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The Healey-Driscoll Administration has recently announced over $13.9 million in grants  to support the repair of dams and coastal infrastructure across Massachusetts. The funding, provided through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Dam and Seawall program, will help 23 municipalities and nonprofit organizations – including Connecticut River Conservancy – to address critical repairs and safely remove outdated structures in their communities.  Connecticut River Conservancy is working with the private dam owners, The Nature Conservancy, and other partners to conduct preliminary studies to explore removal of the D.F. Riley Grist Mill dam in Hatfield, MA with funding awarded from the Dam and Seawall grant program.  Like many old mill dams, the D.F. Riley Grist Mill dam no longer serves the purpose for which it was intended. The condition of the dam has deteriorated over time, and it blocks fish from accessing valuable upstream habitat. It is the only standing dam on the mainstem Mill River. Its removal will benefit migratory species such as American shad, sea lamprey, and many others, and improve the overall ecological health of the river system as well as its resilience to climate change. Removal would also eliminate a safety hazard for the community and the maintenance and liability burden for the dam owners.  The current structure was built in 1881 although there has been a dam at this site since 1661. Initially it served as a grist mill/sawmill and later powered the manufacturing of various other products.   An engineering firm will be selected and begin data collection and assessments in early 2025.    The Dam and Seawall Program   The Dam and Seawall program focuses on enhancing the safety and functionality of essential infrastructure, which protects residents and supports local economies. Prioritizing repairs and removals will help mitigate risks associated with severe weather events and rising sea levels.  The investment demonstrates the administration's dedication to helping communities adapt to climate change. By restoring and removing aging infrastructure, public safety will improve, and local ecosystems will be protected. This will also increase resilience in coastal areas. The grants will fund fourteen design and permitting projects and nine construction projects to advance designs and permits as well as to construct the projects. Since the program began in 2013, the Dam and Seawall Program has provided $134 million in grants and loans to address deficient dams, seawalls, and levees with these new grants. More details available  here .   Sign up for our newsletters  to get more river news and Connecticut River watershed updates directly in your inbox.

With the arrival of Fall, we often think of everything winding down and getting ready for the winter. We're putting our gardens to bed, the trees are turning, and leaves are falling, many animals are packing on the pounds and preparing to hibernate or at least hunker down. Freshwater mussels are moving deeper and digging in for the winter, and it would be natural to assume that the rest of the river residents are doing similar activities.   In contrast, we often herald Spring as the season of awakening and rebirth, filled with spawning runs, egg laying, and the start of the next generation. But it turns out that there's a lot of action in the fall, too. Fall is when our beautiful native brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) begin their spawning runs. Brook trout need cold water (preferably <60 °F ) year-round, but when the water temperatures hit 40-50 °F , they start heading upstream to breed. This usually takes place in late September and October (right now!). Female brook trout excavate a small redd, which gets covered back up with gravel after eggs have been laid and fertilized, then they go on to build another nest. The eggs overwinter in the gravel and the fry hatch out usually around February/March.    Water temperatures affect the timing and success of spawning runs, as well as how long it takes the eggs to develop and hatch. You might be wondering how those little eggs don't freeze in the substrate of cold, shallow, headwater streams that are often home to brook trout. Well, it turns out that the ideal places to construct redds are gravel banks where there is a spring or consistent localized groundwater discharge. That upwelling groundwater helps maintain an appropriate temperature for the eggs to develop, even when the air temperature is well below freezing.   The brook trout's sensitivity to water temperature and oxygen levels, and reliance on the exchange between ground and surface waters for certain life stages, underscores for me yet again how critical it is to consider ecological connectivity when talking about river health and species needs, and to think about how human activities can either enhance or degrade habitat for species like the brook trout, even if those activities are taking place on land. CRC does just that when taking on various projects, including our restoration work. We have undertaken projects in the past specifically to enhance brook trout habitat, and likely will do so in the future as well. Sign up for our newsletters  to get more river news and Connecticut River watershed updates directly in your inbox.

Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), a nonprofit dedicated to clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities throughout the entire 410-mile Connecticut River watershed, has received 11.5-million-dollars from the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which is implemented through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This is the largest funding award in the organization’s 72-year history, with all funds dedicated to ecosystem restoration projects in the Connecticut River watershed portion of New Hampshire, as well as Coos County, over the next 5 years. These funds will be used to help farmers and private landowners manage and enhance aquatic and forested ecosystems on their properties. “We are excited to continue our important work with the Connecticut River Conservancy under the recently awarded RCPP project to address resource concerns in Coös County and the upper Connecticut River watershed,” said Becky Ross, New Hampshire State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in the Granite State. “As stewards of the headwaters of one of New England’s most important rivers, it is vital to have such a strong private-public partnership to leverage our collective strategies and capabilities to support our shared vision of conserving this natural resource. Through the power of partnerships under RCPP, we can achieve more positive impacts faster and help accelerate support for the conservation goals of our dedicated farm and non-industrial private forest landowners in the Granite State. Under this program we look forward to helping them help the land – together.” The goal of this effort is to restore degraded stream and forest ecosystems in parts of New Hampshire, which will in turn improve water quality, ecosystem health, and climate resiliency. This will be accomplished by stabilizing streambanks, removing dams, replacing undersized culverts, planting riparian buffers, installing strategic wood additions, and carrying out forest management practices. The proposed projects are estimated to stabilize at least 2,000 feet of streambank; prevent 400 pounds of nitrogen and 200 tons of sediment from entering waterways annually; enhance 70 miles of stream habitat; reestablish 50 acres of riparian forest; complete 400 acres of forest stand improvement, and sequester or reduce 50-150 tons of CO2. Since the early 1800s, the Connecticut River and its tributaries have been the lifeblood of local communities in western and northern NH. Over time, the conditions of our waterways and forests have worsened due to overuse and mismanagement. Additionally, these habitats are now being heavily impacted by climate change, including intense rainfall, off-season flooding, periods of high temperatures, and extended droughts. Degraded ecosystems provide fewer ecosystem services for humans and nature, and are less able to bounce back from extreme weather events. In the project area today, there are still 150 dams and 455 culverts with no or reduced fish passage and thousands of acres of forests that need proper management. These funds will enable CRC and our partners to remove stream barriers, enhance habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species, and improve the overall health of the upper watershed. CRC has a long history of completing ecological restoration projects. Since 2011, CRC has removed 24 dams, replaced 6 culverts, opened 427 miles to aquatic organism passage, and planted over 90,000 native trees and shrubs on 26 acres across the watershed. This award will allow CRC to continue this great work in the upper watershed, including the headwaters of the Connecticut River located in northern NH. "CRC’s award of 11.5M in the great state of New Hampshire will have a positive and long-lasting impact throughout the entire Connecticut River watershed, all the way down to Long Island Sound” said Rebecca Todd, Executive Director at Connecticut River Conservancy.  “This funding empowers the kind of bold action we need to take now to support our habitats and communities in a rapidly changing climate.” As part of this effort, CRC has teamed up with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund to provide over 2 million additional dollars to go towards related stream restoration efforts in the watershed. Since 2009, the NHDES ARM Fund has invested over $1 billion in restoration and conservation funding in the project area, including protecting over 1,400 acres of wetlands and 39 miles of river, and removing barriers on 17 miles of river. CRC and the NHDES ARM Fund will collaborate regularly to identify potential projects and coordinate how to best spend funds to optimize ecosystem impact across the project area. This funding will give private landowners the financial help they need to restore their land and become more resilient in a changing climate. In more good news for the watershed, CRC is among the partners included in Mass Audubon’s 25-million-dollar NRCS award for conservation work along the Connecticut River in Massachusetts. CRC has also recently received a grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Dam and Seawall program for a dam removal exploration in that state. These combined projects highlight an impactful and partnership-based vision for watershed-wide climate resiliency in the years to come. CRC looks forward to continuing our work with the USDA NRCS in New Hampshire, the ARM Fund, and our local restoration, engineering, and construction partners to improve water quality, forest health, and riparian habitats in our local rivers. About Connecticut River Conservancy: The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. CRC has been a steward of the Connecticut River and tributary streams since 1952. Their programs include advocacy, aquatic invasive species management, dam removal, habitat restoration, migratory fish surveys, recreation, trash cleanups, and water quality monitoring. Together through community engagement and education, they’re dedicated to ensuring equitable access and healthy rivers for all. Learn more at ctriver.org .   About the Regional Conservation Partnership Program: The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation. In 2024 the USDA Announced $1.5 Billion for 92 Projects. You can learn more about the RCPP awards in NH here  and see the full list of awarded projects across the country here . For questions about this award: Lauren Zielinski, Stream Restoration Specialist (603) 325-7022   lzielinski@ctriver.org   Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs (413)768-4994   rrhodes@ctriver.org Sign up for our newsletters to get more river news and Connecticut River watershed updates directly in your inbox.

The Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act (CRWPA) is an exciting new bill that was recently introduced in the House and Senate and supported by a broad coalition of public and private organizations throughout New England, including the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the Connecticut River Conservancy, Mass Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, American Rivers, Kestrel Land Trust, and the Appalachian Mountain Club among others. The bill was introduced by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), with a companion bill in the House introduced by Jim McGovern (MA-02) and cosponsored by Annie Kuster (NH-02). Additional co-sponsors include Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Becca Balint (D-VT), Jim Himes (D-CT), Richard Neal (D-MA), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT). Legislation Summary: The CRWPA will formalize partnerships between state, local, and private entities (including tribal organizations, nonprofits, and institutions of higher learning) to promote conservation, restoration, education, and recreation efforts in the watershed and establish a voluntary grant program to facilitate these activities. This collaborative effort will benefit fish and wildlife habitats, protect drinking water sources, and enhance access to the watershed’s public spaces, particularly for excluded and marginalized communities. CRWPA is modeled on the Chesapeake WILD Act (2020) and the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act (2015), which have successfully established similar partnerships in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Delaware River Basin respectively. Specifically, the CRWPA will: Require the Secretary of Interior to establish a non-regulatory Watershed Partnership Program intended to identify, prioritize and implement restoration and protection activities within the Watershed in consultation with federal, state, local and non-profit stakeholders;  Create a voluntary grant and technical assistance program for state and local governments; tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; and other eligible entities for activities in the Watershed; Implement a 75% Federal cost share for the grant program, except where the Secretary determines a larger cost share is appropriate; Authorize such sums as are necessary to carry out the program; and Ensure other activities conducted by the Secretary in the Watershed will supplement, not supplant activities carried out by the partnership program. The Connecticut River, New England’s longest, is a vital watershed that drains 7.2 million acres across five New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The Watershed is home to 396 communities and provides multiple environmental and economic benefits to diverse stakeholders and industries, including fisheries, farming, hunting, recreation, boating and tourism. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge encompasses the entire Watershed and is the only refuge of its kind in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Connecticut River is also one of just fourteen Federally recognized American Heritage Rivers in the United States. You can read the Senator’s press release and the full bill text here , and refer to the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge web page for a  full list of supporting representatives and organizations. Image above: Connecticut River Looking North to Mount Tom and Mount Holyoke, South Hadley, MA. Photo by Al Braden.

