Ottauquechee River
Encyclopedia
The Ottauquechee River is a 41.4 miles (66.6 km) river
in eastern Vermont
in the United States
. It is a tributary
of the Connecticut River
, which flows to Long Island Sound
.
The Ottauquechee rises in the Green Mountains
in eastern Rutland County in the town of Killington
, and flows generally eastwardly into Windsor County, where it passes through or along the boundaries of the towns of Bridgewater
, Woodstock
, Pomfret
, Hartford
and Hartland
; and the villages of Woodstock
and Quechee
. It joins the Connecticut River in the town of Hartland, about 4 miles (6 km) south-southwest of White River Junction
.
A headwaters tributary known as the North Branch Ottauquechee River flows southeastwardly through the towns of Killington and Bridgewater.
Quechee State Park is located along the river near the village of Quechee. Near the river's mouth a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam
causes the river to form North Hartland Lake.
Near the state park, the river flows through the 165 feet (50.3 m) Quechee Gorge. The U.S. Rt. 4 bridge crosses over the gorge and provides good viewing down into its depths.http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/quechee.htm
, it has also been known historically as:
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in eastern Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, which flows to Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
.
The Ottauquechee rises in the Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
in eastern Rutland County in the town of Killington
Killington, Vermont
Killington is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 811 at the 2010 census. Killington Ski Resort is located here....
, and flows generally eastwardly into Windsor County, where it passes through or along the boundaries of the towns of Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Vermont
Bridgewater is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 980 at the 2000 census. Bridgewater contains the hamlets of Bridgewater Village, Bridgewater Corners, West Bridgewater, and Bridgewater Center...
, Woodstock
Woodstock (town), Vermont
Woodstock is the shire town, and capital, of Windsor County, Vermont, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,232. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock and Taftsville.-History:...
, Pomfret
Pomfret, Vermont
Pomfret is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was named after the Earl of Pomfret...
, Hartford
Hartford, Vermont
Hartford is a town in Windsor County in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is located on the New Hampshire border, at the intersection of Interstates 89 and 91. It is the site of the confluence of the White River and the Connecticut River; the Ottauquechee River also flows through the town...
and Hartland
Hartland, Vermont
Hartland is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,223 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.2 square miles , of which 45.0 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile is water...
; and the villages of Woodstock
Woodstock (village), Vermont
Woodstock is an incorporated village in the town of Woodstock in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 977 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Quechee
Quechee, Vermont
Quechee is one of five unincorporated villages in the town of Hartford, Windsor County, Vermont. Quechee is also a census-designated place. It is the site of the Quechee Gorge on the Ottauquechee River and is also the home to the Quechee Lakes planned community initiated in the late 1960s, which...
. It joins the Connecticut River in the town of Hartland, about 4 miles (6 km) south-southwest of White River Junction
White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
causes the river to form North Hartland Lake.
Near the state park, the river flows through the 165 feet (50.3 m) Quechee Gorge. The U.S. Rt. 4 bridge crosses over the gorge and provides good viewing down into its depths.http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/quechee.htm
Variant names and spellings
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names settled on "Ottauquechee River" as the stream's name in 1908. According to the Geographic Names Information SystemGeographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, it has also been known historically as:
- Otta Quechee River
- Ottaquechee River
- Ottaqueeche River
- Queechee River
- Queechy River
- Water Quechee River
- Waterchuichi River
- Waterqueechy River
- Waterqueechy