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Connecticut River Conservancy's print newsletter, Currents & Eddies is back with a summer/fall 2024 edition arriving in mailboxes for members, volunteers, and event attendees. If you did not receive a physical copy there could be a variety of reasons, so we're providing the full digital version here to ensure that anyone interested has access! Having trouble with the digital flipbook above? You can also get it as a PDF here .

Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) 28th annual Source to Sea Cleanup is back this September 27th – 28th , with flexible opportunities for individual groups. The goal is to remove as much trash as possible from waterways, riverbanks, and communities to reduce the impact of pollution across the 410-mile Connecticut River watershed, including the tributaries that feed the mainstem river in NH, VT, MA, and CT. What began in 1997 with a small group of student volunteers dedicated to clean water and healthy habitats has grown to a massive community action trash removal event. Brought together by a shared passion for trash-free waterways, countless communities, businesses, nonprofits, and families now participate throughout the Connecticut River watershed. Group leaders organize cleanup events at various trash sites based on areas of high need, while volunteers donate their time and effort to haul and clear tons of waste. Local municipalities support by providing dumpsters, waiving disposal fees, or collecting the trash from locations after the volunteers have completed their cleanups. CRC invites registration for the Cleanup on their brand-new platform: SourceToSeaCleanup.org .   Trash tallies are also gathered after each cleanup, contributing to CRC’s long-standing database which is used to inform the nonprofit’s work in advocacy to reduce future pollution, support river restoration, and inform the public and policymakers of issues affecting the environment. This event often includes participation from local legislative leaders. Last year’s cleanup included 126 groups and over 1,200 volunteers throughout four watershed states, who collectively removed 34.2 tons of trash from rivers and riverside areas. A wide variety of waste was collected by volunteers, including many bottles, cans, and cigarette butts, fishing equipment, food packaging, tires, appliances, mechanical objects, and even a hot tub. Over 9K beverage containers and over 13K lbs. of scrap metal were tallied in 2023 alone. Since data collection began in 1999, over 1,107 tons of trash has been removed from the watershed. Below are some photos from 2023 Source to Sea Cleanup groups. “The Fort River Watershed cleanup has been an all-community event since 2019, bringing together people from all walks of the watershed to help make it a cleaner and healthier place for critters and people! We are looking forward to another year of connection around this common cause” said Brian Yellen, founding member of Fort River Watershed Association and research professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, specializing in water resources and coastal processes. CRC promotes #RiverWitness to help people connect with each other online through their shared concern for and appreciation of our rivers. Take a photo or video when you are at the river, participating in the Source to Sea Cleanup, or enjoying time outside. Or make art inspired by river beauty or river pollution. Share on Instagram, include #RiverWitness and tag @ctriverconservancy. “The Source to Sea Cleanup is a fabulous opportunity to roll up your sleeves, work with others in your community, and clean up our waterways and city streets,” says CRC’s Cleanup Coordinator, Stacey Lennard. “When you pick up trash you are diverting that waste from going down storm drains and into the river system, which eventually flows into the ocean. You are ensuring that we keep this debris out of our rivers and oceans.” Group leaders who need help finding a c leanup site can check out CRC's map of adoptable trash sites. Or they can choose a site of their own by submitting a “Report a Trash Site” form. Parks, city blocks, boat ramps, and neighborhood hangouts are typically great spots to clean. Trash travels, so even picking up litter off a city sidewalk can help protect wildlife and communities that depend on clean waterways. Leaders are encouraged to scout the site out beforehand to determine if it’s suitable for their group. A handy Group Leader Guide is available for download on the Source to Sea website and provides all the necessary information and forms for running a successful cleanup. Connecticut River Conservancy would also like to thank the following sponsors for supporting this initiative – in some cases for many years! Lead sponsors in 2024 are The Walker Group, Eversource, USA Waste & Recycling Inc., and All American Waste. With additional support from Hypertherm HOPE Foundation, AFI Furnishings, Connecticut River Gateway Commission, Enterprise Holdings, Great River Hydro, LLC., Greenfield Savings Bank, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., Savings Bank of Walpole, Ashuelot River Hydro, LLC., Chroma Technology, Florence Savings Bank, Fuss & O’Neill, Guilford Savings Bank, Jamrog HVAC, King Arthur Baking, Rare Forms, Inc., Reynold’s Boats & Reynold’s Subaru, SLR, SWCA Environmental Consultants, and Walmart Northampton & Hadley. For more information, visit CRC’s cleanup info page . To sign up as a volunteer or group leader, view the Cleanup Sites Map here . For any questions about getting involved, contact Stacey Lennard at cleanup@ctriver.org .