With all the crises facing our environment, the threat of aquatic invasive species might seem trivial. But the truth is that plant diversity is incredibly important for many reasons, and invasive species are an enormous threat to that diversity. Invasive plants out-compete native populations for sunlight and nutrients. They take over the ponds and streams where they are found and are difficult to dislodge. In taking over so aggressively they reduce a wetland’s ability to mitigate flooding. They destroy the complexity of food webs and make habitat unattractive or unlivable to native wildlife.   Aquatic invasive species like Hydrilla verticillata  and Trapa natans  (water chestnut)  also threaten recreational opportunities, making swimming, boating or fishing impossible in many places that were once ideal for these activities. The removal of these plants can be laborious, but fortunately these efforts are being supported by concerned civilians who see an opportunity to have a real positive impact on the environment, all while spending time on the water communing with nature and connecting with one another.  Volunteers for Water Chestnut Removal   In 2023, Connecticut River Conservancy, one of many organizations working to remove water chestnut from the Connecticut River, enjoyed the help of 98 individual volunteers. In 2024 that number increased to 237. This is a growing team of enthusiastic folks that have found their way to this work via many paths.   “I found out about the [water chestnut pulls] from my mother. She saw a post on Facebook asking for kayak volunteers and she knows I love kayaking, so she sent the info to me” said volunteer Elizabeth Plikaitis. “Despite not knowing anyone and going by myself to volunteer, I was instantly greeted by the staff and spent the morning chatting and making new friends among the other kayakers. There is a definite feeling of comradery among the group and a sense of purpose. I looked forward to my time with this group every week and can’t wait to go back next season. Volunteering with the CRC has quickly become a passion of mine and a favorite way to spend my time.”  Others have already spent some time working on other environmental projects. Amanda DiTaranto says, “I first found the opportunity to volunteer with water chestnut removal while volunteering with CRC in their sea lamprey survey. Pulling invasive water chestnuts quickly became a favorite activity of the summer for me. I enjoy having the opportunity to paddle in areas I may not have known about before, interacting with CRC staff and other volunteers, the physical activity, seeing wildlife in their natural habitat and learning new things from those I'm with.”    The CRC staff who lead the volunteer events also find them cathartic. According to CRC field coordinator, Sarah Manteiga, "working with volunteers to remove water chestnuts restores my hope and inspiration. They give their Saturday mornings and work hard for a good cause, but often express how relaxing, even meditative, the task is." Adelheid Koepfer, a CRC crew member in Connecticut points out that “many people come back again and again to help, even after they have moved away. People come from all different ways of life, and it is so interesting to hear their stories, but the best of all is to see how many friends care about the river, and how much a group of dedicated people can achieve.”   How a Volunteer Event Unfolds   A typical day volunteering at a water chestnut pull begins around 8:30am with the assignment of kayaks to those who cannot bring their own. Personal Floatation devices are distributed, and a few minutes are spent at the water’s edge ensuring that everyone is comfortable and safe paddling their boats. There is usually a short paddle to the site of the infestation and there, water chestnut plants get pulled out of the riverbed and stuffed into five-gallon buckets. Buckets of water chestnut are dumped into barges that are rowed back to shore, their contents composted. The work can be hot during summer and at times the volunteers do get muddy, but the rewards outweigh any hardship. " At the end of a pull it's a wonderful feeling seeing how much you've actually removed!” -Amanda DiTaranto.  2024 Water Chestnut Results   This year’s impact was tremendous. The seven staff and 237 volunteers that worked on CRC’s projects in 2024 removed 174,000 water chestnut plants from the Connecticut River watershed. This was accomplished over the course of 2,245 labor hours.   Combatting invasive species requires years of dedicated effort and progress can be slow, but progress is certainly being made. According to Connecticut field coordinator Michelle Helming, “it was a great season with great people, and it was a sense of community that brought all these amazing, hardworking individuals together.”  You can learn more about aquatic invasive species   and sign up for CRC’s emails  to get notified about future volunteer opportunities.

Mill River Field Trip On a windy October field trip to the Mill River with Connecticut River Conservancy’s Ryan O’Donnell, third graders got their feet wet, learned about river health, and scooped up wriggling creatures. Students in Cindy Kassell’s 3rd grade at Lander-Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, MA are studying the Connecticut River and the Mill River. Their year-long study investigates, “ How have these rivers been significant to the people in the valley? How do we care for rivers?” Kassell reached out to CRC: “my class would love to learn more about the river and help protect it… we want to get involved in the local river happenings.”  Is it clean? Ryan O’Donnell, CRC’s  Monitoring Program Manager, showed students the sign posted on a tree next to the river: Is it Clean/Esta Limpio? “I made that sign and put it there!” He explained his job and the role of volunteer monitors who collect water samples to test in the lab.  “There are lots of things we can do to understand rivers and different ways to tell if a river is healthy.” Students got very excited when he waded into the shallow water with a kick-net, showing them how to sample macroinvertebrates to assess the level of pollution in a stream.  Who’s living in the river? Children eagerly explored the leaf-filled shallow water with little nets, scooping their findings into containers to examine up close. They observed tiny fish, hopping beetles, and bubbles coming up from the leafy sediment. “There’s a cute little frog! Two frogs! Hopping away!” O’Donnell brought their attention to a big crayfish lurking in the fork of a tree root, telling them to approach quietly so it wouldn’t scoot away. Everyone got a good look – “it’s huge!!” – and learned that crayfish belong to the category of organisms considered moderately pollution tolerant. Children’s favorite part of getting out of the river was dumping their boots to see who had collected the most water.  Writing weathergrams “Who wants to write a note to the river?”   Carol Berner, River of Words Regional Coordinator, gathered students in a circle and showed them how to make weathergrams . She invited them to write a few words capturing the “here and now” of this place and moment. Students suggested sensory observations: “drops of rain falling off the trees, leaves moving slowly downstream, a dog splashing.” Berner gave them each a strip of brown paper tied with twine to write their message and hang it from a branch – so the weather could write back. As soon as the children settled quietly into writing, a sudden gust of wind blew acorns into the water, making loud pops and splashes. Children exclaimed that the weather was already writing back!   Walking back from the river to the trailhead, carrying nets and wet boots, children talked happily about all the things they had seen and heard and learned on their field trip to the Mill River.  Weathergram The wind blows the acorns in the water and makes a sound like plip plip plop plop I found a lot of fish and a lot of crayfish and when nature blows it makes me happy.

