Naugatuck+River

**Drainage Basin: Housatonic** toc
 * Naugatuck River**

=1. About this Watershed= The Naugatuck River Basin is a sub basin of the Housatonic River Watershed. The Naugatuck River is the largest river in Connecticut that begins and ends within state boundary lines. The river begins in Torrington, CT and empties into the Housatonic River in Derby, CT.

For an interesting overview on the divergent histories of the Naugatuck and Shepaug, check out [|The Trout Pool Paradox] by George Black

1a. Map of Watershed
media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=naugatuck+river,+ct&sll=41.358132,-73.087011&sspn=0.023225,0.038452&g=cone+pond,+ct&ie=UTF8&ll=41.541735,-73.047409&spn=0.185363,0.307617&t=p&z=12&output=embed" width="425" height="350"  =2. Geology= The bedrock beneath the eastern and western highlands of Connecticut consists of Pre-Cambrian and Paleozoic crystalline rocks. The central lowland is underlain by early Mesozic sedimentary rock alternating with igneous basalt and diabase. During the last glaciation, Connecticut was completely covered by a sector of the Laurentide ice sheet. Ice movement was mainly NNW to SSE across the state. However, on the west side of the Central Lowland, ice movement was southwest and west. As the glacier retreated, meltwater picked up rock debris that had been carried by the ice and deposited it in streams and lakes that were fed by the meltwater. These deposits are more than 30 meters thick in some places. 1]

The Western Highlands region of Connecticut includes the Housatonic-Southwest Coastal Basin and the Naugatuck Basin. This region is dominated by narrow bedrock valleys within extensive upland areas. Ice retreat in these relatively narrow valleys was dominated by sedimentation in a series of small sediment-dammed ponds. 1]  =3. Hydrology= The Naugatuck River is a medium sized river located in western Connecticut. The main stem of the river originates at the confluence of its east and west branches in the City of Torrington. At this point it has a drainage area of approximately 48 square miles. In Derby, 39 miles downstream it flows into the Housatonic River Estuary. At its mouth in Derby, the Naugatuck River is a fourth order river with drainage-area of approximately 310 square miles. 2]

The basin is contained entirely within Connecticut, primarily in the Towns of Torrington, Litchfield, Harwinton, Thomaston, Watertown, Waterbury, Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia, and Derby. [[|Figure 1]] [[|Figure 2]] The difference in elevation from its origin in Torrington to the mouth in Derby is approximately 540 feet, resulting in a relatively steep gradient of about 13 feet per mile. Consequently, it is a rapidly flowing stream for most of its length, consisting primarily of riffles and pools. Exceptions are several relatively short reaches, which have been deepened by dredging activities or are impounded behind low dams. Average annual stream flow at the mouth of the river is approximately 560 cubic feet per second (cfs). Dry weather minimum flows are on the order of 80 cfs. 2]

The river is influenced by the rise and fall of the tide for a distance approximately one mile upstream of the mouth, which is 12 miles from Long Island Sound. The first upstream barrier to migratory fish is the Kinneytown Dam at Seymour; it is located approximately five miles upstream from the mouth. 2]  =4. History= Naugatuck, a word derived from the American Indian; the original Naugatuck was most likely an Indian phrase that is thought to possibly mean either a tree or a place of fishing at the falls. The original phrase most likely was pronounced quite differently than the single word we use today, as it was difficult to translate the local Indian language into English without losing something in the process. 3] Another source states that the name Naugatuck comes from the Paugussett Indians and means "the river which comes from Nawcatock" - present-day Seymour. 4]

4a. Floods of 1955
The floods of 1955 were declared “the worst flood in the history of the eastern United States” by the Connecticut Flood Recovery Committee in November of 1955. These floods were caused by torrential rains dropped on the region by Hurricanes Connie and Diane. Hurricane Connie was responsible for six inches of rain on August 13th. Another fourteen inches of rain was dropped only five days later by Hurricane Diane. The flooding occurred on August 19th. Connecticut was declared a disaster area by President Dwight Eisenhower. 5]

Before survivors could recover from this devastating flood, the region was once again inundated by heavy rains. This new bout of rainfall lasted from October 14th through the 16th. Once again, Connecticut was declared a disaster area and the survivors were left to clean up the aftermath. 5]

