“The Housatonic has the largest set of advisories because of the PCB contamination,” said Brian Toal, an epidemiologist with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. “It has more than any other river or body of water.” Despite the warnings, swimming in the river and its lakes is not considered dangerous.

What towns does the Housatonic River go through?

Housatonic River, river in southwestern New England, rising in the Berkshire Hills, near Pittsfield, Mass., U.S. It flows southward for 148 miles (238 km) through Massachusetts past Pittsfield, Lee, and Great Barrington; and then through Connecticut past New Milford, Derby, and Shelton to enter Long Island Sound, 4 …

What river runs through Derby CT?

Naugatuck River
The Naugatuck River is a 40.2-mile-long (64.7 km) river in the U.S. state of Connecticut….Naugatuck River.

Naugatuck River Great River, Nawcatuck
• locationDerby, Connecticut
• coordinates41°18′49″N 073°04′50″WCoordinates: 41°18′49″N 073°04′50″W
• elevation3 ft (0.91 m)

Can you kayak on the Housatonic River?

Paddling… The waters of the Housatonic River provide excellent white-water and flat-water canoeing & kayaking and swimming. Hikers will enjoy a splendid view of the river from the Appalachian Trail where it parallels the river as it passes through Sharon, Cornwall and Kent, Conn.

Can you eat fish from the Housatonic River?

The fish in the Housatonic River — especially trout, eel and pike — can accumulate such high levels of PCBs in their flesh that they’re not safe to eat. People can eat other fish from the river — bass, perch, bullhead — as long as it’s not more than once a month.

Where is the mouth of the Housatonic River?

Milford
Long Island Sound
Housatonic River/Mouths

Why is Derby CT a city?

It is the smallest city in Connecticut by area, at 5.3 square miles. Derby was settled in 1642 as an Indian trading post under the name Paugasset. It was named after Derby, England, in 1675….

Derby, Connecticut
Incorporated-town1775
Incorporated-city1893
Founded byJohn Wakeman
Named forDerby, England

Why is Derby a city?

Derby gained city status in 1977, and by the 2011 census its population was 248,700. Derby was settled by Romans, who established the town of Derventio, later captured by the Saxons, and later still by the Vikings, who made their town of Djúra-bý one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw.

Is the Housatonic River saltwater?

The Housatonic Estuary is the mixing area where fresh water from the Housatonic River meets salt water from Long Island Sound. This fresh and salt water mixing creates a unique environment that supports an abundance of plants and animals and becomes a special feeding, breeding and nursery area.

Can you eat catfish from the CT River?

Black Bullhead, Bullheads (and catfish) from Brewster Pond in Stratford should not be eaten. Carp caught in the Housatonic River should not be eaten by anyone. People in the High Risk Group should not eat carp caught in the Connecticut River.

What is the history of the Housatonic Valley?

Indigenous history. One notable native was Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke tribe, who still hold a portion of the former reservation on the west side of the Housatonic River, in what is now called the town of Kent. English settlement of the northern Housatonic Valley began in 1725 in Sheffield, Massachusetts.

Where is mercury found in the Housatonic River?

High mercury levels are measured in the sediment at the outflow delta of the Housatonic River into Long Island Sound. The Housatonic River watershed drains 1,948 square miles (5,050 km 2) in western Connecticut and Massachusetts and eastern New York.

Where are PCBs found in the Housatonic River?

The highest concentrations of PCBs in the Housatonic River are found in Woods Pond in Lenox, Massachusetts, just south of Pittsfield, where they have been measured up to 110 mg/kg in the sediment. About 50% of all the PCBs currently in the river are estimated to be retained in the sediment behind Woods Pond dam.

What makes Shelton’s Housatonic River scenic?

The scenic Housatonic River is an integral part of Shelton’s history and identity. Here are some of the scenic elements or notable features that make it so: Shelton has more than eleven miles of Housatonic River shoreline, much of which appears forested as viewed from the water, even in densely populated areas.