Farmington River

Farmington River
River
Looking downstream on the Farmington River in Simsbury, Connecticut
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts & Connecticut
Primary source	outlet of Hayden Pond (West Branch of the Farmington River)
- location	Otis, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Secondary source	Barkhamsted Reservoir (East Branch of the Farmington River)
- location	Hartland, Hartford County, Connecticut
Source confluence	confluence of the East Branch and West Branch
- location	New Hartford, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Mouth	confluence with Connecticut River
- location	Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut
- coordinates	41°50′37.3596″N 72°37′52.6368″W / 41.843711000°N 72.631288000°W / 41.843711000; -72.631288000Coordinates: 41°50′37.3596″N 72°37′52.6368″W / 41.843711000°N 72.631288000°W / 41.843711000; -72.631288000
Length	80.4 mi (129 km), from source of West Branch
Basin	602 sq mi (1,559 km2)

The Farmington River is a river, 46.7 miles (75.2 km) in length along its main stem, which is located in northwest Connecticut with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch (the West Branch), the Farmington's length increases to 80.4 miles (129.4 km), making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere 2.3 miles (3.7 km) over the major river directly to its north, the Westfield River. The Farmington River's watershed covers 609 square miles (1,580 km²). The river historically played an important role in small-scale manufacturing in towns along its course, but it is now mainly used for recreation and drinking water. The Farmington River Watershed Association is a non-profit organization for conservation and preservation of this river.

Headwaters for both main branches of the Farmington River, referred to as the East Branch and West Branch, are found in southwestern Massachusetts, though only the West Branch officially begins north of the Connecticut border. The West Branch rises at the outlet of Hayden Pond in Otis, Massachusetts. In 1994, a 14-mile (23 km) stretch of the branch was designated a National Wild and Scenic River. The East Branch begins in Hartland, Connecticut at the confluence of Pond, Hubbard and Valley Brooks. However, this branch has been impounded along the first 11 miles of its course to form the Barkhamsted Reservoir and Lake McDonough; it does not assume a particularly river-like appearance until it exits Lake McDonough in New Hartford, Connecticut. The East Branch and West Branch join in New Hartford, Connecticut just about one mile south of Lake McDonough. Upper reaches of the river flow mostly southward, but the river turns northward in Farmington, Connecticut and then runs mostly north and east until it flows into the Connecticut River near the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut.