Connetquot River

The Connetquot River (also known as Great River) is a six-mile-long (10 km) river in Islip, New York. It is one of the four longest rivers on Long Island and is recognized by the state as a Wild, Scenic and Recreational River. It is particularly known for its brook, brown and rainbow trout fly fishing.

Connetquot River
Headwaters of the Connetquot River
Location
Country	United States
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Lakeland County Park, Islandia, New York
• elevation	50 feet (15 m)
Mouth
• location	Nicholls Bay on the Great South Bay
• coordinates	40°43′22″N 73°07′41″W
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)[1]
Length	6 mi (9.7 km)
Basin size	4,500 acres (7 sq mi)

Description

The upper reaches of the river including its headwaters are totally in the Connetquot River State Park Preserve or Lakeland County Park before it becomes an estuary. It starts just south of the Long Island Expressway from springs in the Lakeland County Park in Islandia where it is called Connetquot Brook. The estuary portion south of Sunrise Highway at Oakdale is officially called the Connetquot River although in popular usage both the brook and river share the same name.

The name comes from the Secatogue tribe name for "Great River"^[2] and is different from the Carmans River on Long Island which at one time was called the Connecticut River.

The entire Connetquot River watershed habitat represents the largest undeveloped contiguous area within Suffolk County that covers an entire river watershed. The river is generated entirely from groundwater springs,^[3] and like all other rivers on Long Island, does not arise from a lake.

List of crossings of the Connetquot River

Crossings	Carries	Location	Coordinates
Unnamed road bridge	I-495 (Long Island Expressway) Eastbound service road.	Islandia
Unnamed road bridge	Johnson Avenue		'
Unnamed railroad bridge	Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road
Unnamed road bridge	Perimeter Road	Connetquot River State Park
Unnamed road bridge	NY 454 (Veterans Memorial Highway)
Bunces Bridge	Long Island Greenbelt Trail
Unnamed footbridge	Red Trail (North)
Unnamed footbridge	Red Trail (Fish Hatchery)
Unnamed footbridge and dam	Red and Blue Trail
Unnamed road bridge	NY 27 (Sunrise Highway)
Unnamed road bridge	CR 85 (Montauk Highway)
Unnamed railroad bridge	Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road	Great River and Oakdale
Unnamed road bridge	Biltmore Avenue

See also

• Mill River – Another north-south river on Long Island, located further west in Nassau County.

References

1. "Connetquot River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
2. Schultz, Ken (February 13, 2006). "Connetquot River So Good, So Close to Many". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
3. "Connetquot River Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form" (PDF). New York State Department of State. December 15, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2016.

External links

• New York State Parks: Connetquot River State Park Preserve