Three Amigos on the Willimantic - January 29, 2023

The three amigos - Erik, Paul and Jeff

It has been an unusual January in southern New England. To the north and west it has been cold and snowy, but here in southern New England it has been warm and rainy. Great if you can get out and paddle, but kind of depressing if you can’t. Family obligations have kept me close to home, so my recent trips have been short and local. That changed when I got out with Jeff and Paul for a run on the Willimantic - the return of the "three amigos".

I've been paddling with Jeff and Paul for years. I’m pretty sure my first trip with Paul was a 2008 Icebreaker trip on the Branch River. I’m not sure when I started paddling with Jeff, but he is mentioned regularly in my early posts on this blog, which I started in 2009. His video of our Crystal trip in July of 2009 is one of my favorites. Along with Andy, Jeff, Paul and I would become the four amigos of the RICKA Whitewater group. The first video I can find of the four of us (young and slim) plus Eric D. is at the Millville Rapid in 2009. One of our more memorable trips was the fall dam release on the West in 2010. A lot of water under the bridge, or over the dam between us – literally.

Paul running the broken dam

With another warm weekend in the forecast, I put out the word to see who would be interested in paddling on Saturday. I was glad when Paul and Jeff signed on – it would be like the old days. We had lots of choices, but decided to do a run on the Willimantic. 

The Willimantic River arises in Stafford Springs and flows south for 25-miles to Willimantic where it joins the Natchaug River to form the Shetucket River. There has been talk of building a whitewater park in the class III/IV section below Bridge Street in Willimantic, but nothing has happened recently. I'd like to try the class I/II section from the Eagleville Dam to Bridge Street sometime. 

Jeff running the broken dam

We would be running the 6-mile section from the Municipal Parking Lot on River Road in Stafford Springs to Nye-Holman State Forest in Willington. We met at 9:00 at the Dunkin Donuts in Willington to run the shuttle. After leaving Jeff’s car at the take-out, we headed up to the put-in. The river was at a nice level – 5-feet, 800 cfs on the Coventry gage and 2.7-feet, 500 cfs on the Merrow Road Gage. To be honest, it would be even better with another foot of water, but 5 feet is my new minimum for this run.

The easy rapids start right at the put-in and continue for a mile down to an old broken dam that includes a small low-head dam at the top. We ran the dam to the left and made it through fine. From there, the river is mostly quickwater as it twists and turns along Route 32 and then I-84 to the Nye-Holman State Forest. We could have continued another 5-miles down to Merrow Road, or another 8-miles down to the Eagleville Dam, but for today 6-miles was enough.  

The shuttle back - matching Bell Yellowstone Solos (and Paul's kayak)

Links:

My Pictures

Willimantic River Water Trail Paddling Guide

Willimantic – February 10, 2018

David running the dam

With another warm weekend in the forecast, I put out the word to see who would be interested in paddling on Saturday. I thought about the Branch, or maybe Shannock to Richmond on the Pawcatuck, but Jonathan suggested the Willimantic, which worked for me. 

The Willimantic River arises in Stafford Springs and flows south along Rt. 32 to Willimantic where it joins the Natchaug River to form the Shetucket River. As I was scouting the river, I saw a car with an orange kayak drive by – unusual for February. It turned out to be Dave Nowak who met us at the put in on Plains Road. We decided to run the section from Stafford Springs down to Merrow Road in Mansfield – about 11.5 miles.

Jonathan running the dam

After running the shuttle, we put-in at the Municipal Parking Lot on River Road at around noon. At this level (4 feet, 300 cfs on the Coventry gage, 1.8 feet, 200 cfs on the Merrow Road gage), this section is just barely runable. About a mile down is a small dam that we ran just left of center. Quickwater continues through a small gorge just above the bridge at the Plains Road put-in. Today actually would have been a better day to run this since the gage jumped a foot overnight.  Oh well…

From there, the river alternates between flatwater and quickwater as it twists and turns along Route 32. We did out best to pick our way through the shallow channels, and stopped at the surf wave at the old bridge abutment below the Route 195 Bridge. It was just starting to rain as we pulled into the take-out at Merrow Road at around 3:30. 

Links:

My Pictures

Coventry Gage

Merrow Road Gage

Willimantic River Alliance

Willimantic – February 28, 2016

Al runs the quick water

The Willimantic is one of those rivers that I usually drive by on my way somewhere else, which is too bad since it is a beautiful river.  The trick is to catch it when it has enough water to paddle, and we did that yesterday.  With last week’s rains the river came up nicely. Yesterday’s 50° temperatures were an added bonus as well.

I met Al, Jonathan, Mike, and Scott at Plains Road in Tolland for a run down the Willimantic.  The original plan was to take out at Merrow Road - about 9 miles, but Mike suggested that we continue down to a new take out on Plains Road in Mansfield making the trips about 12 miles. 

Mike getting ready to climb
into his Sopwith Camel

After running the shuttle, we got on the river around 11:00. The level was about 4.2’, 400 cfs on the Coventry gage - about the same level as the last time we were here, but it definitely seemed more fluid. The river alternates between flatwater and quickwater as it twists and turns along Route 32.  We stopped for lunch at Herring Cove – another new access point just below the Nye-Holman State Park and the Route 74 Bridge.

There are a couple of easy surf waves below the Route 195 Bridge, and we did our best to take advantage of them. We arrived at the take out at Plains Road at around 3:00, and I was home by 4:30 – great day.

Jonathan and Erik

Links:

My Pictures

Al’s blog at Trashpaddler’s Waterway Wanderings

Willimantic– Coventry Gage

Almost New Year's on the Willimantic – January 2, 2012

Heading downstream

I started off 2012 on a river that I haven’t paddled in several years – the Willimantic. I pass this river frequently on my way out to the Farmington, but the last time I ran it was with RICKA in April 2007. It was great to paddle it again today.

The Willimantic River is located in northeast CT and flows south along Rt. 32 from Stafford Springs to Willimantic where it joins the Natchaug River to form the Shetucket River. It takes its name from a section just upstream from its confluence with the Natchaug where the river drops of ninety feet in a mile. This section was named "Wilimentuck" (land of swiftly moving waters) by the Native Americans who fished there. Almost the entire river (24 miles) can be paddled, except for the dammed section in the city of Willimantic, which has been proposed as a future whitewater park.

A typical section of quickwater

We had a nice group of paddlers - two canoes (Erik and Tommy) and five kayaks (Earl, Frank, Al, Brian and Natalie). We met and Nye-Holman State Park at 10:00 to run the section from Plains Road to Merrow Road - about 8 miles. After running the shuttle, we got on the river around 11:00. The level was OK – 4.2’, 400 cfs on the Coventry gage. This is a fun level, but just about the minimum for a fluid run.  We had to be careful not to get hung up on the many rocks lurking just below the surface. It would have been a great level for poling.

The river starts off narrow and rocky as it twists and turns through a pretty hemlock forest. Small riffles and easy rapids alternate with quickwater for most of the run. Below the Nye-Holman State Park (where we stopped for lunch) the river widens out, but is still shallow. There are a couple of easy surf waves below the Route 195 Bridge, and we did our best to take advantage of them. We arrived at the take out at Merrow Road at around 3:00. Nice run – great way to start off the new year.

Surfing a wave below the Route 195 Bridge

Links:

Paddling on the Willimantic from the Willimantic River Alliance
Coventry Gage