Housatonic River Basin Natural Resources Restoration Plan
In 2009, the Connecticut SubCouncil Trustees released the Housatonic River Basin Final Natural Resources Restoration Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Environmental Impact Evaluation for Connecticut funding 27 projects aimed at restoring, rehabilitating or acquiring the equivalent of the natural resources and recreational uses of the Housatonic River that were injured by the release of PCBs from the GE facility in Pittsfield, Mass. Funding for these projects comes from a 1999 settlement with General Electric that included $7.75 million for projects in Connecticut, and grew to more than $9 million in an interest-bearing account. The Plan provided $7 million to 27 projects, across three restoration categories:
- Aquatic natural resources (approximately $1.7 million),
- Riparian and floodplain natural resources (approximately $2.8 million), and
- Recreational use of natural resources (approximately $2.6 million).
Since the actual cost of the aquatic natural resource projects was substantially less than the riparian and recreational use projects, the Trustee SubCouncil reserved a portion of the settlement to fund future projects in this category, through amendments to the plan, and those remaining settlement funds have grown to more than $2 million in an interest-bearing fund. In June 2013, the Trustees released Final Amendment to the Housatonic River Basin Final Natural Resources Restoration Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Environmental Impact Evaluation for Connecticut, describing 7 additional aquatic restoration projects that will be implemented.
Proposals for the 27 projects awarded funding under the original Housatonic River Basin Final Natural Resources Restoration Plan, as well all proposals submitted for funding under the Final Amendment to the Housatonic River Basin Final Natural Resources Restoration Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Environmental Impact Evaluation for Connecticut are available below.
Original Project Proposals
Project: Audubon Carse Brook Wetlands Restoration
Project Sponsor: Audubon Sharon
Supplemental Information Project Map Summary Report
Project: Ball Pond and Shortwoods Brooks Water Quality Improvement and Pedestrian Access
Project Sponsor: Town of New Fairfield
Supplemental Information 2013 Dunham Pond Invasive Species Management Plan
Project: Ballantine Park Streambank Restoration/Stabilization
Project Sponsor: Town of Southbury
Supplemental Information Pomperaug River Restoration Final Performance Report
Project: Beacon Falls Riverfront Park System
Project Sponsor: Town of Beacon Falls
Supplemental Information Riverbend Park Concept Plan Riverbend aerial photo
Project: Blackberry River Fish Passage Restoration
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP Inland Fisheries
Project: Campville Fishing Access
Project Sponsor: Town of Harwinton
Project: "Car-top" Boat Launches in the Town of Kent
Project Sponsor: Town of Kent
Project: Conservation of the Frost and CL&P Riverfront Properties in Sharon, CT
Project Sponsor: Housatonic Valley Association
Supplemental Information County Times News Article-Belter property
County Times News Article-Frost property Final Performance Report
Project: Fish Ladder Repair and Riparian Vegetation Restoration, Cornwall
Project Sponsor: Housatonic Valley Association
Supplemental Information Register Citizen article
HVA Today article 2015 Report Final Report
Project: Habitat Restoration on Housatonic River: Control of Non-native Invasive Plants (Phragmites)
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP Wildlife Division
Supplemental Information 2012 Report 2013 Report 2014 Report 2015 Report
Project: Halfway River Fishery Access
Project Sponsor: Town of Newtown
Project: Housatonic and Naugatuck Watershed Trout Stocking and Stream Improvement
Project Sponsor: Naugatuck/Pomperaug Chapter Trout Unlimited
Supplemental Information 2015 Report
Project: Housatonic Valley River Trail
Project Sponsor: USDA/NRCS King's Mark
Project: Increased Law Enforcement Patrols at Bull's Bridge and Other Problem Areas
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP Inland Fisheries and Law Enforcement
Supplemental Information 2011 Report 2012 Report 2013 Report 2014 Report
Project: Indian Fields Wildlife Preserve
Project Sponsor: NW Conservation District
Supplemental Information Native Meadows Management Plan (2012)
A 25-acre floodplain along the Housatonic River in New Milford was permanently protected by the Northwest Conservation District. A parking area and trail have been installed to provide access to the public. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Project: O'Sullivan's Island Peninsula Riverbank Restoration and Enhancement
Project Sponsor: Valley Council of Governments
Supplemental Information New Haven Register article CT Post article
Project: Recreational Easements and Riparian Buffer Zones for Housatonic Basin Streams
Project Sponsor: DEEP Land Acquisition and Management
Project: Restoration of Coarse Woody Habitat Housatonic River Main Stem Impoundments
Project Sponsor: CT B.A.S.S. Federation
Project: Salmon Creek/Housatonic River Land Protection
Project Sponsor: The Nature Conservancy
Supplemental Information 2016 Final Report
Project: Salmon Kill Restoration and Enhancement
Project Sponsor: Trout Unlimited
Supplemental Information Republican American Article
Trout Unlimited Blog Salmon Kill Restoration and Enhancement Final Report
Twenty students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School planted more than 140 shrubs and saplings as part of the Trout Unlimited project to restore riparian habitat on the Salmon Kill River. TU hopes to rehabilitate floodplain forest and riparian forested habitat, restore eroded stream banks, and enhance in-stream habitat to benefit native brook trout and wild brown trout populations.
