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The Saugatuck River is a short river in southwestern Connecticut in the United States, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long. It drains part of suburban and rural Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, emptying into Long Island Sound.
Description
It issues from Wataba Lake approximately 4 mi (6 km) southwest of Danbury near the New York border. It flows generally southeast, passing through then Saugatuck Reservoir, then turns SSW. Near Westport, it broadens into a navigable estuary along its lower 5 mi (8 km) and enters Long Island Sound approximately 4 mi (6 km) southeast of Norwalk. Interstate 95 crosses the river near its mouth downstream from Westport.
At Westport the Connecticut State Highway 136 crosses the river on the Saugatuck River Bridge, built in 1884, the oldest surviving moveable bridge in Connecticut. The moveable section consists of a hand-cranked swing span made of two pin-connected Pratt trusses. The river is wadeable along much of its course and is a popular seasonal destination for trout fishing.
In the 17th century the river was the site of a Paugusset settlement. The name of the river means "river that flows out" in the Paugusset dialect. The land east of the river was opened to white settlement in 1637 after the defeat of the Pequot by John Mason in the Pequot War. After treaties with the local tribes, members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony began to settle the area between the Saugatuck and the Norwalk River to the west between 1639 and 1661. In the 18th century the farming villages sprang up along the river. During the 19th century, the lower river became the site of warehouses and shipyards, as well as important hub of maritime commerce. The township of Westport was incorporated out of the existing village of Saugatuck and several surrounding communities in 1635. After World War II, Westport emerged as a popular bedroom community for commuters to New York City.
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