Last year, I could not tell you what Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) meant. However, over the course of the year, I have learned this term to be much more than what initially seemed like little more than an environmental sustainability buzzword. EPR programs are systems that reduce the waste generated by industrial production by charging producers for the waste they generate that isn’t recyclable or recollected. This system encourages producers to meet otherwise untouched recycling and reduction rates. One question that logically follows this statement is, “How do producers increase recycling rates when consumers are the ones who decide whether or not to recycle?” There are a couple types of EPR programs that catalyze a reduction in waste generation while simultaneously increasing recycling rates: stewardship programs and packaging programs. Stewardship programs require producers of certain environmentally harmful or otherwise hazardous materials to create their own recollection systems to guarantee that their products don’t end up in the waste stream. Currently, there are over 100 stewardship programs across 33 states (Product Stewardship Institute). Here in New England, there are over 30 stewardship programs, including mercury recollection in every state, “Bottle Bills” in every Connecticut River watershed state aside from New Hampshire, paint programs, mattress programs, electronics programs, and most recently, tire programs. These programs are wildly successful. The Container Recycling Institute found that states with container deposit laws recycle at twice the rate of other states. The trend was constant across materials without outliers. The other type of program is packaging EPR. Packaging EPR programs create regulations that determine what materials can be used in product packaging and in what quantity. Unlike stewardship programs, this type of EPR has only started gaining traction in the United States in the last four years, despite the existence of analogous programs elsewhere worldwide. This type of program requires producers to change what materials they use in their packaging to make it more recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable. In addition, it sets recycling and reduction goals with which producers must comply. While the system structure varies among the four states with packaging EPR programs in the United States, they generally have a few common characteristics. The statewide environmental department conducts a needs assessment to determine which materials will be prohibited, the fee structure to charge producers for the use of discouraged materials, and the timeline for reduction and recycling goals. The department then hires a “Producer Responsibility Organization” which manages the funds collected through the taxation of certain materials and distributes them to the department for administration or municipalities for disposal infrastructure. The only packaging EPR program in New England was passed in Maine in 2023. Because the four packaging EPR programs in the United States are in their implementation stages, there is no data demonstrating their success yet; however, The Recycling Partnership conducted a study on the status of packaging recycling and reduction in a number of regions with packaging EPR programs and found major success, with the Netherlands increasing its recycling rate since the introduction of its EPR program in 2007 in every metric available and Quebec more than doubling its recycling rates of every packaging material after the introduction of its packaging EPR program in 2005. Despite the success of EPR programs worldwide, opponents of EPR are concerned that consumers pay for the cost placed on producers by taxation through increased product prices. However, environmental consulting firm Resource Recycling Systems conducted a study which indicated that this does not occur (Dimino). 76% of products studied did not increase in price after the introduction of EPR legislation, only 15% increased, and 9% decreased. Additionally, of the 15% of products that increased in price, the average increase in price was less than 1%. This means that a product which once cost $5 cost less than five cents more after introducing a relevant EPR program. By forcing producers to pay for the waste that they generate that contributes to environmental damage, producers are incentivized to reduce the amount of waste they produce, use more recyclable materials, recover their waste, and reuse it instead of purchasing new raw materials. EPR guarantees that people don’t have to consume as high quantities of environmentally unsustainable materials while simultaneously making it easier for them to recycle. This reduces the waste in our landfills and takes steps towards the preservation of our natural environment. Check out CRC's informative pamphlet here . Product Stewardship Institute. “EPR Laws in the United States.” https://productstewardship.us/epr-laws-map/ , 2024. Gitlitz, Jenny. “Bottled Up. Beverage Container Recycling Stagnates (2000-2010).” Container Recycling Institute, 2013, https://www.container-recycling.org/images/stories/PDF/BottledUp-BCR2000-2010.pdf . Dimino, Resa. “Impact of EPR for Packaging on Consumer Prices.” Signalfire Group, https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/deep/waste_management_and_disposal/ccsmm/epr-workinggroup/impact-of-epr-for-packaging-on-consumer-prices-9_28_22.pdf . The Recycling Partnership. “Increasing Recycling Rates with EPR Policy.” 2023, https://recyclingpartnership.webdamdb.com/bp/#/downloadqueue/DEMfU95FkzCsVTXP /source/0.

