Visiting the French River in Oxford

This morning, some business brought me out to Nipmuck Country between Worcester and Southbridge.  Once those matters were wrapped up I looked for a new river to visit before returning home.  The French River sounded reasonable, and shortly I found myself at the Hodges Village Dam in Oxford.  This facility was built in 1959 by the US Army Corps of Engineers to control flooding.  Like other flood control dams, Hodges Village Dam only holds back the river during periods of high water, leaving the waterway close to natural the rest of the time.  After parking in the main lot at the east end of the dam, I wheeled my boat down to Bailey Bridge where there is access to the river.  Once launched, I took a look under the bridge and downriver towards the dam itself...

I then turned around and began heading upriver to the north.  It never ceases to amaze me how each river can have such a distinct look and feel.  The French River is no exception and is very pleasant, clean, and almost completely free of trash.

Of course, the Nipmuck people didn't refer to this river as the "French".   Early colonial records indicate they called it "Mayanexit" (possibly meaning "where the road lies").  It is a tributary of the Quinebaug River and the water I paddled in today will eventually reach the Thames River in Connecticut before emptying into Long Island Sound.

With the weather being a little on the warm side, it wasn't bad at all to do a little wading while portaging around blowdowns and an "up and over" at this beaver dam...

Once past the beaver dam it was clear sailing up to and a little ways beyond this bridge carrying the Midstate trail across the river...

About a quarter mile above the bridge, I turned about and began my return trip downriver.  I saw not another human soul during my time on the river.  There were, however, belted kingfishers, blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, and a musquash or two.

Trash was few and far between...

Only 4 recyclables and 4 pieces of misc. rubbish.  YTD = 3369