The
Coginchaug River in
Connecticut, with a
watershed including 39 sq mi of forests,
pastures, farmland, industrial, and commercial areas, is the main
tributary of the
Mattabesset River. It is 16.1 mi long, and the river flows northwards from a point approximately 1.8 mi south of the
Durham line in
Guilford, Connecticut into Durham and then
Middlefield, meeting the Mattabesset in
Middletown, about upstream of the
Connecticut River. The name "Coginchaug" comes from a local
Native American name for the Durham area and it was the original name for the town. It has been said to mean "The Great
Swamp", and is a reference to the
meadows found in the central part of town.