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Watershed Approach Improves Norwalk River
\a/. + u -j- |	i Connecticut's Norwalk River was degraded by urban runoff
3 6f 0 ies mprovec from residential and commercial sources, prompting the state
to add the river to the state's Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998,
including the following two segments: (1) Norwalk River segment CT7300-00 03a (segment 03a),
for failure to support its recreation and aquatic life designated uses, and (2) Norwalk River segment
CT 7300-00 _ 05 (segment 05), for failure to support its contact recreation designated use. Since
1998 Norwalk River Watershed Initiative (NRWI) activities have catalyzed changes in septic system
maintenance, lawn care, pet waste, and municipal stormwater management requirements. These
activities have reduced bacteria levels and improved water quality. As a result, the two river
segments were removed from Connecticut's CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2012.
Problem
The 25-mlle-long Norwalk River (Figure 1) drains
a 64-square-mile watershed in southwestern
Connecticut and empties into Long Island Sound.
A small portion of the watershed drains the town of
Lewisboro in southeastern New York. Land uses in
the upper watershed are mixed forest and suburban
and urban. Pollution sources include permitted
municipal wastewater and stormwater discharges,
runoff from impervious surfaces, failing septic sys-
tems, pet and domestic animal waste, and wildlife.
Some areas of the river are affected by excess
nutrients and reduced dissolved oxygen., leading to
low aquatic species diversity.
Data collected from 1998 to 2011 showed that
two Norwalk River monitoring sites, Stonehenge
Road and Old Mill Road, often failed to meet water
quality standards for recreation use (which require
that the Escherichia coii geometric mean not
exceed 126 colonies [col] per 100 milliliters [mL]).
As a result, the Connecticut Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection (DEEP) added two
Norwalk River segments to the state's 1998 CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters: (1) segment
03a, for recreation and aquatic life support use
impairment, and (2) segment 05, for recreation use
impairment. Stonehenge Road had mean E, coii
levels as high as 540 col/mL in 2004, far exceeding
Connecticut's state criterion for recreation. In 2006
DEEP completed a total maximum daily load (TMDL)
forE coii in the Norwalk River. The TMDL stated
that bacteria in segments 03a and 05 must be
reduced by 5 and 39 percent, respectively, to meet
water quality standards for recreation.
ESS
Figure 1. Volunteers remove trash from
southeastern Connecticut's Norwalk River.
Project Highlights
In the mid-1990s DEEP joined with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) to bring together vari-
ous organizations to work on the NRWI, a voluntary
and locally based watershed planning effort. The
NRWI partners developed a watershed action plan
in 1998 and updated it in 2004. DEEP conducted a
2-year Stressor Identification Study for the watershed
in 2008 and finalized a watershed-based plan in
2011. The NRWI Advisory Committee has garnered
strong municipal support and led effective collabo-
ration among municipal, state, federal, and private
partners over a 15-year period. Over time, best
management practices became more stringently
required and monitored by state and municipal

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permitting and zoning authorities in residential and
commercial development, which has resulted in
improved stormwater quality. Towns have updated
their local regulations, budgets, and management
systems to support low impact development (LID)
and the use of better septic system management
practices. Implementation of NRWI's Action Plan is
ongoing; the goal is to maintain high water quality in
these segments, as well as to delist the remaining
impaired waters within the watershed.
A watershed coordinator position was established
and funded using CWA section 319 and other fund-
ing sources. The coordinator led inter-municipal
implementation of the Action Plan and helped to
educate schoolchildren, garden club members, and
the public about household pollution prevention,
domestic animal waste management, management
of nonmigratory Canada geese, organic land care,
and the use of LID practices such as rain barrels
and rain gardens. The funding also supported a LID
coordinator. DEEP provided technical oversight for
projects. Countless volunteers have participated in
efforts to monitor water quality, identify pollution
problems on the river, restore streamside buffers,
and enhance trails and access points (see Figure 1).
For 16 years Flarbor Watch at EarthPlace conducted
water quality monitoring and track-down surveys,
which helped local health and public works depart-
ments identify and significantly reduce bacteria loads
from stormwater sources. The Mianus Chapter
of Trout Unlimited worked with NRCS and Save
the Sound on large-scale riparian habitat, invasive
plant, fish passage, and water quality enhancement
projects, resulting in over a mile of intensive riparian
restoration at 10 major and many other smaller sites.
Since 1996 the nonprofit Norwalk River Watershed
Association (NRWA) has mobilized citizens through
annual river cleanups and outdoor classroom activi-
ties. NRWA conducted a septic system study that led
to an increased municipal focus on septic problems.
The Maritime Museum at Norwalk produced a pollu-
tion prevention video, "Life in a Watershed," which
has been shown to patrons and school students
continually since 2003. The South West Conservation
District offered site consultations, helped improve
lawn care practices, and implemented streamside
buffer, animal waste, and nutrient management.
Results
Norwal k River Watershed
Indicator Bacteria Geomean
Sites NR15, NR9.5
2002-2012
Stone henge Rd
Old Mill Rd
P ot Area
Geomean
126

Figure 2. Bacteria levels at two monitoring sites—
Stonehenge Road (segment 03a) and Old Mill Road
(segment 05), 2000-2012.
Road in Ridgefield) and 90 col/100 mL in segment
05 (near Old Mill Road in Wilton) (Figure 2). Both
segments now meet the state's water quality
criteria forE coli and aquatic species abundance
and diversity, supporting designated uses for con-
tact recreation and aquatic life. On the basis of
these data, the two segments were removed from
Connecticut's CWA section 303(d) list of impaired
waters in 2012.
Partners and Funding
Flarbor Watch collected water quality monitoring
data in 2012 that showed mean E. coli levels of
107 col/100 mL in segment 03a (near Stonehenge
CWA section 319 funds supported Harbor
Watch's water quality monitoring and track-down
surveys ($30,000), the Norwalk River watershed
coordinator position ($125,000 over 5 years), the
NRWA's septic system study ($7,500), and the
Maritime Museum's "Life in a Watershed" video
($15,000). The New York town of Lewisboro
and the Connecticut towns of Norwalk, Wilton,
Westport, Ridgefield, New Canaan, Redding,
and Weston provided additional funding for
the watershed coordinator and student interns
to assist with monitoring and surveys. A local
seafood business. Norm Bloom and Son Oysters
and Clams, contributed funding for lab work,
as did Harbor Watch. The Fairfield County
Community Foundation, the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, and the Dibner Fund pro-
vided over $150,000 in financial support. NRCS
provided Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program
funding for riparian restoration work. Many of the
projects initially funded by EPA grants have been
continued with municipal and private funding
sources.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-14-001C
January 2014
For additional information contact:
Christopher Malik, Connecticut Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection
860-424-3959 • Christopher.Malik@ct.gov
Richard Harris, Harbor Watch
203-227-7253 ext. 121 • rbharris39@gmail.com

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