Quinebaug River
title: "Quinebaug River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-hampden-county,-massachusetts", "rivers-of-worcester-county,-massachusetts", "rivers-of-new-london-county,-connecticut", "rivers-of-windham-county,-connecticut", "rivers-of-tolland-county,-connecticut", "rivers-of-massachusetts", "rivers-of-connecticut", "connecticut-placenames-of-native-american-origin", "massachusetts-placenames-of-native-american-origin", "tributaries-of-the-thames-river-(connecticut)", "national-recreation-trails-in-connecticut"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinebaug_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Quinebaug River |
| image | Quinebaug Danielson.jpg |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | United States |
| subdivision_type2 | State |
| subdivision_name2 | Connecticut, Massachusetts |
| subdivision_type3 | Counties |
| subdivision_name3 | New London, CT, Windham, CT, Worcester, MA, Hampden, MA |
| discharge1_location | Jewett City, CT |
| discharge1_min | 40 cuft/sAnnual mean, 1931 |
| discharge1_avg | 467 cuft/sAverage, 1920-2009 |
| discharge1_max | 2640 cuft/sAnnual mean, 1938 |
| source1 | Holland Pond |
| {{Coord | 42.082071 |
| source1_location | Holland, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States |
| source1_elevation | 645 ft |
| mouth | Empties into Shetucket River |
| {{Coord | 41.556 |
| mouth_location | Preston and Lisbon, New London County, Connecticut, United States |
| mouth_elevation | 30 ft |
| tributaries_left | French River |
| :: |
| name = Quinebaug River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = Quinebaug Danielson.jpg | image_caption = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Connecticut, Massachusetts | subdivision_type3 = Counties | subdivision_name3 = New London, CT, Windham, CT, Worcester, MA, Hampden, MA | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= Jewett City, CT | discharge1_min = 40 cuft/sAnnual mean, 1931 | discharge1_avg = 467 cuft/sAverage, 1920-2009 | discharge1_max = 2640 cuft/sAnnual mean, 1938 | source1 = Holland Pond | source1_location = Holland, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 645 ft | mouth = Empties into Shetucket River | mouth_location = Preston and Lisbon, New London County, Connecticut, United States | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 30 ft | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = | tributaries_left = French River | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Quinebaug_River_(Massachusetts_+_Connecticut)_map.jpg" caption="Quinebaug River and environs"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/View_of_Quinebaug_from_Butts_Bridge,_Canterbury,_CT.JPG" caption="Canterbury, CT"] ::
The Quinebaug River ( ) is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously Qunnubbâgge, Quinibauge, etc., meaning "long pond", from qunni-, "long", and -paug, "pond". The river is one of the namesake rivers in the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.
Course
The river is about 69 mi in length. It originates from East Brimfield Lake and ponds northwest of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, flows generally southeast and south through Connecticut (Putnam, Danielson, Plainfield, Canterbury and Jewett City), the river joins Aspinook pond which begins in Canterbury and ends in Jewett City. The river then continues to the Shetucket River northeast of Norwich. That river flows from there into the Thames River and drains into the Long Island Sound. It is dammed in its upper reaches at East Brimfield Dam, Westville Dam, and West Thompson Lake all for flood control, as well as numerous mill dams which powered mills along the river's course. Some of these still provide hydroelectric power today.
Watershed
The Quinebaug River watershed covers 850 sqmi, and extends into western Rhode Island. It is heavily forested with 29 named streams including six major tributaries (the French, Moosup and Five Mile Rivers, and the Wales, Mill and Cady brooks). The watershed also contains 54 lakes and ponds, 31 of which with an area of 10 acre or more, for a total of about 3,000 acre; the largest is East Brimfield Reservoir in Brimfield and Sturbridge, 420 acre in area. The watershed is home to fish species including trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, and panfish. Elevations range from 1264 ft above sea level on Mount Pisgah in Wales, Massachusetts, to about 25 ft in Norwich, Connecticut.
