The Norwalk River is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

in southwestern

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 to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 The word "Norwalk" comes from the Algonquian word "noyank" meaning "point of land".

Description

The Norwalk River originates in ponds located in

Ridgefield, Connecticut Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, 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 ...

. These ponds empty into Ridgefield’s approximately "Great Swamp". The river continues through Ridgefield, and is augmented by the "Great Pond" ( above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

), one of the purest lakes in Connecticut due to its being fed by underwater springs. The river is closely paralleled by

U.S. Route 7 U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) exit 15 ...

as it flows southward through Branchville, Georgetown, Wilton, and Norwalk, where it is joined by the

Silvermine River The Silvermine River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river that flows through the towns of Norwalk, Wilton and New Canaan, Connecticut. It is spanne ...

and then flows into

Norwalk Harbor Norwalk Harbor is a recreational and commercial harbor and seaport at the estuary of the Norwalk River where it flows into Long Island Sound in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States. The last portion of the Norwalk River from the head of navigati ...

and finally into

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

. Recreational

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

continues to be a popular sport along the course of the river, in addition to oystering at the river’s mouth in Norwalk. A 20-year-old man drowned in the river on May 24, 2009 while trying to save a boy who slipped into a strong current near Broad Street in northern Norwalk, near the Route 7 Connector. The boy had been playing in knee-deep water. Jose Higareda, a Mexican immigrant living in Norwalk, jumped in the water with the boy's father, but Higareda was himself dragged downstream toward Deering Pond. The boy survived.Cassidy, Martin B., "Catastrophe on the water: 20-year-old man drowns in Norwalk River while trying to save young boy", May 29, 2009, ''Norwalk Citizen'', p A6

Great Flood of 1955

Over the weekend of October 14–17, 1955, of

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

rain caused the Norwalk River, along with many other Connecticut rivers, to severely

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

. (The statewide destruction prompted

President Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

to declare a

disaster area A disaster area is a region or a locale that has been heavily damaged by either natural, technological or social hazards. Disaster areas affect the population living in the community by dramatic increase in expense, loss of energy, food and serv ...

in Connecticut.) The flood of 1955 caused the most severe damage of any flood in the history of Norwalk. From the heavy rains some

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

s along the Norwalk River broke, sending walls of water surging downstream, knocking out bridges and additional dams. Many of the Norwalk River’s neighboring towns and communities suffered widespread devastation. Several people died in addition to millions of dollars worth of damage along the Norwalk River watershed alone.

Pictures

File:NorwalkCTStroffolinoBrRaised08122007.JPG, Stroffolino Bridge closing, Norwalk File:NorwalkCTStroffolinoBrNorthSide08122007.JPG, Stroffolino Bridge, north side File:NorwalkCTNorwalkRivrRRBridgeCloseup08122007.JPG, Swing railroad bridge, Norwalk File:NorwalkCTNorwalkRivRRBridge08122007.JPG, Swing bridge in Norwalk, longer view File:NorwalkCTWaitAreaHarborCruises08122007.JPG, Waiting area for harbor tours, riverside, South Norwalk File:NorwalkCTNorwalkRiver@Merritt7OfficePark09162007.JPG, The river passes by numerous office buildings in northern Norwalk.

References

External links

The Norwalk River Watershed Association
{{authority control Geography of Norwalk, Connecticut Rivers of Fairfield County, Connecticut Connecticut placenames of Native American origin Long Island Sound Rivers of Connecticut Redding, Connecticut

Description

Great Flood of 1955

Pictures

See also

References

External links