Project: Schaghticoke Indian Reservation Car Top Boat, Canoe, Kayak Access Ramp
Project Sponsor: Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Environmental Committee
Supplemental Information Withdrawal Letter
Project: Sega Meadows Park River Enhancement
Project Sponsor: Town of New Milford
Supplemental Information Final Report
Project: Transylvania Brook Culvert Crossing at East Flat Hill Road
Project Sponsor: Town of Southbury
Project: Upper Housatonic Riparian Vegetation, Shoreline and Recreational Access Improvements
Project Sponsor: Housatonic Valley Association
Project: Waterfowl - Woodcock Study for Habitat Creation
Project Sponsor: Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Environmental Committee
Project: Wimisink Preserve Restoration and Access
Project Sponsor: Naromi Land Trust, Inc.
Supplemental Information Report Articles
Project: Youngsfield Park Riverwalk and Greenway
Project Sponsor: Town of New Milford
Supplemental Information Youngs Field Final Performance Report
Grand Opening – River Trail, Boat Launch and Fishing Platform
Amendment Project Proposals
Project: Power Line Marsh Housatonic River Habitat Restoration Project
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP
Project: Restoration and Research of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in the Housatonic River Watershed
Project Sponsor: Housatonic Environmental Action League, Inc.
Project: Housatonic Watershed Habitat Continuity in Northwest Connecticut
Project Sponsor: Housatonic Valley Association
Habitat Continuity Report Final
Project: Heminway Pond Dam Removal, Steele Brook, Aquatic Natural Resources Restoration/Enhancement
Project Sponsor: Town of Watertown
Project: Leetes Island Tidal Marsh Habitat Restoration Project
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP
Project: Long Beach West Tidal Marsh Habitat Restoration Project
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP
Project: McKinney NWR Great Meadows Unit, Stratford, Connecticut Conceptual Marsh Restoration
Project Sponsor: Lordship Point/Raymark Trustee Council
Project: Old Papermill Pond Dam Fish Passage Project
Project Sponsor: Ousatonic Fish and Game Club
Project: Removal of Pin Shop Pond Dam
Project Sponsor: The Old Pin Shop, LLC
Project: Tingue Dam Bypass Channel
Project Sponsor: CT DEEP
(Application for NOAA Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Project Grants Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) This project is primarily being funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; Housatonic NRD funds will only be applied should there be a budget shortfall.
Project Contacts
| Name | Organization | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Finkelstein Ph.D.(Trustee) | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | 617-918-1499 | ken.finkelstein@noaa.gov |
| Rick Jacobson (Trustee) | Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection | rick.jacobson@ct.gov | |
| Molly Sperduto (Trustee) | United States Fish and Wildlife Service | 603-223-2541 | molly_sperduto@fws.gov |
| Robin Blum | Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection | 860-424-4137 | robin.blum@ct.gov |
Housatonic River Basin Final Natural Resources Restoration Plan
Related Links
Republican American Article, September 2014
Massachusett's Housatonic River Natural Resource Restoration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Damage Assessment and Restoration Program
U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration Program
For additional information, please contact Robin Blum, CT DEEP Eastern District Headquarters, 209 Hebron Road, Marlborough, CT 06447.
Content last updated February 14, 2020.