Five Mile River

Fivemile River
River
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
County	Windham
Cities	Thompson, Putnam, Killingly
Source	Long Pond 42°00′53″N 71°50′27″W / 42.014592°N 71.840801°W
- location	Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut, United States
- elevation	480 ft (146 m)
Mouth	Empties into Quinebaug River 41°48′06″N 71°53′13″W / 41.801568°N 71.887077°W
- location	Danielson, Windham County, Connecticut, United States
- elevation	480 ft (146 m)
Length	23.5 mi (38 km)

The Fivemile River is a 23.5-mile-long (37.8 km) river located in Connecticut's Northeast Corner. The original Nipmuc name was Assawaga, meaning "place between" or "halfway place". The Assawaga received its English name from the fact that the first land laid out upon it was "supposed to be about five miles from" Woodstock, Connecticut. The Five Mile is a tributary of the Quinebaug River and is part of the Thames River watershed. Its source is Little Pond (also known as Schoolhouse Pond), close to the Massachusetts border. It empties into the Quinebaug River at Danielson, at the intersection of Connecticut Route 12 and U.S. Route 6.

The Fivemile River has several dams, most of which are former mill operations. Its largest impoundment is Quaddick Reservoir, though there are several smaller dams including those that were built for the purpose of harnessing waterpower for industry. The best examples of surviving mill villages can be seen in Killingly in villages such as Pineville, Ballouville, Attawaugan, and Dayville.

See also

• List of rivers of Connecticut

References

• Killingly, Windham County, Connecticut History
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

Coordinates: 41°49′08″N 71°53′16″W / 41.818961°N 71.887760°W