The Quinnipiac River

The Quinnipiac River. . , "Long Water Land" or "Quinnipiack" is the name that the indigenous Quinnipiac people gave to this fresh water river which also has a tidal, salt water flow from Long Island Sound. , It originates near the border of New Britain and Plainville, CT and flows 38 miles through New Haven Harbor to Long Island Sound. At various times it was known as the East River, Dragon River or New Haven River. It is south-central Connecticut's largest river. , The river was always used for fishing, but as early as 1650, it became a commercial waterway when North Haven made a barge of logs to carry bog-iron to a new foundry at Furnace Pond by Lake Saltonstall, in what is now Branford. , Bog-iron is a form of impure iron deposit that develops in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in solution. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, known as goethite (FeO(OH)). The foundry melted the bog-iron to produce tools and wroughtiron implements. , The barge traveled down the Quinnipiac River to the harbor, around the Palisades of Morris Cove and up the Farm River to the foundry. , This tidal river, where salt and fresh water converge, produced prodigious amounts of oysters and created a great deal of wealth for the settlers who cultivated oyster farms along the shores until a combination of pollution and building on the shores caused a collapse. , Oyster farming and recreational boating, kayaking and canoeing are all enjoying a resurgence today: Fishing, boating and kayaking are popular activities on the river and draw people from all over the state to the Canoe Ramp on Clifton St. , It was only recently that the hunting of wildlife on the river near the Route 91 Bridge, was banned as a safety measure. , Take a short walk on Quinnipiac Avenue to the Quinnipiac Meadow Marsh and the Fargeorge Nature Preserve, which are maintained by Gather New Haven for passive recreation. There are two short routes there to a viewing station at the river's edge from which visitors may watch egrets, hawks and both native and migratory species. , Residents have found arrowheads and other signs of native encampments at nearby Grannis Island. Artifacts can be seen at the New Haven Museum downtown. , A stone marker for the John Davenport Farm, dating to 1638, was discovered a few years ago near the river. , Historical images courtesy of the New Haven Museum