The Connecticut River Selected Resources at the Springfield City Library

"People still write from as far away as the Rocky Mountains to ask if the dinosaur footprints beside the Connecticut River are still in place; they are."

From The Flow of Time in the Connecticut Valley by George W. Bain and Howard A. Meyerhoff

History and Description

The Connecticut River by Marguerite Allis, 1939

A book containing the descriptive and historical background necessary to an intelligent understanding and a discriminating appreciation of what the Connecticut River has meant in the life of New England.

The Connecticut River by Walter R. Hard, 1947

First published in 1947 and out of print for many years, this book tells the story of New England's longest river, from its birth some 15,000 years ago as a small stream sculpted by glaciers in the last ice age through its rich and colorful history as New England's preeminent waterway.

The Connecticut River by William Stekl, 1972

A photographic tour of the river.

The Connecticut River: a Photographic Journey through the Heart of New England by Al Braden, 2009.

Photographer Al Braden celebrates the beauty of the river as well as its role in the region's industrial development. (CWMARS)

The Connecticut River and the Valley of the Connecticut by Edwin M. Bacon, 1911.

The preface of this book states that the story of the Connecticut River and the valley of the Connecticut are so mingled with the history of the country, and particularly of the formative periods, that in the proper telling of it much of history must also be related.

The Connecticut River: New England's Historic Waterway by Edmund Delaney, 1983.

Delaney states in the book's conclusion that Northern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont were settled by people emigrating from Connecticut, who brought with them the same Puritan ethic that had governed them there. Thus, the entire Connecticut River valley was the site of a very homogeneous population for many years.

Dreams of a Landlocked Boatman: Adventures on the Connecticut River by Oliver Allyn. 1998

Growing up in Illinois, the author's dream was to build and sail his own boat -- which he later did many times. His most rewarding sailing adventure was a three-year journey of fifty-two miles down the Connecticut River. CWMARS

The Flow of Time in the Connecticut Valley by George Bain, 1976.

The book covers the geology of the Connecticut River Valley. Bain states “people still write from as far away as the Rocky Mountains to ask if the dinosaur footprints beside the Connecticut River are still in place; they are.”

Freshwater Mussels and the Connecticut River Watershed by Ethan Nedeau, 2008.

This exhaustively researched and beautifully illustrated guide to mussels found in the Connecticut River basin is a welcome tool for resource agencies, conservation commissions, biologists, and schools with active ecological studies programs. CWMARS

Long River Winding: Life, Love, and Death Along the Connecticut by Jim Bissland, 2003.

Author Jim Bissland, moving from Long Island Sound to the New Hampshire hinterlands, explores the river's cities and towns, gathering colorful anecdotes along his serendipitous journey and bringing to life the river's dramatic history and people.

Pioneer Valley: a Pictorial History by Guy A. McLain, 1991.

A history of the Pioneer Valley written by a local historian.

The Upper Valley: an Illustrated Tour Along the Connecticut River Before the Twentieth Century by Jerold Wikoff, 1985.

The author tells the history of the river and states: "For years the Connecticut River was the only cleared path into the forested Upper Valley wilderness. ...Overland roads were virtually nonexistent."

Environment

Confluence: a River, the Environment, Politics, & the Fate of all Humanity by Nathaniel Tripp, 2005.

Tripp is a knowledgeable guide, whether discussing the dwarf wedge mussel or hydroelectric politics. The state of our rivers is grim, to be sure, but one person, argues Tripp, can make a difference.

Connecticut River Basin: 1998 Water Quality Assessment Report by Laurie Kennedy, 2000.

This report presents a summary of current water quality data/information as it relates to assessing the status of the State's designated uses for 27 rivers in the Connnecticut River basin.

Connecticut River Basin Water Resource Decision-Making by Edward Kaynor, 1976.

This is the completion report of the Water Resources Research Center, University of Massachusetts at Amherst ; FY-77-6.

Connecticut River 2020 Strategy, Part Two: Action Strategy for Riverfront Revitalization by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 1995.

This includes revitalization action strategies for the following towns: Agawam, Chicopee, Holyoke, South Hadley, Springfield, and West Springfield.

Final Action Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Implementing the Silvio O.Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act In the Connecticut River Watershed of CT, MA, VT, and NH . U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 1995.

This Final EIS describes alternative ways to carry out the purposes of the act, the process used to develop them and the environmental consequences of implementing each one.

A Fishway for Your Stream: Providing a Fish Passage Around Dams in the Northeast by The Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc., 2000.

A joint publication of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc. and the Rivers & Trails Program of the National Park Service .

Health of the Watershed: a Report of the Connecticut River Forum , prepared by the Connecticut River Forum, 1998.

This report identifies the main water quality issues in the river and its watershed, and lists the recommendations which emerged from discussions with the interested public.

Massachusetts Natural Heritage Atlas. Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, MA Div. Fisheries & Wildlife, 2008.

