Naugatuck River and roadways, through the time of development of Connecticut Route 8. The river enters a forested, hilly area between Connecticut Route 118 and Thomaston. The largely industrialized cities of the Naugatuck River Valley were developed on each side of the river, with periodic sections of forested areas, before it enters the Housatonic River at Derby, at about above sea level. As part of the Housatonic River watershed, the Naugatuck River historically hosted the southernmost Atlantic salmon ("Salmo salar") migrations. Historical runs of anadromous fish also included native American shad ("Alosa sapidissima", Connecticut's state fish), alewife ("Alosa pseudoharengus") and blueback herring
Herring as food in Europe, and early in the twentieth century their study was fundamental to evolution of fisheries science. These oily fish also have a long history as an important food fish, and are often salted, smoked, or pickled. Herring are very high in the long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. They are a source of vitamin D. Water pollution influences the amount of herring that may be safely consumed. For example, large Baltic herring slightly exceeds recommended limits with respect to PCB and dioxin, although some sources point out that cancer-reducing effect of omega-3 fatty acids is statistically stronger than