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The main
stem length of the Mattabesset River is about 18 miles, and it falls about
460 feet in elevation.
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Historically, its source is Smith Brothers Pond in Southington. A
technical view today might consider its source to be Merimere Reservoir in
Meriden, based upon the greatest waterway length and watershed area.
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Its
mouth is on the Connecticut River, where it forms the border between
Middletown and Cromwell.
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The
Coginchaug River is the predominant tributary of the Mattabesset River,
and some people view the Coginchaug as a separate watershed.
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The
total area of the watershed is 109 square miles, including 39 square miles
in the Coginchaug River sub-watershed.
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Willow
Brook in New Britain is the tributary that drains the next largest area -
11 square miles.
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Other
major tributary brooks are Belcher Brook in Berlin (includes Hatchery
Brook and Crooked Brook, draining eight square miles) and Sawmill Brook in
Middletown (includes Fall Brook and Roaring Brook, draining seven square
miles).
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Nine
reservoirs for public water supplies impound its waters. The largest is
Shuttle Meadow Reservoir in New Britain, which is approximately 200 acres
in size. The highest is Wasel Reservoir in Southington, at an elevation of
512 feet above sea level. Others are Adder, Merimere, Kenmere, Hallmere,
Mount Higby and Laurel Brook reservoirs, and Harts Ponds.
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Over 40
lakes and ponds are in the watershed. The largest is Silver Lake in
Berlin/Meriden, 150 acres in area. Myer Huber Pond in Guilford is a source
of the Coginchaug River.
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Important watershed brooks by town include: Newington (Webster and
Rockhole); Rocky Hill (Little/Cold Spring and Saw Mill); Cromwell (Cold
Spring, Coles, Willow, and Chestnut); Durham (Pannalee). The Coginchaug
River is important especially in the towns of Durham, Middlefield, and
Middletown.
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Boggy
Meadow (also called Cromwell Meadows) is a large marsh that comprises the
last few miles of the river. Its water level changes with the tide in the
Atlantic Ocean, and the fact that it is freshwater (tidal waters are
generally salt water) makes this an uncommon wildlife habitat.
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Wadsworth Falls in Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middlefield is a
significant waterfall of the Coginchaug River.
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The
watershed lies in three counties and 15 towns, of which 8 towns have more
than 33% of land area in the watershed.