Connecticut River Conservancy is working with multiple partners to remove the remnant 90-foot-long and 7-foot-high concrete Blake Higgins dam on the Saxtons River, a tributary of the Connecticut River, in Westminster/Bellows Falls, Vermont.      The goals of this river restoration project are the following:     Fish passage.  Removal of the dam will create access to upstream spawning habitat for the anadromous population of native sea lamprey, a migratory fish .  Currently, sea lamprey  spawn below the dam but not above. Nests are heavily concentrated below the dam which in some cases can reduce survival of incubating eggs if the fish spawn on an existing nest. The technical term is called redd superimposition . Dam removal will expand the sea lamprey habitat by a little over 1 mile, which may not sound like a long distance, but it is the quality of increased habitat that will make a difference. These efforts will allow the fish to spread out in the river and spawn in an expanded habitat at least up to the next barrier (Twin Falls).     Water quality. Removing the dam will improve water quality  by increasing the availability of dissolved oxygen which is vital for healthy habitats, wildlife, and overall cleanliness of water. Additional benefits include reduce d eutrophication, enhanced nutrient cycling, cooler river temperatures, and a decrease in the potential for harmful algae blooms.      Natural sediment transport. In addition to dam removal, approximately 750 cubic yards of trapped sediment will be removed. Given the lack of dam maintenance over many years, sediment has accumulated both above and below the dam, which can result in nutrient deficiencies downstream, loss of biodiversity, or riverbed erosion. The combined impact of sediment removal, and the natural sediment flow that will occur over time with the absence of the dam, a more natural sediment transport will be restored.       Community recreation. The swimming area will be preserved as a beloved community summer spot for swimming, river access, and enjoyment. It may be a little different after the project is completed, but community use/swimming very much factored into the details and the river access will be improved as a result. Prior to this project, there was a small, steep, and rocky trail to the river, and afterwards there will be a wider, more leveled path. Once dam removal is complete, Vermont River Conservancy will make further improvements for community access.       Flood resilience. Dam removal will lower the flood elevation in this section of the Saxtons River (about 800 feet from the confluence with the Connecticut River) by about 7ft. This will help reduce the potential for harming the surrounding infrastructure, causing erosion, and creating costly cleanup efforts after severe weather events. Partnership for River Restoration      Multiple partners came together to fund and implement this restoration project. CRC is working with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vermont River Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Saxtons River Valley Trails Initiative, and the Westminster Conservation Commission. Vermont Clean Water Block grant funds, The Conservation Alliance, Darn Tough, Fidelity Foundation, Bingham Trust Foundation, and American Rivers also supported this dam removal. Additional partners and contractors include SLR Engineering, Adams Trucking & Excavation, ACME Heritage Consultants, KAS Environmental Science Consulting, and Moore Law firm in Bellows Falls.     Timeline       CRC held a tour of the dam removal site with local community members in August, 2024. Dam removal is estimated to be completed in early September 2024.  CRC will return to plant native shrubs and trees in the spring of 2025.  Vermont River Conservancy will make further improvements for public access in the summer of 2025.   Sea lamprey will have expanded habitat by the next fish migration season in May of 2025 – a great time to visit this area and see their nest-building! You can visit anytime along the Saxtons River Trail. You can see press about this project from WCAX Wildlife Watch.    Video of Blake Higgins dam on the Saxtons river in early phase of removal Historical Background The timber crib remains of the dam may date to as far back as the mid nineteenth century, and are scattered adjacent to and upstream from the remains of the 90-foot-wide concrete gravity dam, which may date to as far back as the 1910s. There is bedrock at river left, and the remains of a dam back wall and buttress columns at river right.      The dam was associated with mills north of the river that had a variety of uses and owners. Although the dam and the remaining mill structures are within the town of Westminster, they were historically associated with industries located in Bellows Falls Village in the town of Rockingham.      There were reportedly two industries near the mouth of the Saxtons River by the early nineteenth century: Sanford Granger’s sawmill and the S.S. Coolidge Pail Company. The 1856 McClellan atlas of Bellows Falls shows a cluster of buildings including a pail factory and tannery. A building labeled Granger is shown on the 1869 Beers atlas of Bellows Falls, as well as the Perry & Ellis Tannery. The 1885 Bellows Falls Sanborn Insurance Map shows that the Fall Mountain Paper Company – a large concern with a complex within Bellows Falls Village – had a saw and planing mill that likely utilized the water power from the dam, although the dam is out of range of the image on the map. This mill is no longer standing.      About 1895, the Westminster Paper Company built the extant brick complex on the plateau north of the river. It became the Blake & Higgins Company paper mill about 1905. The dam appears on the 1920 Sanborn map for the first time. The mill was sold to the Green Mountain Tissue Company in 1940, which remained in operation until the late 1960s. However, it is unlikely that the dam was being used for water power at this point.     Significance and Determination of Eligibility       The dam has not been utilized for many decades and both the timber crib and concrete sections are ruins and do not retain integrity. There is no remaining physical evidence that the dam was related to a nearby industrial operation, with the exception of the buildings once associated with the Blake & Higgins/Green Mountain Tissue paper mill. The dam does not appear eligible for the National Register of Historic Places due to the loss of integrity, lack of distinctive design, and absence of evidence of its original purpose and context. In 1979, the SHPO’s Project Review for the construction of the extant bridge found that the project would “not affect any properties that are included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places,” and that an “on-site inspection by Division staff found extensive previous ground disturbance on both sides of the river which precludes the need for any archeological investigation.”      The paper mill complex was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in anticipation of a Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit application, but the owners decided not to pursue the tax credits and the subsequent building renovation project was not reviewed for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation . Also, the river banks adjacent to the dam have been substantially disturbed as a result of the bridge construction.   Gallery of postcards from 1905, 1928, and 1983. This project is 4 years in the making and we are thrilled to be nearing completion of the dam removal while looking ahead to continued improvements to the site. Thanks to all those who have participated in this effort. From here you can learn more about dam removal   migratory fish,  and river restoration.

