The Natchaug River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 river in Windham and Tolland Counties in northeastern Connecticut. The name ''Natchaug'' comes from the

Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...

language and is believed to mean ''land between rivers.''

Course

The Natchaug River is formed in Eastford, Connecticut at the confluence of Bigelow Brook and the Still River. It then flows to the south, paralleling Connecticut Route 198. The river also runs along (and in a few cases through) the western border of the main Natchaug State Forest parcel. Where the river briefly passes through Natchaug State Forest, locals can have picnics along the river, go fishing, and enjoy white-water rafting through the abundant rapids and swimming in the river's clean water. This spot becomes very crowded during the summer. After passing through this area, the Natchaug River begins flowing in a more southwesterly direction, still paralleling Connecticut Route 198. The river now enters the town of Chaplin. Diana's Pool, another popular swimming hole for locals, lies on the Natchaug River just before this point. The river then continues to flow to the southwest, entering Windham, and paralleling

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...

. It finally flows into the Mansfield Hollow Lake near the

Windham Airport Windham Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of the central business district of Willimantic, a city in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the Connecticut Airport Authority. It is includ ...

. The Natchaug River then flows out of the Mansfield Hollow Reservoir through the Mansfield Hollow Dam, now carrying the waters of the Mount Hope River and the Fenton River, which also flow into the Mansfield Hollow Reservoir. After leaving the reservoir, the Natchaug River forms the border between the towns of Mansfield and Windham, and also the border between Windham County and

Tolland County Tolland County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,788. It is incorporated into 13 towns and was originally formed on 13 October 1785 from portions of eastern H ...

. It then flows in and out of the Willimantic Reservoir, which is used for drinking water purposes and not for recreational use, then enters Willimantic. it joins the

Willimantic River The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States. It is formed in northern Tolland County, near Stafford Springs ...

, forming the

Shetucket River The Shetucket River is a tributary of the Thames River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in eastern Connecticut in the United States. It is formed at ...

. Large boulders and rapids can be found along much of the river. A small oxbow forms just south of the Reservoir, nearby US 6, causing the boundary of Windham and Mansfield to depart from the river briefly.

Crossings

Whitewater Rafting

The Natchaug River is popular with rafters for its swift waters and challenging rapids. The river has a particularly challenging stretch in Chaplin. This stretch is less than a mile but is quite intense, ranking at Class IV on the International Scale of River Difficulty, and with a number of waterfall-like drops.

Fishing

The Natchaug River is popular with fishermen from the area. The river is stocked with

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, but several other types of fish also swim in its waters.

References

External links