The Farmington River is a river, U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 in length along its main stem, located in northwest

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

with major tributaries extending into southwest

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. The longest route of the river, from the origin of its West Branch, is long, making it the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...

's longest tributary by over the major river directly to its north, the Westfield River. The Farmington River's

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

covers . Historically, the river played an important role in small-scale manufacturing in towns along its course, but it is now mainly used for recreation and drinking water.

Geography

Headwaters for the two branches of the Farmington River, the East Branch and West Branch, are found in southwestern Massachusetts, though only the West Branch officially begins north of the Connecticut border. The West Branch begins at the outlet of Hayden Pond in

Otis, Massachusetts Otis is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,634 at the 2020 census. History Officially incorporated in 1810, the town was ...

. The East Branch begins in Hartland, Connecticut at the confluence of Pond, Hubbard and Valley Brooks. However, this branch has been impounded along the first 11 miles of its course to form the

Barkhamsted Reservoir Barkhamsted ( ) is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It contains seven villages: West Hill, Mallory, Barkhamsted Center, Center Hill, Washington Hill, Pleasant Valley, and Riverton. The population was 3,647 at the 2020 ...

and Lake McDonough; it does not assume a river-like appearance until it exits Lake McDonough in New Hartford, Connecticut. The East Branch and West Branch join in New Hartford, Connecticut, one mile south of the lake. Upper reaches of the river generally flow southward, but the river turns northward in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles ...

, and runs mostly north and east until it flows into the

in Windsor.

History

The Farmington River was the home of a Native American

indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

called the Massaco, who historically inhabited the

Simsbury Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. History Early history At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...

and

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

area of Connecticut. One of the eighteen bands of the

Wappinger The Wappinger () were an Eastern Algonquian Munsee-speaking Native American people from what is now southern New York and western Connecticut. At the time of first contact in the 17th century they were primarily based in what is now Dutches ...

, they lived and fished along the river, which later acquired the name "Farmington" The land of the Massaco was subsequently purchased by the Dutch. This and its settlement during the era of the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

are described in the early history of Simsbury. The Spoonville Dam, built on the Farmington River in 1899 below the Tariffville Gorge in East Granby, was breached in the Flood of 1955 and remained as a partial dam for several decades before being removed in July 2012. The dam, as well as the bridge crossing the Farmington River downstream at Route 187, derived its name from the silver plating factory erected in 1840 on the north bank of the river. It was the first factory of its kind in the United States.

Historical crossings

Several bridges constructed in the 19th century and early 20th century still span the Farmington River to this day. Among these are: * Farmington River Railroad Bridge, a stone

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

in Windsor, Connecticut built in 1867 *

Drake Hill Road Bridge Drake Hill Road Bridge, also known as the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge,Parker through-truss bridge in Simsbury, Connecticut constructed in 1892 and * Town Bridge, a Parker through-truss bridge in Canton, Connecticut constructed by the

Berlin Iron Bridge Company The Berlin Iron Bridge Company was a Berlin, Connecticut company that built iron bridges and buildings that were supported by iron. It is credited as the architect of numerous bridges and buildings now listed on the U.S. National Register of H ...

in 1895 * Richards Corner Bridge, a Pratt through-truss bridge in New Hartford, Connecticut built in 1930 which spans the East Branch Farmington River * Pleasant Valley Bridge, a Parker through-truss bridge in Barkhamsted, Connecticut built in 1939 * Unionville Bridge, a Warren through-truss bridge in Unionville, Connecticut built in 1939

Recreation

The river has several whitewater sections that are popular for tubing and kayaking. One of these, the colloquial "Upper Farmington" section of the West Branch in New Boston, Massachusetts, is about 7 miles (11 km) long. It is Class 2 through farm and woods scenery to an iron bridge, where kayak and canoe slalom races are held. Below the bridge the river becomes Class 3-4, with a short gorge with several abrupt drops. The biggest of these is about four feet at Decoration Rock. Below, the river continues fast and technical with many rocks and constant maneuvering required. The river is continuously rapid, leading through larger drops at Battering Ram rapid and Corkscrew. Eventually the river flattens to Class 2 until a final, ledge rapid at Bear's Den, just above the reservoir. The Upper Farmington is barely runnable (very scratchy with many exposed rocks and pinning possibilities) during fall dam releases, and is a much better run at levels of about 600 cubic feet per second (16,990 L/s), or about 5 feet (1.5 m) on the internet gauge for that section. A second whitewater section is found in

Tariffville, Connecticut Tariffville is a neighborhood and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Simsbury in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,324 at the 2010 census. It is a popular location for whitewater paddlers who use the Farm ...

