The Shetucket River is a tributary of the
Thames River
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
, long,
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 in eastern
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in the United States.
It is formed at
Willimantic by the junction of the
Willimantic and
Natchaug rivers. It flows southeast and south. Approximately northeast of
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
it receives the
Quinebaug River and broadens into a wide
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
which stretches southeast for approximately and joins the Thames estuary on the south side of Norwich.
The river flows through a rural section of
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
, despite the historical presence of industry in the surrounding region. Parts of the rivers have been designated by the federal government as the
Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. The
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
describes the river valley as the "last green valley" in the
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
-to-
Washington megalopolis
A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enough ...
. In nighttime
satellite
A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...
photos, the valley appears distinctively dark amidst the lights of the surrounding urban and suburban regions.
Crossings
Environmental issues
The Shetucket River has been tested for the presence of
PFAS following the June 8, 2019 incident that spilled thousands of gallons of firefighting foam in the
Farmington River. Elevated levels of PFAS were found in bass collected in the Shetucket River,
Natchaug River and the
Willimantic River. As of 2023, the
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection still mentions a fish consumption advisory in effect for those three rivers.
Paddling the River
The entire length of the river, as well as the lower part of the Natchaug River flowing into it, is a popular recreational paddling route. The water trail is designated as a
National Recreation Trail
The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...
.
Canoe/Kayak launch sites are located at the following locations:
*Lauter Park off Route 195 - Willimantic (on Natchaug River 1 mile above Shetucket River)
*Recreation Park on Plains Road - Windham
*Baltic Riverside Park on Route 97 - Sprague
*Occum Dam canoe portage - Sprague
*Lisbon Canoe Launch off Route 169 - Lisbon
*Greenville Dam canoe portage - Norwich
*Howard Brown Park - Norwich
Short, marked portages are required at four hydroelectric dams: Scotland Dam, Occum Dam, Taftville Dam, and Greenville Dam.
See also
*
List of Connecticut rivers
References
External links
National Park Service: Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage CorridorLastGreenValley.org
Online Shetucket River maps
{{Authority control
Rivers of Windham County, Connecticut
Rivers of New London County, Connecticut
Rivers of Connecticut
Connecticut placenames of Native American origin
Tributaries of the Thames River (Connecticut)
National Recreation Trails in Connecticut