The annual Source to Sea Cleanup is a watershed-wide initiative organized by Connecticut River Conservancy in NH, VT, MA, and CT to remove as much trash as possible from the Connecticut River's tributaries, riverbanks, parks, and communities. 2024 was the 28th year in a row of this cleanup, and once again there was an incredible turnout by over 120 different groups consisting of communities, families, businesses, nonprofits, schools, and diverse volunteers united in their commitment to cleaner, healthier rivers.    While most events happened on September 27-28th, there were also groups that went out as early as August, and some still scheduled to have their cleanups in October, which means the overall cleanup is not yet complete! And it will be some time before Connecticut River Conservancy receives everyone’s stories, photos, and the results of all the trash tallies  – including details of exactly how much trash was collected, what kind of items were common this year, and unusual items found.     We will provide a much more detailed summary of activities in this year’s Cleanup Chronicle ( here  is last year’s for reference) later this fall, but in the meantime, we’ve compiled some of the highlights that have come in. If you have participated this year and have any questions or would like to send us your photos, please contact us at cleanup@ctriver.org .    Here are just a few of the incredible groups that participated this year:  The Franklin County Rivers Cleanup/Green River Cleanup  in Greenfield, MA, was a mega-group consisting of 25 separate events celebrated their 21st year of being part of the Source to Sea Cleanup. Once again there was incredible leadership from David Boles, Michael Pattavina, and Charlie Olchowski who organized the cleanup and made sure that all trash items - thousands of pounds of trash! - were tallied in detail.   Hypertherm North America employees joined forces with the Black River Action Team (BRAT)  to collect a full 15-cubic-yard dumpster worth of trash from the Black River in Springfield, VT! The Town of Springfield supported the effort by coordinating the dumpster - by the end of the cleanup, it contained an estimated 295 pounds of rusted scrap metal, 108 tires (many were decades old), and a range of items from electronics to children's yard furniture, strips of plastic hundreds of feet long, shopping carts, and more. Hypertherm also had a cleanup group in West Lebanon, NH, a few weeks after the VT group.   The Farmington River Watershed Association in CT had 5 different cleanup groups including in  Avon Fisher Meadows, Collinsville, Tunxsis Mead, Windsor Boat Ramp, and Tariffville Park. This quote from group leader Heather Geist is a great reminder of how trash travels: “ Although our recreationists and residents love their river, and they work hard to use responsible practices, accidents can happen when stormwater washes litter and debris from floodplains into streams and rivers. We must remember that floodplains are part of our rivers - they transport vital nutrients and materials to aquatic ecosystems, but they can also transport unwanted pollution.”     The Ashuelot River and Beaver Brook River Cleanup  in Keene, NH with Cheshire County Conservation District group leader Amanda Littleton had a wonderful group of local residents removing trash from Ashuelot River Park.     The Fort River Watershed Association  led by Brian Yellen had over 120 volunteers in Groff Park in Amherst, MA, including kids of all ages. Among the items found were a toilet seat, tires, bikes, and a seemingly endless assortment of bottles, cans, nips, and plastic food packaging.     Several legislators once again joined cleanups in Massachusetts , including Senator Jo Comerford, Lindsay Sabadosa (State Representative, 1st Hampshire District), Natalie M. Blais (State Representative, 1st Franklin District), and Mindy Domb (State Representative, 3rd Hampshire District). We greatly appreciate the involvement of local leaders who not only support legislation that helps keep our rivers clean, but who roll up their own sleeves to get involved!      Cleanup groups with Eversource employees in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire  made a huge impact removing dozens of bags of trash and large debris from our rivers.   "At Eversource, we take great pride in our employees' dedication to environmental stewardship, and the Source to Sea Cleanup exemplifies that commitment in action," said Corporate Citizenship Manager, Hayley Dunn.  "This impactful event allows our team to contribute directly to the preservation of our natural heritage, ensuring cleaner, safer waterways for future generations. Each year, our employees enthusiastically participate, knowing that their efforts play a vital role in safeguarding the environment and strengthening the communities we serve."     New Source to Sea Cleanup lead sponsors, The Walker Group , held a cleanup in Ferry Park Boat Launch in Rocky Hill, CT, with CRC Board of Trustees member Tim Lewis and CRC River Steward in CT, Rhea Drozdenko. Walker Group employees used CRC's foldable kayaks to remove litter along the shore of the Connecticut River. Among the items found were a tiny shovel, and a mystery glass bowl covered in mud and algae found on the shore.  Youth groups including South Hadley High School and Cub Scouts, Holyoke Public Schools, Choate Environmental Club, Dover Elementary School, Deer Paths Nature School, and the Academy of Charlemont  participated with students ready to make a positive impact for their communities and environment. In Brattleboro, VT, 5th grade student Julius spoke for his classmates and many other annual cleanup participants when asked what he’d hope to see different next year: “I don’t want to see dog poop bags.” We agree!  