Habitat maps of rare and endangered wetland wildlife.

The Natural History and Resources of Western Massachusetts by Stan Freeman and Mike Nasuti, 1994.

Much of the material in this book is based on articles by the authors that originally appeared in the Springfield Union-News and Sunday Republican.

Water Quality in the Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames River Basins by S.P. Garabedian and others, 1998.

The USGS's National Water Quality Assessment Program issued this report which summarizes major findings that emerged between 1992 and 1995 from the assessment of the Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames River Basin Study Unit.

Recreation

AMC River Guide: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island , 2006.

From challenging white water rapids to serene streams, this guide is ideal for canoeists and kayakers of all abilities. Its easy-to-use format makes river selection and trip planning effortless. Published by the Appalachian Mountain Club.

The Connecticut River Boating Guide: Source to Sea by John Sinton, 2007.

This is published by the Connecticut River Watershed Council and continues to be the classic, authoritative guide for boaters, canoeists, and kayakers on the Connecticut River.

Public Access to the Waters of Massachusetts by the Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife & Environmental Law Enforcement, 2000.

This edition (with a revised 2009 insert) is the latest published by the Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife & Environmental Law Enforcement in cooperation with the Public Access Board, the Commissioner's Office, and the Riverways Programs.

River Days: Exploring the Connecticut River from Source to Sea by Michael Tougias, 2001.

Recently designated an American Heritage River, the Connecticut provides the perfect setting for Tougias's narrative—a wonderful blend of adventure, fishing tales, history, and natural history.

Tidewaters of the Connecticut River: an Explorer's Guide to Hidden coves and Marshes by Thomas Maloney, 2001.

Beautifully designed full color paddling and nature guide to the coves and marshes at the end of the Connecticut River. CWMARS

Two Coots in a Canoe: an Unusual Story of Friendship by David Morine, 2009.

This book is a narrative of Dave Morine and his buddy's canoe trip from the top to the end of the Connecticut River. He shares their adventures and their friendship. CWMARS

Literature

The Pioneer Valley Reader: Prose and Poetry from New England's Heartland by James C. O'Connell, 1995.

Read such Pioneer Valley writers as Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, Henry James, Leo Durocher, Timothy Leary, Pulitzer Prize winners Tracy Kidder and Madeleine Blais, John McPhee, Larry O'Brien, Joseph Brodsky, Calvin Coolidge, and Frederick Douglass. This book is a key to understanding the "Heartland" of New England.

This American River: Five Centuries of Writing about the Connecticut by W.D. Wetherell, 2002.

The contributions to this volume include guides, reports, travelogs, poetry, natural histories, and other genres. Unlike many anthologies, this one is not arranged chronologically but rather in 12 somewhat loosely defined thematic sections: "Early Travelers," "On the River," "The Classic Guides," and so forth.

Videos

Beneath the River (videocassette). UMASS and Hometown Prods, 1999.

Describes natural and human history through underwater exploration of the Connecticut River. Photography by Ed Klekowski; written and directed by Steve Alves."

Connecticut River biology & geology. Vol. 1 (videodisc). AIMS Video Service, University of Massachusetts, 2005.

Under the Connecticut: Ed Klekowski, a scuba diving biology professor from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his students lead the viewer on an unforgettable journey under the Connecticut River where geological, biological and historical discoveries are made.

Dynamite, Whiskey and Wood: Connecticut River Log Drives 1870-1915 (videodisc). WGBY, 2005.

Underwater footage by UMass's Ed Klekowski and his diving crew of log drive sites, historial photographs, early film footage, contemporary newspaper accounts, and personal reminiscences tell the story of these drives.

The Great Flood of 1936: the Connecticut River Story (videodisc), WGBY, 2003.

Ed Klekowski narrates this priceless record featuring actual film footage of the great flood and interviews with people who were there.

Rivers of North America: the Connecticut River, (videodisc) Film Ideas Inc, Producer, Bunnie Strassner, 2003.

Film covers the river "from its headwaters in northern New Hampshire, and journeys 407 miles south before it empties into the Long Island sound at Old Saybrook, Connecticut”

Where We Live (videodisc) . Hometown Prods, 2006.

Six videodiscs about the culture and natural beauty of Western Massachusetts, Disc 1 is entitled “Beneath the River: Underwater exploration of the Connecticut River”.

Websites

Connecticut River Homepage, http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/

This website is sponsored by the Dept of Biology and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. This site contains information about the biology, history, and geology of New England's largest river.

Connecticut River Watershed Council, http://www.ctriver.org/

The Connecticut River Watershed Council advocates for the entire, four-state Connecticut River watershed.  This is their website.

Connecticut River http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_River

Wikipedia entry.

For more historic details of the Connecticut River and the Pioneer Valley, contact the new Wood Museum of Springfield History.

Updated 6/10

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