Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Connecticut's Watershed Management Program

DEEP created the Watershed Management Program to more effectively address water resource issues from an integrated watershed perspective.  The primary mission of Watershed Managers is to facilitate CT DEEP’s watershed management efforts to improve and maintain water quality within the State. To accomplish this, the managers have several key responsibilities. These include:

  • Serve as a central knowledge base about watershed areas in terms of natural features, water resource issues, and state and federal programs and activities;
  • Help to focus CT DEEP program activities on priority watershed management issues, throughout the state, including both protection of pristine waterbodies and restoration of impaired waterbodies;
  • Assist in the development of comprehensive watershed management plans to protect and restore water quality, conserve resources, enhance pollution control and prevention;
  • Act as a liaison between municipalities, residents, citizen groups and other stakeholders within watersheds to offer assistance and guide local land use decision making;
  • Provide education and public outreach regarding watershed issues; and 
  • Help to manage non-point source pollution related projects financed in part with funds from the Federal Clean Water Act (Sections 319, 104, 604) and State River Restoration Grants.

Watershed Management Areas

For purposes of watershed management, the state has been divided into five major watershed basins along natural watershed boundaries. DEEP Watershed Managers work within these five major watershed basins to assist communities in forming partnerships, drafting watershed based plans, and implementing environmental projects to restore and protect Connecticut's water quality on a watershed-wide scale.
   

Watershed Management Areas
    

Related DEEP Pages

Contact Information

The CT DEEP Watershed Management Program can be reached at deep.watershed@ct.gov      

 

Content last updated March 03, 2022.