Fact Sheet/Spring 2005 AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS www.epa.gov/OWOW/ heritage/rivers.html The American Heritage Rivers Initiative was created to advance the goals identi- fied by river communities. The Initiative has three objectives: natura resource an envron- mental protection, economic revitalization, and historic and cultural preservation. No new regulatory authority is created Likewise, no direct federal funding is available to the Initiative. Existing federal authorities and programs are used to assist the community partners * Connecticut River Navigator Contact Dan Burke (413) 548-9420 etf.34 burke.dan@epa.gov United States Environmental Protection Agency New England 888-372-7341 www.epa.gov/region1 Connecticut River What Makes the Connecticut River Watershed Special? Ht is New England's largest watershed -11,000 square-miles in 4 states with 38 major tributaries. Ht is also New England's longest river - 410 miles. Hhe Connecticut River drops 2,400 feet from its source before flowing into Long Island Sound. Hhe lower 60 miles of the river are tidal, with the boundary between salt and freshwater about 17 miles from its mouth under normal conditions. Hhe Connecticut River flow accounts for 70 percent of the freshwater inflow to Long Island Sound, delivering a daily average flow of nearly 16,000 cubic feet per second. Hhe watershed was nationally designated as one of fourteen American Heritage Rivers. Hhe entire watershed has been designated as the Silvio 0. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge encompassing an entire ecosystem. Hhe river's tidal wetlands were designated "wet- lands of international importance especially for wildlife", one of 15 wetlands recognized in the US. What are the Long Term Goals? * Support community based efforts to restore and protect the environmental, economic, cultural, and historic resources of the Connecticut River Watershed. ^firing people back to the river by providing greater river access and encouraging investment in care- fully planned river-fronteconomic development. Progress/Goals for the Future What Partnership Progress has Been Made? ^-Connecticut River Joint Commissions (CRJC) has awarded $1.1 million in federal grant funds to sup- port 373 locally-inspired projects that implement recommendations of the CRJC Corridor Management Plan. This investment has been matched ten-fold with non-federal funding and in-kind support. *-CRJC formed the Connecticut River Byway Council to fulfillits legislative mandate to promote tourismand economic development. Ho address erosion as a prevalent river concern, CRJC developed a series of popular fact sheets on riverbank erosion assessment and restoration, and a second series on riparian buffers. (See CRJC website) ^-Federalagencies awarded $217,000 to CRJC to pri- oritize erosion sites for restoration along the entire 275 miles of main river stem in NH and VT. ^-EPAawarded $1,275,000 of Brownfields grants to several Connecticut Valley communities and organizations. *-EPA awarded New England Interstate Water Pollu- tion Control Commission (NEIWPCC) $225,000 for the Connecticut River Nitrogen Monitoring and Modeling Pro ject to support implementation of the Long Island Sound TMDL for nitrogen. >-EPA awarded MA DEP a $ 50,000 grant to develop a bacteria monitoring plan in the Connecticut River and tributaries, with Greater Springfield as the focus area. ------- Connecticut River Connecticut River Watershed tft* p JBDOUCOil (7T »> '. ,..-.---, T.&BC-M ^Connecticut River Joint Commissions (CRJC) Contact Sharon Francis Executive Director (603)826-4800 www.crjc.org ^Connecticut River Watershed Council, (CRWC) Inc. Contact Chelsea Gwyther Executive Director (413)722-2020 www.ctriver.org AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS www.epa.gov /OWOW/heritage/rivers.html What EPA Actions are Planned for 2005? Quality and Designated Use: GRJG, NH DES, and EPA have partnered to col- lect and analyze water quality samples over the entire 275 river miles of the Connecticut River in New Hampshire and Vermont to determine if water quality is sufficient to support desig- nated uses of the river (fishing and swim- ming). ^Erosion, Deposition, and Channel Change: GRJC has undertaken a fluvial geo- morphology assessment of the Connecticut River from Murphy Dam in Pittsburg, NH to the Gilman Dam in Lunenburg, VT. CRJC is ex- amining the natural and human causes for channel change on the river, identifying the most unstable and degraded reaches, and choosing restoration strategies to bring the river toward a stable equilibrium. Funding support has come fromNOAA($27,500) and the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund ($32,600) associated with the Fifteen Mile Falls hydro development. United States Environmental Protection Agency New England Customer Call Center 888-372-7341 www.epa.gov/region1 Note: EPA New England offers businesses and municipalities information and assistance to improve compliance with environmental laws and be better stewards of their local environment. Please call to learn how EPA can help. Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper with a minimum 50% post-consumer fiber using vegetable-based ink JUI-r-U5-UUo ------- |