Quinnipiac River

For the river from Norwich, CT, see Quinebaug River.

Quinnipiac River Dragon River, East River, New Haven River
The Quinnipiac River, as seen looking west (upstream) from "Red Bridge" in Meriden, Connecticut
Location
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
Region	New Haven, Hartford
District	North Haven, Wallingford, Cheshire, Southington, Plainville
Cities	New Haven, Meriden
Physical characteristics
Source	Deadwood Swamp
• location	Farmington, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States
• coordinates	41°41′42″N 072°48′55″W
• elevation	335 ft (102 m)
Mouth	New Haven Harbor, New Haven, Connecticut
• location	Long Island Sound, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
• coordinates	41°17′58″N 072°54′14″W
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	45.5 mi (73.2 km)
Discharge
• location	mouth
• average	414 cu ft/s (11.7 m3/s) (estimate)

The Quinnipiac River (/ˈkwɪnəˌpi.æk/ KWIH-nə-pee-ak) is a 45.5-mile (73.2 km) long river in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Connecticut.

The river rises in West Central Connecticut from Dead Wood Swamp near the city of New Britain. It flows roughly southward to Plainville, Southington, and Cheshire, west of the city of Meriden, through Wallingford and Yalesville, North Haven, and flows into New Haven Harbor, an inlet of Long Island Sound, east of downtown New Haven.

History

Map showing the Quinnipiac River watershed.

Bridge in Wallingford, 1907

The name "Quinnipiac" comes from an Algonquian phrase meaning "long water land", and historically referred both to the river and the area around its mouth at Long Island Sound. Europeans found the river in 1614. By the early 18th century, early settlers called the Quinnipiac River the Dragon River after the seals, then referred to as “sea dragons,” that were once abundant there. Although these seals were likely harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), archaeological evidence confirms that gray seals (Halichoerus grypus), which are over twice the size of a harbor seal, also lived near the mouth of the Quinnipiac River as recently as the sixteenth century.

Watershed and course

The Quinnipiac River watershed drains an area of approximately 165 square miles (430 km²). There are four dams, most of which are old remnants, that impede boat travel. The first dam is about 1/2 mile south of Plantsville, the second dam is at the southeast corner of Hanover Pond in South Meriden, the third dam is in northeast Yalesville, and the fourth dam is at the south end of Community Lake in Wallingford.

In April 2017, a small hydroelectric plant using a screw turbine was installed at Hanover Pond.

Paddling is a frequent recreational activity along the Quinnipiac River, especially within the tidal marsh in North Haven. Additionally, the tidal variation extends approximately 14 miles (23 km) upriver from its mouth.

Ecology and conservation

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the river suffered from severe pollution problems because of the presence of heavy industry and population centers in its watershed. The Quinnipiac was the subject of the first ever pollution control measure in the state of Connecticut. In 1886, the state legislature passed a measure prohibiting the City of Meriden from discharging raw sewage into the river. In 1891, the act resulted in the building of state's second sewage treatment plant.

Nevertheless, by 1914, the State Board of Health reported that the major fish life had largely disappeared from its mouth. The pollution has been somewhat abated by the passage of the Connecticut Clean Water Act of 1967, and by the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, which provided the legal authority to take measures to clean up the river's watershed. The measures included the construction of advanced waste management facilities for sewage and industrial waste. Levels of copper in the river have decreased 70% since the 1980s and are now comparable to other reference streams in Connecticut. Combined sewer overflows from the City of New Haven are still regarded as a major problem for the estuary.

Recreation

Paralleling the west bank of the Quinnipiac River through the entire length of Quinnipiac River State Park in North Haven is the Quinnipiac Trail.

Crossings

County	Town	Carrying
Hartford	Plainville	Route 72
		Crooked Street (SSR 536)
		Woodford Avenue (SSR 536)
		Tomlinson Avenue
		Stillwell Drive
		Shuttlemeadow Road
	Southington	Route 10
		Newell Street
		West Queen Street
		Spring Street
		I-84
		Lazy Lane
		Curtiss Street
		Hart Street
		Mill Street
		Center Street
		West Center Street
		West Main Street
		Atwater Street
		Exit 29 ramps
		Route 10
		Old Turnpike Road.
		Route 322
New Haven	Cheshire	I-691
		East Johnson Avenue
		Blacks Road
		Cheshire Street
	Meriden	Oregon Road
		Main Street
	Wallingford	Oak Street
		Route 150
		Route 68
		Route 15/Wilbur Cross Parkway
		Route 150
		Quinnipiac Street
		Toelles Road
	North Haven	US 5
		Broadway
		Route 40
		Sackett Point Road
	New Haven	Middletown Avenue
		I-91
		Grand Avenue
		Ferry Street
		I-95
		US 1

See also

• Grannis Island
• List of rivers of Connecticut

External links

• Quinnipiac River Fund home page
• Connecticut Department of Environment Protection: Quinnipiac River
• Quinnipiac River Historic District, New Haven.
• Quinnipiac River Watershed Association, located on Hanover Pond, Oregon Road, City of Meriden, CT.
• Connecticut Explorer's Guide Online paddling map of the Quinnipiac River