Crc finds environmental problems and fixes them across all four states vermont, new hampshire, massachusetts, and connecticut of the connecticut river and its watershed. In 2012, the connecticut river and watershed was named the nations first, and only, national blueway. Crwfa connecticut river watershed farmers alliance. Army corps of engineers usace, and completed in june 2018, the study is designed to examine whether operational changes at. Connecticut river watershed named americas first national blueway. The connecticut river watershed council works to protect the watershed from source to sea. Notable mountains in the area are the dartmouth range and the blue ridge mountains along the eastern border, and the gardner mountains in. The connecticut river watershed encompasses 11,260 square miles, connecting 148 tributaries, including 38 major rivers and numerous lakes and ponds. In 2012, the river and its watershed were designated as the usas first national blueway. Crc comments on environment bills in connecticut march 4, 2020.
Welcome to the crwfa the connecticut river watershed alliance mission statement. Watershed characteristics usually change as rivers move from the highlands to the plains. The upper connecticut river watershed covers an area of approximately 1,118 square miles in the northwest corner of new hampshire. The connecticut river watershed council has been an advocate for the 11,000 squaremile watershed of the connecticut river since 1952. The council s headquarters is located in easthampton, massachusetts. This rcpp project is led by the connecticut council on soil and water conservation. Conte national fish and wildlife refuge conserves native plant, fish and wildlife species and the ecosystems on which they depend throughout. Connecticut river watershed councils source to sea cleanup. The blue river watershed associations mission is to restore and protect watersheds through environmental education, community outreach, partnerships, and collaboration. Different sizes of watersheds nest within each other as larger ones are subdivided into smaller ones.
A group left the massachusetts bay colony from watertown, seeking a site. Connecticut river watershed council inc guidestar profile. Some examples of point source pollution are wastes from drainage pipes, thermal pollution from factories, and gasses released into the atmosphere. The terms watershed and basin are often used interchangeably. The blue river was used for recreational and commercial boating purposes in the early years of the 20th century. It is home to many wildlife species, including bear, moose, bobcat, wild turkey, bald eagle, trout, shad, and 10 federally threatened or endangered species. Connecticut river flow restoration study northeast climate. The demonstration project focused on the connecticut river watershed between north walpole, new hampshire, and montague city, massachusetts. The connecticut river watershed council crwc is a not for profit membership public interest organization founded in 1952 that has an interest in protecting environmental values that directly and indirectly support the state, regional, and local economies and the quality of life offered by the connecticut river and its tributaries. Flooding has been a major concern in this watershed since the disastrous floods of 1928 and 1929. To help farmers improve their land stewardship practices for clean waterways, productive landscapes and the economic sustainability of our agricultural community. Neck river watershed, new haven county, connecticut. This covered pool is really a good example of a watershed. Connecticut river national blueway united states fish.
The connecticut river and its tributaries are much cleaner today than they were decades ago. Connecticut river conservancy, greenfield, massachusetts. Just to the east of the pioneer valley, hills rise steeply toward the divide between the connecticut river basin and the river basins to the east. All samples were sent to the friends of the shenandoah river laboratory for water quality testing via 10 parameters nitrates, e. Although the maps are not cutting edge and not even new, they are still quite useful. Many of the streams in the watershed are spring fed and have high gradients. We use website browser software tools such as cookies and web server logs to gather. A major regional initiative to understand and improve water quality in the connecticut river watershed in new hampshire, vermont, and massachusetts. When you visit our website you may provide us with two types of information.
That way, residents will be more aware of the types of pollutants going into their water bodies. It is a broadbased citizen advocate organization for the environmental wellbeing of the entire connecticut river. Way back in the early days of nemo, a map for each of connecticuts 169 towns was created showing the watersheds that make up each town. The connecticut river flow restoration study is a watershedscale assessment of the potential for flow restoration through dam reoperation. Birds of the conecticut river watershed from the silvio o. On saturday september 29, over two thousand registered volunteers grabbed trash bags and work gloves to pitch in on the source to sea cleanup, organized by. Alongside the river runs the connecticut river byway, vermonts only designated national byway. The connecticut river watershed spans four states in new england. Conserving land is a noncontroversial way of ensur ing that private.
