physical characteristics
Source	Fourth Connecticut Lake
• location	Coos County, New Hampshire, United States
• coordinates	45°14′53″N 71°12′51″W / 45.24806°N 71.21417°W / 45.24806; -71.21417
• elevation	2,660 ft (810 m)
Mouth	Long Island Sound
• location	Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Connecticut[2]
• coordinates	41°16′20″N 72°20′03″W / 41.27222°N 72.33417°W / 41.27222; -72.33417
Length	410 mi (660 km)
Basin size	11,260 sq mi (29,200 km2)
Discharge
• location	Thompsonville, Connecticut
• average	18,400 cu ft/s (520 m3/s)
• minimum	968 cu ft/s (27.4 m3/s)
• maximum	282,000 cu ft/s (8,000 m3/s)
Discharge
• location	West Lebanon, New Hampshire
• average	6,600 cu ft/s (190 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Chicopee River
• right	White River
Protection status
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Connecticut River Estuary and Tidal River Wetlands Complex
Designated	October 14, 1994
Reference no.	710[3]

v t e Connecticut River
Legend
Fourth Connecticut Lake Third Connecticut Lake Moose Falls Dam US 3 Second Connecticut Lake First Connecticut Lake Perry Stream Lake Francis (Murphy Dam) NH 145 Pittsburg Covered bridge Indian Stream US 3 NH VT Halls Stream Stewartstown Lower Canaan Dam VT 114 Canaan Mohawk River NH 26 Colebrook Columbia VT 105 North Stratford St. Lawrence & Atlantic RR Nulhegan River Janice Peaslee Bridge Upper Ammonoosuc River US 2 Lancaster Israel River Mount Orne Covered Bridge Maine Central RR Johns River Gilman Dam Gilman Moore Dam NH 18 Littleton I-93 Waterford Comerford Reservoir Passumpsic River Barnet Monroe McIndoes Reservoir Ryegate Dam Ammonoosuc River Wells River Bridge US 302 Woodsville Wells River Waits River NH 25 Bradford VT 25A Fairlee VT 113 East Thetford Ompompanoosuc River NH 10A Hanover Wilder Dam US 4 West Lebanon White River Boston & Maine Mascoma River I-89 White River Junction Ottauquechee River Covered bridge New England Central RR NH 12 Claremont Sugar River Little Sugar River VT 11 Springfield Black River Williams River Bellows Falls Bellows Falls Dam New England Central RR Vermont Railway Bellows Falls Saxtons River Cold River NH 123 Walpole Partridge Brook VT 9 Brattleboro West River Whetstone Brook VT 119 Hinsdale Vernon Dam Ashuelot River VT   NH MA New England Central RR Route 10 Northfield Route 2 Gill Millers River Turner Falls Dam Gill–Montague Bridge Turners Falls Road Bridge General Pierce Bridge Deerfield River Canalside Rail Trail Bridge Pan Am Railways Route 116 Sunderland Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge Route 9 Northampton Fort River Mill River Manhan River US 202 Holyoke Holyoke Dam Route 116 Holyoke Pan Am Railways Route 141 Holyoke I-391 I-90 Chicopee Chicopee River I-91 US 20 Springfield CSX RR Route 147 Springfield Mill River Westfield River US 5 Agawam MA CT Route 190 Enfield Enfield Falls Canal New Haven–Springfield Line Route 140 Windsor Locks I-91 Dexter Coffin Bridge Scantic River Farmington River I-291 Windsor Connecticut Southern RR Limit of tidal river and navigability I-84 Hartford Route 2 Founders Bridge Park River Hockanum River US 5 Charter Oak Bridge Route 3 Wethersfield Mattabesset River Route 66 Middletown Providence & Worcester RR Salmon River Route 82 East Haddam Eightmile River I-95 Old Lyme Amtrak Northeast Corridor Lieutenant River Long Island Sound

The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for 406 miles (653 km) through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island Sound.^[4] Its watershed encompasses 11,260 square miles (29,200 km²), covering parts of five U.S. states and one Canadian province, via 148 tributaries, 38 of which are major rivers.^[5] It produces 70% of Long Island Sound's fresh water,^[5] discharging at 18,400 cubic feet (520 m³) per second.^[6]

The Connecticut River Valley is home to some of the northeastern United States' most productive farmland, as well as the Hartford–Springfield Knowledge Corridor, a metropolitan region of approximately two million people surrounding Springfield, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut.^[7]