Pachaug – the River Be Dammed - Thames River Basin Partnership

THAMES RIVER BASIN PARTNERSHIP
Our Mission
The Thames River Basin
Partnership is a voluntary,
cooperative effort to share
organizational resources and to
develop a regional approach to
natural resource protection. The
partnership grew out of locally led
workshops held by the region's
Soil and Water Conservation
Districts.

Protect the region's agricultural and
natural areas being threatened by land use
changes.

Protect ground and surface water quantity
and quality being threatened and degraded
by contamination.

Protect the region's biodiversity.

Improve the coastal zone resource
conditions
Who are the Thames River Basin
Partners?
THE PACHAUG RIVER IS A 16.0-MILE-LONG
RIVER ARISING FROM THE PACHAUG STATE
FOREST AT THE CONNECTICUT - RHODE
ISLAND BORDER AND DRAINING INTO THE
QUINEBAUG RIVER IN JEWETT CITY.
ALONG THOSE 16 MILES ARE 14 REGISTERED
DAMS (SOURCE CT DEEP)
It is one of the nine
regional watersheds that
drain towards the Thames
River and eventually, Long
Island Sound
http://clear.uconn.edu/projects/landscape/your/basin.asp?bas
name=36
Once the power source
of industry, the Pachaug
River is now favored for
its many recreational
opportunities.
PACHAUG IS AN INDIAN WORD
MEANING “TURNING POINT”
Thomas Giard, Jr.
Chairperson
Griswold Economic
Development
Commission
THE PACHAUG RIVER IS CROSSED BY THE ASHLAND
MILL BRIDGE IN GRISWOLD, CONNECTICUT, A BRIDGE
WHICH IS LISTED ON THE U.S. NATIONAL REGISTER
OF HISTORIC PLACES.
Photo courtesy of http://www.past-inc.org/bibco/ashl-ph1.htm
Did you know that at the
confluence of the Pachaug
River with the Quinebaug
River is a 5 acre parcel
of land owned by the CT
DEEP that is part of the
Quinebaug Wildlife Area?
Map Source: Connecticut Environmental Conditions
Online
Dam Failure
Inundation Mapping
by
Each diamond
on this map
represents a
dam.
The colored
areas indicate
potential flood
inundation
areas in the
event of a
catastrophic
dam failure.
HOW CONNECTICUT ACQUIRED
THE PACHAUG RIVER DAMS
 In
1958 the State of Connecticut purchased 16 parcels of land totaling 145 acres
of land from United Merchants and Manufacturers, Inc. for $1. This purchase
included “lands to impound water and flow an estimated 2000 acres, more or
less”. Included in this purchase were the dams for Beach Pond, Beachdale Pond,
Glasgo Pond, Pachaug Pond, and Hopeville Pond
 In
1984 the State of Connecticut purchased an additional 4 parcels of land from
United Merchants and Manufacturers, Inc. for another $1. This purchase
included 11.7 acres of land including the Ashland Pond Dam, Slater Dam, United
Pond Dam and a 5 acres parcel at the Quinebaug/Pachaug confluence.
The State of Connecticut has decided these two dams will not be
repaired and may eventually be returned to run of the river condition.
United Pond Dam
Slater Dam/City Pond
 Ashland
Pond Dam
“waterfall”
 Location
where the Town
of Griswold holds events
that bring people together
 Coming
this October 18–
“Spooktopia”, featuring
soon to be retired Nick
Bellantoni’s last public
appearance as State
Archaeologist where he will
be speak on the Jewett
City Vampires
VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
 89
acres surface area
 Mix
of urban development
and agricultural land line the
shores
 The
Aquatic Plant Survey of
Glasgo, Pachaug, Hopeville,
and Ashland Ponds During
2009 found 3 invasive aquatic
plant species in the pond
ASHLAND POND
http://cteco.uconn.edu/map_catalog/maps/lake/bathy
metry/Bathymetry_With_Aerial_Ashland_Pond.pdf
HOPEVILLE POND
 137
acres
 Hopeville Pond State Park
campground
 Public boat launch
 Public swimming access
 Nehantic Blue Blaze Trail Access
Point
 The Aquatic Plant Survey of
Glasgo, Pachaug, Hopeville, and
Ashland Ponds During 2009 found
3 invasive aquatic plant species in
the pond
HOPEVILLE POND – TOO BIG FOR
JUST ONE MAP!
 841
acres
 Public
boat launch
 Pachaug
State Forest
 Maximum
 Average
depth 17’