Connecticut river watershed councils source to sea. Water resources connecticut river joint commissions. The connecticut river is the longest river in the new england region of the united states, flowing roughly southward for 406 miles 653 km through four states. For more than 60 years, the connecticut river conservancy crc has been a powerful force for positive environmental change in new england. Tristate connecticut river targeted watershed initiative. The lower connecticut river is part of a massive 7. The connecticut river is the longest tidal river in the northeastern united states. As shown in figure 1, the primary watercourse in the region is the connecticut river which flows south from dalton to piermont, nh along the vtnh border. The precipitation runoff modeling system prms is a modular design, distributed parameter, physical process watershed model developed to evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, climate, and land use on watershed response. Birds of the conecticut river watershed united states fish. Students use gis skills to help solve environmental. Streams draining directly to connecticut river from black to west river mouth. Lower connecticut river smaller direct watersheds updated. Programs our programs are designed to engage and educate stakeholders.
It is my watershed address and i am thankful for crc investing their time and energy in stewarding and advocating for our home river. A standardized mapping of natural drainage basins in connecticut was completed in 1981 by the connecticut department of environmental protection dep. The watershed enters vermont and canada on the western border. From alpine forests to tidal estuaries, rural farmlands to urban riverfronts, spotted salamanders to bald eagles and mussels to salmon, the connecticut river watershed unites a. It was founded in the spirit of collaboration, technical rigor, and longrange vision and ambition.
The crw was recently designated by the usdoi as the first national blue way in the us. Crwc is a nonprofit organization supported by individual. Connecticut river named countrys first national blueway. Running from the canadian border to long island sound, the connecticut river and its watershed include 2. Conte national fish and wildlife refuge final action plan and environmental impact statement, october, 1995, u. Oct 04, 2012 on saturday september 29, over two thousand registered volunteers grabbed trash bags and work gloves to pitch in on the source to sea cleanup, organized by the connecticut river watershed council.
Connecticut river watershed council the river connects us. For a quick, easytoread overview of the connecticut river watershed study, see our. Connecticut river watershed council the conservation. Point source pollution is a single, identifiable source of pollution into the environment. This section includes a stretch of the connecticut river mainstem and four of its tributaries the west, ashuelot, millers, and deerfield rivers. The buffalo river watershed alliance was formed to prevent pollution of the buffalo national river watershed through monitoring, advocacy, and public policy initiatives to promote environmentally responsible development and agriculture. It winds 410 miles from the canadian border through new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, and connecticut, joining the sea at long island sound. Point sources of pollution are usually the first to be identified and addressed. Carved between the green mountains of vermont and the white mountains of new hampshire is 410 miles of the historic connecticut river. The blue cover represents the watershed, the area in which precipitation that falls flows downgradient towards the lowest part of the basin, the center of the pool cover in this case.
Buffalo river watershed alliance videos and audio files. The connecticut river watershed council is the principal nonprofit environmental advocate for protection, restoration, and sustainable use of the connecticut river and its watershed. The way connecticut currently treats scrap tires is a recipe for illegal dumping. This drainage basin system divided connecticut into 8 major basins, 45 regional basins, 337 subregional basins, 2,898 local basins, and 7,067 small drainage basin. Land and water conservation issues in the drainage area of the connecticut river in connecticut. Major tributaries include from north to south the passumpsic, ammonoosuc, white, black, west, ashuelot, millers, deerfield, chicopee, westfield, and farmington rivers. For instance, in williams township, the frys run watershed drains directly to the delaware river.
The expansive connecticut river museum hosts a wide range of programs from river. Travel vermont connecticut river byway vermont byways. Blue river watershed association, kansas city, missouri. This is certainly true about connecticut river if you think about its whole length. Overflow water runs straight down the gullet of the spillway, which is 15 feet wide at its narrowest part, before turning 90 degrees and running into the blue river through a 15foot wide fixedwing gate, which can be opened and closed to regulate water flow into the lower blue river. Connecticut river and its watershed as first national blueway. The data is intended to be used as a tool for waterresource management and planning activities, particularly for sitespecific and. At age 68, connecticut walk book gets an upgrade hartford. But, there are times particularly after rain when bacteria in our rivers still might make you sick. There are two types of watershed datasets on ct eco. The new national blueways system is part of the americas great. Yelp is a fun and easy way to find, recommend and talk about whats great and not so great in greenfield and beyond. Wild, natural scenery abounds along the 410mile connecticut river, which is heralded as the firstand onlynational blueway designated under the americas great outdoors initiative by the obama administration in 2012. The program was dismantled in 2014, but the national landmark that is the connecticut river endures.
