Saugatuck Reservoir Explained

Saugatuck Reservoir
Catchment:	35sqmi
Basin Countries:	United States
Area:	827acres^[1]
Depth:	average 45feet
Max-Depth:	110feet
Shore:	13miles
Elevation:	279 ft (85 m)
Pushpin Map:	Connecticut#USA
Pushpin Map Alt:	Location of Saugatuck Reservoir in Connecticut, USA.

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.

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 12e9USgal 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

External links

• Saugatuck Reservoir Trail, Centennial Watershed, State Forest, Easton, Newtown, Redding, Weston - DEP

Notes and References

1. http://www.lakelubbers.com/saugatuck-reservoir-314/ Saugatuck Reservoir, Connecticut, USA
2. Book: Lomuscio, James. Village of the Dammed. University Press of New England. 2005. 1.
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20120227061929/http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA142826 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. Web site: Aquarion Company Encyclopedia.com. 2020-07-08. www.encyclopedia.com.
5. Web site: July 18, 2016. Centennial Watershed State Forest. CT.GOV.
6. https://www.nytimes.com/1937/11/27/archives/fight-reservoir-project-residents-offer-to-finance-a-suit-by-weston.html FIGHT RESERVOIR PROJECT; Residents Offer to Finance a Suit by Weston, Conn.
7. https://www.nytimes.com/1938/02/03/archives/sue-to-prevent-dam-saugatuck-valley-residents-seek-injunction-and.html SUE TO PREVENT DAM; Saugatuck Valley Residents Seek Injunction and $250,000
8. http://www.aspetucklandtrust.org/html/tbv-story-1.html Valley Forge Forever Gone
9. http://cmf.newstimes.com/default/article/The-rise-and-fall-of-Valley-Forge-96373.php The rise and fall of Valley Forge
10. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upne/1-58465-477-5.html Village of the Damned: the fight for open space and the flooding of a Connecticut town.
11. http://www.aquarion.com/CT/fishing Fishing by permit
12. http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/redding/25799.shtml Redding Saugatuck Reservoir Where has all the water gone?
13. Web site: Fishing Saugatuck Reservoir In CT - Map, Fish Species, Lake Info. 2020-07-08. www.aa-fishing.com.