In the end, the 1955 floods cost Connecticut 91 lives, with 12 others missing and presumed dead. There were 86,000 people left unemployed and more than 1,100 families left homeless. Another 2,300 families were left temporarily without shelter. The damage to individual property, to business, to industry, and to State and municipal facilities was estimated at almost half a billion dollars. 5]

The Connecticut State Library hosts a number of photographs taken during and after the 1955 floods. [|Click here] to view their page. =5. Human Use & Impact= Land use in the Naugatuck River Basin consists of a mixture of urban and residential areas and forest and agricultural zones. In general the upper half of the basin is rural with the exception of the small cities of Torrington and Thomaston. The Naugatuck basin downstream from Thomaston is heavily urbanized with the exception of a two-mile section between Naugatuck and Beacon Fails where the river flows through a scenic valley bounded on both sides by the steep, forested hills of the Naugatuck State Forest. 2]

The main population centers of the Naugatuck River Basin are the cities of Waterbury, Naugatuck, Torrington and Ansonia. Due to the steep gradient of the main stem and the many short, steep tributaries, runoff from precipitation is rapid and the river is prone to floods. The record flood occurred in 1955 resulting in significant loss of life and property valued on the order of $220 million. 2]

Beginning in the 1700s, the Naugatuck Valley became attractive for industrial development. The river was well suited for waterpower because of its steep gradient and was developed for this use very early in the history of Connecticut. The tributaries and the main river were used for industrial water supply and for the disposal of wastes. The river also became a receiving stream for municipal sewage, as well as other wastes generated in the manufacturing of rubber, synthetic chemicals and textiles.6]

In 1899, a report by the state Sewage Commission stated that the Naugatuck River had reached the limit for permissible pollution due to the discharge of industrial wastes and municipal sewage. Another report in 1915 by the state Board of Health described the river as badly polluted throughout its length. This report listed six municipal and 29 industrial waste sources. 6] After the 1955 flood, the US Army Corps of Engineers undertook many flood control projects in the Naugatuck River Valley. A large flood control dam was built on the main river in Thomaston and six additional flood control dams were built on tributaries. Also, there were extensive channel modifications in the cities of Torrington, Waterbury, Ansonia, and Derby where local flood control projects were constructed. 6]

The river remained polluted until the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1967 the Connecticut Clean Water Act, along with the federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, set things into motion to begin cleaning up the Naugatuck. Legal action and state and federal grants resulted in the installation of secondary waste treatment at all eight municipal sewage treatment plants that discharged into the Naugatuck River. Industrial dischargers were also required to install similar levels of waste treatment. By the mid-1970s, these changes along with the general decline of the major brass mills led to a dramatic improvement in water quality throughout the basin. 6]

Data collected from chemical/physical monitoring in the lower river since 1974 shows significant reductions in levels of total organic carbon, phosphorus, and turbidity. Reductions in levels of the industrial pollutants iron and zinc were also found. In 1991 fish and invertebrate sampling indicated that the lower river downstream from Waterbury supports populations of aquatic life including tolerant invertebrates and forage fish. This is an improvement over similar sampling that showed a near total absence of life as recently as 1984. Remaining water quality problems are primarily due to excessive levels of copper and ammonia, especially in the downstream portion of the river. 6]

During the period 1985-2000, Trout Unlimited and the Naugatuck River Watershed Association members and other volunteers completed more than 50 river clean-ups, planted at least 10,000 bushes and trees and millions of seeds (grass, ground cover and flower) along the river to help reduce erosion, siltation and thermal pollution. Scores of wood duck, bluebird and tree swallow house were erected along the river. About 100 channel catfish were stocked in the river above the Kinneytown and Tinque Dams. Prior to the DEP stocking the river in 1988 with catchable trout for the first time since the industrial revolution, the Naugatuck Chapter stocked the river under permits with several thousand fingerling and catchable size trout. The goal was to create a strain of trout that could survive the various types of pollution in the river and its tributaries. 2]