Mar 26, 2014 this dataset represents the connecticut river watershed boundary and is from the watershed boundary dataset wbd. This divide runs through central massachusetts, though the summit of mount wachusett, the highest point in the state east. Lower connecticut river smaller direct watersheds updated water quality and watershed assessment information october 2014 figure 1. My childhood revolved around water, whether it was swimming and fishing in the lakes and streams near my home or hiking in the forested foothills of the berkshires. Blue river watershed association is a nonprofit community organization that engages communities in protecting the blue. In support of raised bill 6352 an act establishing a tire stewardship program. This drainage basin system divided connecticut into 8 major basins, 45 regional basins, 337 subregional basins, 2,898 local basins, and 7,067 small drainage basin areas. While people living in the western and some southern portions of the county are on land that drains to the lehigh river, which is on its way to the delaware river, via the monocacy, hokendauqua, and saucon creeks, as well as other streams and. This divide runs through central massachusetts, though the summit of mount wachusett, the highest point in the state east of the connecticut river, rising to 2,006 feet 611 meters. The clean water act, smart investments, and the hard work of many people have made this possible. Likewise, in nature, water flows towards a valley, river, or lake. This dataset represents the connecticut river watershed boundary and is from the watershed boundary dataset wbd. Connecticut river watershed council seeks volunteers for. Develop, lead, and facilitate interpretive programs that emotionally and.
Sep 02, 20 the connecticut river watershed council has been an advocate for the 11,000 squaremile watershed of the connecticut river since 1952. This p lan explores new and continu ing challen ges to water re so urces. The connecticut river watershed council of connecticut was created by the connecticut river watershed council to hold its protected land located in the state of connecticut. The connecticut river watershed the trust for public land. Splitting new england in two, the river touches four of the six new england states. The connecticut river conservancy is one of the oldest watershed organizations in the country. Connecticut river watershed council page 3 results of their stormwater sampling for town residents home owners and renters. Crc comments on lyme dock application february 24, 2020. Saxtons river village, the west and white river valleys, the ammonoosuc community trust and connecticut lakes region are a few examples. Designates connecticut river and its watershed as first national blueway. The plastic cover is tattered, the pages are smudged and ripped, the maps are hard to decipher, but it still gets me from point a to point b. The connecticut river watershed encompasses 11,260 square miles 29,200 km 2, connecting 148 tributaries, including 38 major rivers and numerous lakes and ponds.
Connecticut river main stem and major tributaries us fish and. Blue river watershed lw09 192 he blue river watershed, located in grant and iowa counties, drains to the wisconsin river from military ridge which is the feature that divides the lower wisconsin and the grantplatte river drainage basins. We work in a big watershed 11,000 square miles across four new england states. Blue river watershed association brwa to host rain barrel making workshop. A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common outlet. The group used specialized gis softwarearcmap and arccatalogto visually display data about land use, water samples, sources of pollution, and potential receptors. The focus is on excess nutrients which were identified as the primary driver of hypoxic conditions in long island sound and are also impacting upland water resources within the watershed, which encompasses areas of connecticut, massachusetts, new. Army corps of engineers usace, and completed in june 2018, the study is designed to examine whether operational changes at the watersheds largest dams could restore more natural flow patterns, creating. I grew up in rural connecticut in the housatonic river watershed. The connecticut river blueway will have a priority for these funding. The connecticut river watershed council crwc is a 501c3 charitable organization founded in l952. The people who live along the connecticut watershed started waking up to. Ct river was recently named the first national blueway. Wbd provides a uniquely identified and uniform method of subdividing large drainage areas.
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