depth 6.6’
 Forth
of July boat parade held
annually
 The
Aquatic Plant Survey of
Glasgo, Pachaug, Hopeville, and
Ashland Ponds During 2009
found 3 invasive aquatic plant
species in the pond
PACHAUG POND
PACHAUG POND – ANOTHER 2 PAGER!
GLASGO POND
 168
acres
 Public
boat launch
 Fragrant
of grove sassafras
trees noted on the approach
to the lake
Aquatic Plant Survey of
Glasgo, Pachaug, Hopeville,
and Ashland Ponds During
2009 found 3 invasive aquatic
 The
plant species in the pond
CT Fish Finder http://www.ctfishfinder.com
 68
acres
 Accessible
from Glasgo Pond
boat ramp by boating under
the Sheldon Road bridge.
 CT
Agriculture Experiment
Station conducted an aquatic
plant survey in 2011 and
found only invasive aquatic
plant species in the pond
DOANEVILLE POND
SAWMILL POND
 Dam
is privately owned
 North
side of pond fronted
by Pachaug State Forest
 45.9
acres
8
mph limit (no water
skiing)
 Car
top boat launch and
handicap fishing access at
Beachdale Road
 Trailered
boat launch at
Ekonk Hill Road
BEACHDALE POND, VOLUNTOWN
 393
acres
 Maximum
BEACH POND, VOLUNTOWN, CT
AND EXETER, RI
depth ~ 60 feet
 Public
boat launch in CT
 Beach
Pond State Park (RI)
 Managed
for walleye fishing
 This
beach in Rhode Island was
covered in rip rap stone when
budget cuts reduced staffing
to manage the area
 An
aquatic plant survey by CT
Agriculture Experiment Station
in 2008 did not locate any
aquatic invasive species in this
pond
DID YOU KNOW
THAT PACHAUG
STATE FOREST
MAKES UP
APPROXIMATELY
75% OF THE
TOWN OF
VOLUNTOWN?
PAST AND PRESENT ECONOMIC
USES OF THE PACHAUG RIVER
Jack Wesa, Chairperson
Voluntown Economic Development Commission
TOWN OF VOLUNTOWN
CONNECTICUT IN 1855
Briggs
Manufacturing
Company
1928
THE BEACHDALE MANUFACTURING
COMPANY (MILL #1)
YELLOW MILL WAS MILL #2 OF THE BRIGGS
CONCERN
White Mill (Mill #3)
Stone Mill (Mill #4)
BRIGGS MANUFACTURING
COMPANY
A FLOAT ENTERED BY
THE BRIGGS
MANUFACTURING
COMPANY IN A
JEWETT CITY PARADE
PRESENT DAY
VOLUNTOWN
MANY RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN
PACHAUG STATE FOREST
 Camping
 Picnicking
 Fishing
 Hiking
 Nehantic
 Pachaug
Trail
Trail
 Quinebaug
 Equestrian
 Motorcycle
 Dog
Trail
Trail
Trail
Sled Races
Photo courtesy of CT DEEP
Pachaug State Forest
Chapman Area
Voluntown, CT
The Rhododendron Sanctuary offers a short
scenic walk through an unusual ecological type
and is one of very few such areas in New
England. The Rhododendron usually blossom
around July 4th.
Great Swamp Fishing Pier
Beachdale Dam
FISHING ACCESS FOR THE
MOBILITY CHALLENGED
MANY PACHAUG RIVER SEGMENTS ARE
FEATURED IN THIS AMC PADDLING GUIDE
 Eastern
Connecticut
Conservation District
 Avalonia
 CT
DEEP
Land Conservancy
 Town
of Griswold
 Town
of Voluntown
 Northeast
Research
Aquatic
 The
Last Green Valley
 Buttonwoods
 Dean’s
Ice Cream
Corner Restaurant
 Arremony's
Quality Bakery
THANK YOU TO OUR FLOATING
WORKSHOP SPONSORS
THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT HELPED WITH
PLANNING AND/OR RESEARCH FOR THIS WORKSHOP
 Jean
Pillo, ECCD/TRBP Coordinator
 Anne
Roberts Pierson, Avalonia Land Conservancy
 Scott
Dawley, DEEP Parks Department
 Theresa
Madonna, Pachaug Pond Association
 Art
Christian and Caitlin Langwiser, DEEP Dam
Safety Program
 Eric
Thomas, DEEP Water Planning and Land Reuse
Bureau
 Jack
Wesa, Voluntown EDC
 Tom
Giard,Jr, Griswold EDC
 Kate
Johnson, ECCD
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR BOAT PILOTS
Pat
McGrath
Jay
Waitte
Kevin
Tom
Trahan
Burke
Theresa
Art
Madonna
Barber
 Kevin
Skulczyck, First Selectman of Griswold will lead a brief
walking tour of Jewett City while the boat pilots are getting
ready to meet us at the Pachaug Pond boat launch.
 Workshop
participants will relocate to the Pachaug Pond boat
launch and get prepared to load up onto the boats. There is no
dock at the boat launch so there is a possibility of getting your
feet wet while boarding.
 Portable
toilets are available at the boat launch.