, one mile (1.6 km) of technical Class 3 water which is runnable all year round. The river is normally paddled at levels between 1.5 and 2.75 feet (45–75 cm) on the internet gauge; above 2.5 feet (75 cm) it becomes significantly heavier and more dangerous. This section includes the famous T-ville Hole, where kayakers can practice hole surfing and freestyle moves above a flat pool. Below the Hole is a broken dam, where the river funnels through an abrupt four foot drop into a large wave. This area is popular with swimmers in summer, and it is risky due to heavy currents and undercut rocks. There have been at least three fatal drownings in the Tariffville Gorge section, primarily people who were not properly prepared or trained for the heavy rapids and pinning obstacles in the gorge. Paddlers without helmets, lifejackets and Class 3 whitewater skills should end downriver trips at Tariffville Park, just above the start of the gorge. Other whitewater areas include Satan's Kingdom in New Hartford, Connecticut, which is popular with tubers, and the Crystal Rapids section in Collinsville and Unionville, Connecticut, which is about four miles (6 km) of Class 1-3 training waters with a bicycle and pedestrian path on the right side of the river. Entrance to the park is free. A service will also pick tubers up and drop them off at certain points.

Dams and power generation

The west branch of the river includes two

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

dams in West Hartland and Colebrook, run by the

Metropolitan District Commission of Connecticut The Metropolitan District Commission of Connecticut (MDC) is a public non-profit municipal corporation chartered by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1929 to provide drinking water and sewer service to the Hartford area. The original agreement ...

. The largest dam on the east branch is the

Saville Dam Saville Dam is an earthen embankment dam with masonry work on the eastern branch of the Farmington River in southwestern Barkhamsted, Connecticut. The dam is 135 ft. (41 m) tall and 1,950 ft. (590 m) long and has an uncontrolled spillway ...

, which impounds the

. The Rainbow Dam, a dam with a hydroelectric generator and a fish ladder, dams the river at Windsor, a few miles before the river flows into the Connecticut River. A number of other dams have been built on the river since European settlement, usually to power mills and other industry. A few, such as in Collinsville, are still mostly intact. The Collinsville Renewable Energy Promotion Act (H.R. 316;113th Congress) would instruct the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency that regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in ...

to issue licenses to the town of

Canton, Connecticut Canton is a town, incorporated in 1806, located in the Farmington Valley section of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,124 as of the 2020 census. It is bordered by Granby on the north, Simsbury on the east, Avon a ...

, to restart two small power dams along the river. The bill passed the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

on February 12, 2013, but has not yet become law. Water released from or flowing over the

Otis Reservoir Otis Reservoir is a reservoir located primarily in Otis, Massachusetts, United States. Small portions are also in Tolland, MA, and Blandford, MA. The lake is popular for boating, swimming, fishing, water skiing, snowmobiling, camping, and water ...

dam enters the Farmington River just north of Reservoir Road in Otis, Massachusetts. Significant quantities of water are released during the fall in order to drop the reservoir water level for the winter.

Natural resources and conservation

Much of the Farmington River has been designated as part of the United States National Wild & Scenic Rivers System. The first such designation on the river was bestowed in 1994 and included 14 miles of water, mostly along the Farmington River West Branch but also a section of the river's main stem, from Hartland to the New Hartford-

town line. In 2019, this designation was extended 1.1 miles further downstream to the confluence with the

Nepaug River The Nepaug River begins at the confluence of North Nepaug Brook and Cedar Swamp Brook about east of Bakerville, Connecticut. It runs for to the Farmington River about south of Cherry Brook, Connecticut.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrogr ...

. Most of the Farmington River main stem and the Salmon Brook tributary system, totalling 61.7 miles of additional water, were also designated Wild & Scenic in 2019. The Farmington River Coordinating Committee oversees the implementation of management plans for the designated runs of the Farmington River and includes representatives from towns along the river, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Metropolitan District Commission,

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

, Farmington River Watershed Association and Farmington River Anglers Association. The Farmington River and its tributaries are known to contain 11 species of

freshwater mussels Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does includ ...

. The Farmington has the highest mussel species diversity of any tributary to the Connecticut, lacking only the

Yellow lampmussel ''Lampsilis cariosa'', the yellow lampmussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Its natural habitat is rivers. Distribution and conservation status This species is fo ...

, which is found only in the mainstem of the Connecticut from Turners Falls, MA downriver to Windsor, CT.

Photographs of notable places

File:Drake Hill Flower Bridge4.JPG, Drake Hill Road Bridge, built in 1892 to span the Farmington River in

, Connecticut File:Collins-Mill-in-Collinsville-CT.jpg, Historic mills along the Farmington River in the Collinsville section of

, Connecticut. File:Farmington River Railroad Bridge, Windsor CT.jpg, A stone arch bridge built in 1867 which still spans the Farmington River in Windsor, Connecticut. File:Savilledam.jpg, The

impounds the East Branch Farmington River to form

. File:Town Bridge over the Farmington River 2.jpg, Town Bridge, built in 1895 over the Farmington River in Canton, Connecticut.

References

External links

Farmington River Watershed AssociationFarmington River Anglers Association
{{authority control Rivers of Berkshire County, Massachusetts Farmington, Connecticut Windsor, Connecticut Rivers of Hartford County, Connecticut Rivers of Litchfield County, Connecticut Tributaries of the Connecticut River Rivers of Massachusetts Rivers of Connecticut Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States