The First Hampshire Green Team with State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and WRSI The River co-organized a fantastic group of volunteers in Northampton. Among the items collected were a whopping 5 TV sets, 1 computer, 3 long-discarded mattresses, a tire, rusty car parts and a full/adult car seat, construction waste, and lots of plastic items. After departure we got a tip that another waste area was found that we'll need to return to. The Essex 3-villages cleanup group in Essex, CT, had dozens of volunteers came together at the Connecticut River Museum before spreading out to a handful of trash sites where they collected and hauled all sorts of debris, both small and large. Community members of all ages found plenty of cans and bottles, tires, large foam dock pieces, and more! They cleaned up Essex's Great Meadow and the newly acquired Turtle Creek Preserve, which were a target of this year's efforts. Several Land Trust members joined as well as Valley Regional High School Environmental Club members.  “In years past, with the support of the Connecticut River Conservancy, The Connecticut River Museum and the Essex Land Trust, our Essex 3-Villages Source to Sea Cleanups have been a huge success. This will be the fourth year our local community has come out for the cleanup effort. We are always amazed at the amount of trash we collect, the enthusiasm and multi-generational participation."   -Tanya Cutolo, Sustainable Essex Cleanup leader    The River Roads Cleanup in Millside Park in Easthampton, MA, had 39 volunteers including music artist Dar Williams and the band High Tea who performed at the previous day’s River Roads Festival, and was led by Easthampton City Councilor Owen Zaret. The group collected over 240 pounds of trash that included 610 nip bottles, another 600+ beverage containers, clothing, cigarette butts and all manner of plastic and Styrofoam debris.    The Wethersfield Cove Dad’s Club  in Wethersfield Cove, CT, came out strong once again with joyous volunteers ready to lend a hand and keep their favorite recreation area clean and healthy. Equipped with kayaks, canoes, and plenty of cleanup supplies, the group of dads and their young children paddled across the cove as they demonstrated the importance of keeping our rivers clean.  Special thanks to our Lead, River, and Tributary sponsors for making this event possible. Additional sponsors can be found on the Source to Sea Cleanup website here.  There were so many more groups not included here due to limited space, but that’s what the upcoming Cleanup Chronicle is for! If you participated in this event, THANK YOU so much for your dedication and we look forward to recognizing all groups soon.     Looking for a next step? Sign up for Connecticut River Conservancy’s email newsletters  if you’re not receiving those already. Our River Stewards send regular emails and action alerts for ways you can support healthy rivers in your state. You can also learn about our advocacy  and all programs  supporting clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities.

Connecticut River Conservancy’s River Restoration Network partners at Save the Sound have released the 2024 Long Island Sound Report Card  based on Unified Water Study data, and we are happy to share an increase from a B to an A-.   The Long Island Sound Report Card tracks and publicizes the ecological health of Long Island Sound, which is where the Connecticut River watershed drains into the Atlantic Ocean along with hundreds of other local watersheds. Their biennial report assembles water monitoring data and, using an assessment methodology designed for the Report Card, grades water quality in five open water regions of Long Island Sound and 57 bay segments along its margins. They provide the results to elected officials, environmental agencies, and the general public as part of ongoing work to catalyze improvements in ecosystem health and promote restoration projects and infrastructure investments. All grades in the 2024 Long Island Sound Report Card result from monitoring data collected during the 2023 monitoring season.  The full report is available  here , and you can learn more about the Unified Water Study in CRC’s recent video below.  The Connecticut River watershed’s grade increase from a B in 2023 to an A- in 2024  (based on the prior year’s data collection) means that we are making progress when it comes to water quality improvements in our embayment in the Connecticut River, and also overall in the Long Island Sound, which is cause for celebration.   Some of the contributing factors to this improvement could be dam removal projects that help improve dissolved oxygen and sediment transport , the annual watershed-wide river cleanup efforts with the Source to Sea Cleanup,  ongoing work in water quality monitoring , improvements to wastewater treatment plants, and advocacy/policy  to support clean water and healthy habitats.  While we are happy to see these improvements, some challenges continue to persist. Nitrogen is a leading pollutant in the Long Island Sound, and it comes from our rivers like the Connecticut River. Nitrogen flows into the river from wastewater treatment plants, fertilizer usage, and stormwater runoff. When excess nitrogen gets into the Long Island Sound it can have disastrous effects, causing algal blooms and creating dead zones where fish cannot get enough oxygen. This is something we will continue to monitor, and can benefit from individual actions such as these:    Reduce water usage  Reduce fertilizer use  Plant riparian buffers with native plants  Build rain gardens  Reduce your carbon footprint Vote for leaders who support environmental policies Reduce waste consumption and use eco-friendly materials In addition to Save the Sound and River Restoration Network , CRC is grateful for our partnership with the Connecticut River Museum  in the essential boating needs to gather this data on a regular basis.   Sign up for our newsletters  to stay connected with CRC’s work for water quality, advocacy, and other river news.