During the summer of 2000, more than 300 boulders were installed within a 4,000-foot stretch of the river in downtown Torrington to help restore fisheries. During 2006, 24 boulder-clusters (4-6 large boulders) were placed in 0.5-mile stretch on the Naugatuck River south of the Route 42 Bridge in Beacon Falls. The boulders were placed to help restore habitat for fish and other aquatic life. 2]  =6. Flora (Plants)= Add text and links here.  =7. Fauna (Animals)= A fish ladder has been in place at the Kinneytown Dam in Seymour since 1999. When it is operational, usually May through September, about 25 species of fish have been using it to migrate up and down the river. They include: the American shad, striped bass, white sucker, gizzard shad, sea-run brown trout, sea-run tiger trout, brown trout, brook trout, tiger trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, common carp, Atlantic salmon surplus broodstock, blueback herring, alewife, sea lamprey, American eel, largemouth bass, sunfish, channel catfish and walleye. 2]

Fish migrating upriver cannot ascend over the Tinque Dam in Seymour, which is about one mile upriver from the fish ladder. The plan for a by-pass over the dam has been a work in progress for several years. 2]

In 1999, dams in Waterbury (Anaconda, Freight Street and Platt’s Mill) and the Union City Dam in Naugatuck were removed or breached and thermal refuges and spawning habitat was improved on Sled Haul and Fulling Mill Rivers. Six other similar projects were in the planning stages. 2]  =8. Lesson Plans & Field Studies= Add text and links here.  =9. Personal Stories= Jeanne DellaRocco recalls watching the flood waters near her home in Ansonia: "I saw these boxes floating along and at first I thought they were hope chests from Spector Furniture." The chests were actually coffins that had been unearthed by the flood waters and carried downstream.  =10. Community Groups= The Naugatuck River Watershed Association is a citizen's, non-profit ecological organization dedicated to the restoration, conservation, and development of the Naugatuck River watershed as a multi-use resource. It will work to enhance the river's scenic beauty, recreational uses, and economic value. To enjoy clean air and water and unpolluted land is our fundamental right. The NRWA is prepared to defend that right and to act as a voice of public concern in protecting the air, water, and land in the watershed.
 * About the Floods of 1955**
 * [|Naugatuck River Watershed Association, Inc.]**

The Connecticut State Council of Trout Unlimited (TU) serves as the umbrella organization for its 8 chapters and 3,500 members. The Connecticut Council of Trout Unlimited's ("Connecticut TU") mission is to conserve, protect, and restore our state's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.  =11. Recreation= **Recreation at the Thomaston Dam** Thomaston Dam is part of a network of flood control dams and local protection projects built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Naugatuck River Basin. The dam was constructed at a cost of $14 million and was completed in 1960 in response to the destructive flood of 1955. The dam would prevent $235 million in damages downstream in a recurrence of the flood of 1955 and to date has prevented over $300 million in flood damages.
 * [|Trout Unlimited (Connecticut)]**

The 849 acres of land and water resources provide visitors with many recreational opportunities. The vista picnic area with twenty tables is located near the top of the dam vista and offers splendid views in a relaxed atmosphere. Hikers and sightseers are welcome to explore the several miles of roads, some of which are closed to vehicular traffic.

Thomaston Dam has designated trails for trailbikes and snowmobiles in season, weather conditions permitting. The public is welcome to enjoy fishing and upland game hunting in accordance with all state laws and regulations. Trout and pheasant are stocked by the CT Department of Environmental Protection. For the model aircraft enthusiast, there is an area maintained under a cooperative agreement with a local club for the flying of radio controlled model aircraft. The flight area is open to the public.  =12. Related Links= Add text and links here.  =13. Notes/Sources= 1. "GIS Data Guide Support." Department of Environmental Protection. 1 July 2009. http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2698&q=323272&depNav_GID=1707#intro 2. Gregorski, Bob. "Naugatuck River Restoration." __Naugatuck River Homepage__. 27 June 2009. http://www.naugawatshed.org/Naugatuck%20River%20Restoration.htm 3. “Home Waters.” Northwest Connecticut Trout Unlimited. 27 June 2009. http://nwcttu.tripod.com/ 4. The Derby Historical Society. __Images of America: Derby__. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1999. 5. “The Connecticut Floods of 1955: A Fifty-Year Perspective.” Connecticut State Library. 30 June 2009. http://www.cslib.org/flood1955.htm 6. Gregorski, Bob. "Naugatuck River History." __Naugatuck River Homepage__. 9 June 2009. http://www.naugawatshed.org/Naugatuck%20River%20History.htm 7. The Derby Historical Society. __Images of America: Ansonia__. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1999.