Hike #41: Colebrook River Lake (Yes, Lake!), - Colebrook, CT

Date Hiked: Sunday, September 11, 2016
Estimated distance: 2.77 miles
Weather: 79°F, scattered clouds
Resources: Peter Marteka's Article in Hartford Courant:  The Ghost Bridge and Highway of Colebrook River Lake (pub. 09/11/2016)
Highlights of the trip:  bridge and road normally covered by water
Progress toward 2016 hiking goals:  41/52 hikes; 153.75/250 miles; 31.37/25 miles on Tunxis Trail


When I saw Peter Marteka's article in the Hartford Courant on Sunday, I knew where I was going to go on my next hike.  Colebrook River Lake is the body of water north of the West Branch Reservoir, where my hiking partner and I kayaked in my last post.  She wasn't available today, but my husband was nice enough to indulge me after returning from his golf outing.

The funny thing is that, in my last post, my app makes it look like we kayaked over dry land.  This time it makes it look like we walked on water!

Colebrook River Lake Boat Launch on Google Maps

Above is an image from Google Maps that shows the "normal" water level.  See the area I marked as "Old Road"?  The picture below shows people driving on the "Old Road".  Crazy!  (Although I read somewhere - can't remember where - that the water level may be lowered at certain times of year, for flood control, and that you may be able to access the road then.)

Old road on left and end of boat ramp on right.  Picture taken from the boat launch parking area.

Barricades up in front of boat launch for obvious reasons.

Looking south toward the dam from the boat launch parking area.

We could have driven down the old road to see the bridge that Marteka mentioned in his article, but we decided to walk.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and it seemed to be a better way to really grasp how low the water level really is.

Old road headed north from parking area toward bridge.

The picture above was taken from the old road looking down on the iron bridge.  The water would not normally cover the road here, but it would come up much closer to the trees.

Google maps image of the area where the bridge is.  You can see the road in this area is not usually under water.

Looking north.

Looking north.  Tree stumps that remain from when the land was cleared to make way for the lake.

If I understand the history properly, the MDC started buying up property along the West Branch of the Farmington River in the 1930's.  By 1955, construction of the Goodwin Dam, at the southern end of the West Branch (Hogback) Reservoir, was complete and the planning for the Colebrook River Dam began.  So, they basically divided the reservoir into two parts.  You can read more about the history of the dam at the Colebrook Historical Society website and at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website.

Harvey Mountain Bridge with the West Branch flowing beneath.

When we went on Sunday, we were still free to cross the bridge and walk around on the other side. It now seems that officials have closed the bridge.  (Quite unlike our trip to Ireland last year where we climbed an old bunker that had decrepit steps and glass all around with no warnings at all.  I guess they just expect you to use your head and/or not sue if you manage to hurt yourself.  Personal responsibility - novel).

On the far side of the bridge, we saw large areas of mud flats and old stone walls.  It's a little hard to comprehend that there was a town here.  We did not spend a lot of time looking, but I did find a rusted piece of metal on the ground.  Check out this picture from Demarsimages.com.

The flooding of this town, Colebrook River, is not unique.  Barkhamsted Hollow and Hartland Hollow were both flooded for the Barkhamsted Reservoir and four towns were flooded for the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts.  The Hartford Courant article by David K. Leff, History Submerged: Clues to World Beneath Connecticut's Reservoirs is worth reading.  (I also love the children's book Letting Swift River Go by Jane Yolen about the drowning of the towns for Quabbin).

Looking south.

Bridge we crossed.

We walked back to the parking lot and then drove down the normally submerged road toward the dam.  It looked like there was another area that used to be used as a boat launch down this way.  Although the road seemed to continue, I was not sure it was still paved, so we decided to turn around.

I am so glad we grabbed the opportunity to visit the lake while we were still allowed to cross the bridge.  You may be able to access the other side from Harvey Mountain Road or Colebrook River Road, but I have not tried it.

Colebrook River Dam.

Here is a very cool video shot recently by a drone.  Colebrook River Lake, Aerial Video Journey of Low Waters by Addy Overbeeke.  When he turns the drone around and heads south, you will see the road and the bridge - all normally covered by water.  This is not something that happened just over the course of this year.  I found someone's blog, that had a picture of the top half of the bridge showing in 2010 and she said people were able to walk across it in 2009.  In 2012, the water level was up and only the top of the bridge was showing.  In 2015, the water level only came up to the bottom girder of the bridge.  So there has been some fluctuation in the water level, but it sounds like it has been quite awhile since the lake was full.

West Branch (aka Hogback) Reservoir - Colebrook, CT

Date Paddled: Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Estimated distance: 3.62 miles (not all paddling, as we got up and climbed up the spillway)
Weather: 81°F, scattered clouds
Resources:  MDC Farmington River, Colebrook Historical Society, Book:  Quiet Water Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island
Highlights of the trip:  views


My hiking partner and I decided to go for a paddle in our kayaks today.  I had heard about Hogback Reservoir from one of my neighbors and wanted to give it a try.  The weather was perfect - sunny, but not too hot (no swimming allowed).


My friend tried entering the boat launch into her GPS without success, so here are some directions:  From the center of Riverton (facing the General Store), go left/west on Robertsville Road.  This turns into Riverton Road as you enter Colebrook.  Turn right on Eno Hill Road.  Turn right again on Durst Road (sign for road on pillar).  The parking lot for the boat launch is on your left just before the dam.  Although the road over the dam goes all the way across to Hogback Road, I think it is gated.


There was a lot of construction going on and, at first, I was not sure whether we would be able to get to the launching area.  Then we noticed a gap in the silt fence with a driveway that went down to the launch.  You can not launch using a trailer.  We unloaded our kayaks and parked in the upper lot.  There is a port-a-potty available.

I know, it looks like we paddled over dry land.  For some reason the map doesn't show the full size of the reservoir.  We parked at what used to be called Hogback Dam, but has been renamed Goodwin Dam.  At the other end of the West Branch Reservoir is the Colebrook River Dam with Colebrook River Lake beyond. 

We paddled up the west side of the reservoir.  There were a couple of spots that looked kind of interesting and may have had trails that went down to them.

The only island.  Someone had stacked a rock cairn on it.

We paddled to the northern end where the Colebrook River Dam is located.  My neighbor has said that he climbs to the top and gets great views of both bodies of water.  Does he really climb these rocks?

Not too sure about climbing this.

Instead of climbing the rocks, we went around to the east side that had an area of exposed bedrock (and weeds) and climbed here.

Looking back down the reservoir.

Part way up the hill.

As we climbed, we realized we were not in the place my neighbor had suggested, and were probably in a place that we should not be.  We appeared to be in the spillway for the upper reservoir.  It has been very dry here this summer, so I doubted we were in danger of water coming over the top, and when we got to the top, we found that was true.  We were faced with a field with the water quite a distance away.

Looking across field to Colebrook River Lake from top of spillway.

We paddled back down the reservoir, this time along the eastern shore.  The wind was against us, but by sticking close to the shore, it wasn't too bad.  We could see a bald eagle soaring above.  We approached the spillway with no fear of being sucked over and then paddled back to the boat launch.

Looking back at the Colebrook River Dam.

In front of the parking area, there are tables with nice views of the reservoir.  I'll have to keep this place in mind and maybe come up here this fall for a picnic with some sandwiches made at the Riverton General Store.

One last look from picnic area.