-PROTECTING OUR RIVER-
STILL RIVER ALLIANCE
ABOUT THE RIVER
The following provides a geographic overview of the River from its origination point in eastern New York (source)
through its 22 mile run across western Connecticut to its endpoint (mouth) at the Housatonic River in New Milford.
The map link below shows the entire 22 mile run of the Still River. The overview which follows subdivides this 22
mile river corridor into 4 segment links. To view the segment map, click on the link. Hit the “back” button on your
browser to return here.
Source & Headwaters
The Still River flows out of New York State, out of Sanfords Pond at the Connecticut - New York border just north of Route 6 (Mill Plain Road). The river then flows east, into Danbury, running under Mill Plain Road and into Lake Kenosia, which itself is part of the Still River. From Lake Kenosia, the River discharges through Mill Plain Swamp, past the Danbury Fair Mall, and into the center of Danbury.
Lake Kenosia
Danbury
The River flows from the Danbury Mall through a relatively undeveloped floodplain, then under White Street at the railroad trestle, where it often floods during major storms. From this point, the River flows into the urban core of Danbury through a concrete flood control channel that starts near the intersection of Main and White Street, that was built in the 1960s. The River continues this path for approximately 1 mile, discharging out near Caspar Street, where it then flows under Triangle Street and past Cross Street toward Route 6. At this point, the River flows through a gorge and has a substantial drop in elevation, giving the River a stretch of white water rapids as it flows past the Cross Street condominiums to Route 6.
The Still River flows under Route 6 (Danbury - Newtown Road) past the River Bend Condominiums where the gorge continues. It crosses under Old Newtown Road and into Commerce Park. Immediately past the point where the River flows under Eagle Road (by the Commerce Park Fire Station), is the site of the Still River Greenway Trail and Restoration Area”, the subject of this entire Website. The River in this section of its watershed makes a major change. At the intersection of Limekiln Brook, a major tributary to the Still River (see map of Segment 3), the River changes direction, from west-east to a northerly trajectory toward New Milford. The Still River, in segment 3, runs through a relatively flat topography. As the river flows through Commerce Park and past the confluence of Limekiln the confluence of Limekiln Brook (at the Marriott boat launch on the Still River Greenway), it starts to flow north, the River is bounded by an undeveloped floodplain and a relatively pristine environment, as shown in our Photo Gallery. As the River crosses under White Turkey Road Extension, it is bounded to the east by Route 7 and to the west by the developed area of Federal Road as it flows into Brookfield, past Stew Leonard’s.
Just prior to passing the Stew Leonard’s Store, there is a major geographic feature, an oxbow, as illustrated on the map. This broad curve in the River has, in recent years, cut an alternate straight channel to the north of the Oxbow, creating an island. The river flows in two distinct channels here - in the original oxbow curve around the island to the west, and in a straight south - north trajectory to the east of the island.
Brookfield & New Milford
The final stretch of the River, north of the Danbury border, is a 10 mile stretch that flows past Brookfield into New Milford at Harry Brook Park, where the Still River ends, at its “mouth”, joining the Housatonic River which flows south toward Long Island Sound. The Town of Brookfield has an existing greenway Trail along a section of the Still River behind the Town Hall. It is a long term goal of the Still River Alliance to link up with the Brookfield Trail along the River.
Geology
The Still River exists in a geologic formation that was formed by the movement of ice sheets during the Pleistocene Age, several million years ago. During the retreat of the last glacier from the Still River basin, meltwater was ponded between the ice front and the highlands of the region. A large lake, known as Glacial Lake Danbury, covered the entire Housatonic Area. Gradually, ice melting off of the front of the retreating glacier opened different outlets to this glacial lake. One of these outlets became the Still River. The soil deposits and the topography of the Sill River Valley are largely influenced by the settling
out of material to the floor of Glacial Lake Danbury and the gradual retreat of the Lake as the glacier continued to melt.
The bedrock that underlies the Still River is predominately inwood marble, which is overlain by the glacial till deposits that settled out from Glacial Lake Danbury. The topography of the Still River Valley is relatively flat,
causing the characteristic “sluggish” flow of the Still River. This geologic summary is a condensation of a technical report entitled “The Drainage and Glacial History of the Still River Valley” by Woodrow Thomson for the U.S. Geological Survey.