A few months ago, CRC shared a milestone update  on the 12-years-and-counting hydropower relicensing process for 5 facilities on the Connecticut River – the Vernon, Wilder, and Bellows Falls dams in VT/NH, and the Turners Falls dam and Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Station in MA.   Since then, our focus has turned to the next phase in the process, which are the 401 Water Quality Certifications (WQC’s).    401 Water Quality Certification refers to the Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in which a federal agency (in this case the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - FERC) may not issue a license to hydro facilities unless the state or authorized tribe issues a Section 401 water quality certification verifying that the discharge and hydro operations will comply with existing water quality standards.     States can deny, waive, or issue a 401 Water Quality Certification with or without required conditions.  Anything the states require as a condition in this certificate will automatically be included in the final FERC license.    ​ Great River Hydro applied for their 401 Water Quality Certifications  in April 2024. The State of VT (Department of Environmental Conservation) held public information sessions on:     Wilder Project: August 7, 2024   Bellows Falls Project: August 8, 2024   Vernon Project: August 6, 2024     The VT DEC requested any additional data, sharing concerns, and submitting informal comments on the application for the state of Vermont be submitted to them by October 1st to consider as they draft the Water Quality Certification . You can read CRC's comments here. Below is a summary of our concerns about the application.   Through outright lack of data as well as vague and contradictory statements, Great River Hydro has failed to demonstrate how  their project proposals meet Vermont WQC's in the following critical ways:     1. Improve shoreline undercutting and erosion; monitor for impacts of peak flows under new flex operations; and manage sediment transport, including the protection of aquatic habitat and limiting the release of legacy nutrients;   2. Protect rare, threatened, endangered or otherwise protected species of concern such as   shortnose sturgeon , dwarf wedge mussels , tiger beetles, Fowler's toad, and protected plants under proposed operational changes;  3. Protect water quality, aquatic habitats and species in the face of increased flooding and   subsequent drawdowns;   4. Provide for appropriate and equitable access to the river for designated recreational uses;   5. Reduce impacts to water quality and aquatic habitat by managing aquatic invasive species ;   6. Protect and monitor historical and archaeological resources;   7. Timely install fish passage upgrades;   8. Provide financial assurances regarding the funding of eventual decommissioning;  9. Provide real time data on flows for recreational access, improve education about and access to fish passage, communicate about recreational access areas, and provide periodic reports regarding ecological concerns; and   10. Address numerous local concerns regarding erosion, access, aesthetics, habitat, and aquatic invasive species.     Because the applications are woefully incomplete as well as vague and contradictory, GRH   provides no assurance that the projects will comply with Vermont’s water quality standards.   What’s Next?     CRC will submit similar comments to the NH Department of Services staff in the coming month to share our concerns.    Vermont , New Hampshire , and Massachusetts  will each issue draft 401 Water Quality Certifications sometime between November 2024 and February 2025. In each case there will be a formal public hearing and opportunity to comment.    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will issue a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covering all five hydro projects in December of 2024, will hold a public meeting in January of 2025, with a formal comment period on the EIS in February of 2025.    FERC EIS Notice for FirstLight   FERC EIS Notice for Great River Hydro     Anyone interested in further updates can sign up for our newsletters related to hydro  and the state you are most interested in.

The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) is spreading the word about a valuable resource for teachers and other education organizations. CRC is happy to announce that our EnviroScape® Watershed/Nonpoint Source Model is available for loan to classrooms throughout the Connecticut River watershed in Vermont and New Hampshire. The model is a valuable tool for teaching elementary and middle school students about the water cycle and how it is impacted by pollutants, demonstrating how our lakes and rivers become polluted by human actions. This kinesthetic model is a powerful tool to engage students in ecological topics and consider real-world applications of what they’re learning. Teachers can borrow the model and incorporate it into their lesson plans, or a member of the CRC team—a river steward or ECO AmeriCorps member—can provide presentations in schools or at other educational/community events.     “We recently brought along the Enviroscape to the Vermont Wildlife Festival,” says Clare Wangard, the ECO AmeriCorps member serving with CRC. “It was a great tool to engage children of all ages in the challenges associated with watershed conservation. Many kids came up to our table asking questions, and they were fascinated by the demonstration of how water may become polluted. It was helpful to have something dynamic and tangible to address their curiosities and facilitate a learning opportunity.”     Kathy Urffer, CRC’s Director of Policy and Advocacy and Vermont River Steward continues, “It is valuable for us as an organization, or for anyone who teaches about watersheds, to use this tool to connect with community members around these concepts. Many of the students and families we engage with fish, swim, or paddle in our rivers and this tool helps to make a visceral connection between how our surface waters become polluted. And it helps to illustrate the work being done to protect and restore our rivers and streams.”     Kate Buckman, the River Steward in NH agrees, “Having a physical model to interact with can really enhance understanding of how our actions as humans can influence what is happening in our rivers, in both negative and positive ways, by simplifying complex concepts into something more visual, tactile, and hopefully easy to remember.”    Any teachers or schools interested in borrowing the Enviroscape model or who are interested in having a presentation done at their school can fill out a request form .     CONTACT:               Clare Wangard , ECO Americorps Member, Outreach, Education and Restoration Assistant  cwangard@ctriver.org (314) 736-2955   Kathy Urffer , Director of Policy and Advocacy, Vermont River Steward  kurffer@ctriver.org (802) 258-0413  ___________    The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. CRC has been a steward of the Connecticut River and tributary streams since 1952. Their programs include advocacy, aquatic invasive species management, dam removal, habitat restoration, migratory fish surveys, recreation, trash cleanups, and water quality monitoring. Together through community engagement and education, they’re dedicated to ensuring equitable access and healthy rivers for all. Learn more at ctriver.org .     ECO AmeriCorps is a program administered by the VT Dept. Environmental Conservation. The program   consists of 24 members serving statewide with partner organizations dedicated to improving Vermont’s water quality and climate resiliency, and minimizing the amount of waste entering landfills. For more information about ECO AmeriCorps, visit www.ecoamericorps.vermont.gov .      AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal   agency for service and volunteering. CNCS annually engages more than five million citizens in service at   more than 60,000 locations in 8,500 cities across the country through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs. National service participants address the most pressing challenges facing our cities and nation, from educating students for the jobs of the 21st century and supporting veterans and military families to preserving the environment and helping communities recover from natural disasters. For more information on AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.gov .      This material is based upon work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of AmeriCorps or the Corporation for National Service.