Saugatuck Reservoir

The Saugatuck Reservoir is a reservoir in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, that straddles the border between the towns of Redding, Weston, and Easton[2]. Its completion is marked by the creation of the Samuel P. Senior dam[3] of the Saugatuck River in January 1942[4], and provides water to several of the nearby towns. The reservoir is surrounded by the Centennial Watershed State Forest[5] and a small section of the Trout Brook Valley State Park Reserve on the southeast end of the reservoir. The Saugatuck Reservoir utilizes an uncontrolled spillway adjacent to the Samuel P. Senior dam that effectively limits the maximum water level. There is also a concrete levee positioned on the southeastern side of the reservoir that prevents water from flooding Trout Brook Valley.

Saugatuck Reservoir
LocationFairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Coordinates41.265°N 73.365°W / 41.265; -73.365
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsSaugatuck River
Primary outflowsSaugatuck River
Catchment area35 square miles (91 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area827 acres (3.35 km2)[1]
Average depthaverage 45 feet (14 m)
Max. depth110 feet (34 m)
Water volume37,215 acre feet (45,904,000 m3)
Shore length113 miles (21 km)
Surface elevation279 ft (85 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Bridgeport Hydraulic Company Holdings (now owned by Aquarion) flooded the Saugatuck River Valley after 1938[6][7], removing the villages of Hull and Valley Forge[8][9] to create the Saugatuck Reservoir.[10]

Aquarion Water Co., owner of the reservoir and dam, allows tailrace fishing in one area at the Weston end of the reservoir, where it has constructed a handicapped-access area. However, anglers must obtain a permit from Aquarion before fishing in the Saugatuck.[11]

The Saugatuck is the largest of the eight reservoirs that make up Aquarion’s greater Bridgeport water system. It holds about 12 billion US gallons (45,000,000 m3) of water.[12]

The following fish species may be found within the Saugatuck Reservoir[13]:

American eel
Bluegill (Sunfish)
Brook trout
Brown trout
Bullhead catfish
Chain pickerel
Crappie
Largemouth bass
Pumpkinseed (Sunfish)
Rainbow trout
Rock bass
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
White perch
Yellow perch

References
  1. Saugatuck Reservoir, Connecticut, USA - Lakelubbers
  2. Lomuscio, James (2005). Village of the Dammed. University Press of New England. p. 1.
  3. National Program for Inspection of Non-Federal Dams. Samuel P. Senior Reservoir Dam (CT 00108), and Popps Mountain Dike (CT 00022), Connecticut Western Coastal Area, Weston, Connecticut. Phase I Inspection Report.
  4. "Aquarion Company | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  5. "Centennial Watershed State Forest". CT.GOV. July 18, 2016.
  6. FIGHT RESERVOIR PROJECT; Residents Offer to Finance a Suit by Weston, Conn., November 27, 1937, Page 9, 144 words, THE NEW YORK TIMES.
  7. SUE TO PREVENT DAM; Saugatuck Valley Residents Seek Injunction and $250,000, February 3, 1938, Page 10, 133 words, THE NEW YORK TIMES.
  8. Valley Forge Forever Gone Archived 2009-11-03 at the Wayback Machine, By Marcia Miner, The Aspetuck Land Trust
  9. The rise and fall of Valley Forge, Published: 12:00 a.m., Sunday, March 26, 2006, Robert Miller, THE NEWS-TIMES
  10. Village of the Damned: the fight for open space and the flooding of a Connecticut town. By James Lomuscio, ISBN 1-58465-477-5 ISBN 978-1584654773
  11. Fishing by permit, Recreation - Aquarion
  12. Redding Saugatuck Reservoir Where has all the water gone?, Nov 29, 2007, TheReddingPilot.com
  13. "Fishing Saugatuck Reservoir In CT - Map, Fish Species, Lake Info". www.aa-fishing.com. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
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