Crossings
::data[format=table]
| State | County | Town | Carries | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT | New London | Lisbon and Griswold | Providence and Worcester Railroad | |
| [[File:I-395.svg | 25px]] I-395 (Connecticut Turnpike) | 1956 | ||
| [[File:Connecticut Highway 12.svg | 20px]][[File:Connecticut Highway 138.svg | 20px]] Route 12/Route 138 | ||
| Silvandale Road crossing (abandoned) | ||||
| Windham | Canterbury | Providence and Worcester Railroad | ||
| Butts Bridge Road | ||||
| Canterbury and Plainfield | [[File:Connecticut Highway 14.svg | 20px]] Route 14 | ||
| Brooklyn and Plainfield | [[File:Connecticut Highway 205.svg | 20px]] Route 205 | ||
| Brooklyn and Killingly | [[File:US 6.svg | 20px]] US 6 | ||
| Pomfret and Killingly | [[File:Connecticut Highway 101.svg | 20px]] Route 101 | ||
| Cotton Bridge Road | ||||
| Putnam | Landfill access bridge (private) | 1999 | ||
| Technology Park Drive | 2015 | |||
| Airline Rail Trail | ||||
| [[File:US 44.svg | 20px]] US 44 | 1925 | ||
| Bridge Street | 1958 | |||
| [[File:Connecticut Highway 171.svg | 20px]] Route 171 | 1988 | ||
| Thompson | West Thompson Road | 1964 | ||
| Blain Road (bridge removed) | ||||
| Red Bridge Road | 1964 | |||
| Brickyard Road | 1964 | |||
| Fabyan Road | 1999 | |||
| [[File:Connecticut Highway 197.svg | 20px]] Route 197 | |||
| MA | Worcester | Dudley | [[File:MA Route 131.svg | 25px]] Route 131 |
| Southbridge Branch RR (abandoned) | ||||
| West Dudley Road | ||||
| Southbridge | East Main Street | |||
| AO Factory Road (private) | ||||
| AO Factory Pedestrian Bridge (private) | ||||
| AO Factory Pedestrian Bridge (private) | ||||
| AO Factory Pedestrian Bridge (private) | ||||
| Pipeline crossing | ||||
| Business Park Road (Private) | ||||
| [[File:MA Route 169.svg | 25px]] Route 169 | 1956 | ||
| Central Street | ||||
| River Street | ||||
| Mill Street | 1956 | |||
| [[File:MA Route 131.svg | 25px]] Route 131 | |||
| Sturbridge and Southbridge | Westville Dam service road | 2003 | ||
| Breakneck Road/Wallace Road | 1956 | |||
| Sturbridge | Old Mashapaug Road | 1956 | ||
| Grand Trunk Rail Trail | 2002 | |||
| Farquhar Road | 1939 | |||
| Haynes Street | 1961 | |||
| [[File:I-84.svg | 20px]] I-84 | 1971 | ||
| Old Sturbridge Village Road | 1972 | |||
| OSV Pedestrian Bridge (Private) | ||||
| OSV Covered Bridge (Private) | ||||
| Stallion Hill Road | 1956 | |||
| Holland Road | 1956 | |||
| Hampden | Brimfield | Holland-East Brimfield Road | 1958 | |
| Holland | Morse Road (closed) | 1939 | ||
| Pond Bridge Road | 1934 | |||
| :: |
Paddling the river
Three sections of the Quinebaug River have been designated National Recreation Trails by the National Park Service, some of the first water trails to receive this designation. The sections are: Holland Pond to East Brimfield Reservoir (in Holland and Brimfield, Massachusetts), Paper Mill Dam in Dudley to West Thompson Lake, and Simonzi Park in Putnam to Aspinook Pond in Canterbury. The East Coast Greenway runs along the river in some spots.
Canoe/kayak launch sites are located at the following locations:
- Pond Bridge Road, Holland
- US Route 20 boat ramp, Brimfield
- Old Mashapaug Road, Sturbridge
- West Dudley Road, Dudley
- Fabyan Road, Thompson
- West Thompson Lake boat ramp, Thompson
- Simonzi Park on Kennedy Drive, Putnam
- Route 101, Pomfret
- Riverside Park off Day Street, Brooklyn
- Town Park off Route 12, Killingly
- Quinebaug Trout Hatchery, Plainfield
- Robert Manship Park off Route 14, Canterbury
- Butts Bridge Road, Canterbury
Gallery
File:USACE Brimfield Lake and Dam.jpg|Brimfield Lake and Dam on the Quinebaug River in Hampden County, Massachusetts File:USACE Westville Lake and Dam.jpg|Westville Lake and Dam on the Quinebaug River in Worcester County, Massachusetts
References
References
- Bright, William. (2004). "Native American placenames of the United States". University of Oklahoma Press.
- U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive. link. (2012-03-29 , accessed April 1, 2011)
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