For Immediate Release:   Environmental DNA (eDNA) Analysis Confirms the Presence of Shortnose Sturgeon in the Connecticut River Between Turners Falls MA and Bellows Falls VT   [Aug 29, 2024, Alstead, NH/Greenfield, MA] An ongoing investigation led by the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) has for the first time detected DNA from the endangered shortnose sturgeon ( Acipenser brevirostrum ) in the Connecticut River between Turners Falls, MA, and Bellows Falls, VT/Walpole, NH. The study was initiated by CRC’s River Steward for New Hampshire, Dr. Kate Buckman, in partnership with James Garner, a PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts with expertise in environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques.   In this investigation, CRC used existing research by Micah Kieffer, a sturgeon biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center S.O Conte Research Laboratory, as well as information from Annette Spaulding of Rockingham, VT, and Joseph Graveline of Northfield, MA, regarding sturgeon behavior and previous sightings of this rare fish. This helped Buckman and Garner narrow down the stretches of river to target for eDNA sampling. Critical to the sampling efforts was the involvement of numerous volunteers who provided field support to conduct the work. The first round of samples was collected in June and July, with positive “hits” detected in water collected in Northfield, MA, Vernon, VT, and Westmoreland, NH.   Shortnose sturgeon are a federally endangered species, and it is illegal to intentionally target, catch, or disturb them. Historically, shortnose sturgeon would have been found throughout the Connecticut River watershed as far north as Turners Falls, and possibly as far north as Bellows Falls. However, the presence of numerous dams on the mainstem, habitat degradation, and commercial fishing have negatively impacted populations of this fish, as they have for many native migratory species.   “While a breeding population of shortnose sturgeon is known to exist downstream of Turners Falls, from a regulatory standpoint, shortnose sturgeon do not exist upstream of there,” noted Dr. Buckman. “Community members have reported anecdotal sturgeon sightings in New Hampshire and Vermont waters, but to date, only two of those observations have ever been verified in photographs,” continued Dr. Buckman. “This means that management actions to protect the species and their habitat have not been implemented north of the Turners Falls dam. These initial eDNA results are the first hard evidence supporting these anecdotal observations and are an important step in ensuring that shortnose sturgeon receive the protection they deserve in the more northern reaches of the Connecticut River.”   UMass Amherst PhD Candidate James Garner adds, “Our results demonstrate that there are detectable levels of shortnose sturgeon DNA at multiple locations within the reaches of the Connecticut River upstream of the Turners Falls and Vernon dams. The strength of the hits relative to our positive controls signals to me that these endangered fish are present throughout these upstream reaches, but likely at lower numbers than where they exist farther south. This collaborative project demonstrates the power of a wonderful team and a well-designed use of eDNA techniques for the monitoring and conservation of endangered species.”   eDNA techniques are particularly useful in detecting rare species, as they require less intensive time and people investments than traditional netting or fishing efforts. Put simply, if a fish is active in a water body, it is shedding genetic material contained in slime, excrement, scales, etc. That DNA is collected as part of a water sample which is filtered, and the DNA extracted from the material retained on the filter. Special probes that are designed to bind only to DNA from the species of interest (in this case shortnose sturgeon) are used in a reaction called qPCR that amplifies the targeted DNA strand and makes multiple copies of it. How quickly the copies accumulate in the reaction can be measured and the strength of the signal correlates with how much DNA was initially present in the water. Lots of fish lead to lots of DNA and a very early (strong) signal in the qPCR reaction. Image captions: #1: James Garner hands a collected water sample to a colleague on the boat. Photo credit Kate Buckman. #2: James Garner works in Dr. Jeremy Andersen’s insect lab at UMass Amherst to extract DNA from filters. A fish-free space is ideal for keeping low concentration samples uncontaminated. Photo credit Kate Buckman. #3: Dr. Kate Buckman uses a YSI to collect water quality data at a sample site while volunteer boat support Julian Burgoff looks on. Photo credit James Garner. “It is still remarkable to me that using this technique we can detect sturgeon DNA in a river the size of the Connecticut River by sampling only two liters of water, but we can, and we did,” says Dr. Buckman. Equally important is ensuring that the ecology of the species of interest is considered when designing a sampling strategy. Shortnose sturgeon are typically benthic fish, so Buckman and Garner focused their efforts on sampling water from the bottom of the river, something that was not done in an eDNA survey six years ago with no positive hits.   What remains unknown is how the shortnose sturgeon got above Turners Falls, given the prevalence of dams on the Connecticut River since the 1800s, or how long the fish have been there. There are many possible routes through which sturgeon could have accessed these upper reaches, but Buckman and Garner are content to let that remain a mystery. For now, providing preliminary but compelling evidence that shortnose sturgeon are there is exciting enough.   Sampling efforts will continue over the fall and winter. While the positive results from water samples taken earlier this summer indicate shortnose sturgeon presence in the Connecticut River in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts waters upstream of Turners Falls dam, additional positive hits throughout the year will provide even more robust evidence that these fish are living north of Turners Falls year-round. “I am extremely grateful for James’ enthusiasm and knowledge in implementing this project, as well as to our funders and volunteers. The work we have done so far and what we plan to continue doing would not be possible without their support,” Dr. Buckman added.   This ongoing work was funded by generous grants to the Connecticut River Conservancy from the Lucy Downing Nisbet Charitable Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee  and the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation. Lucy Downing Nisbet Charitable Fund provided funding that allowed for planning discussions and project design, purchasing supplies, and the initiation of field sampling and qPCR analysis. This and additional support from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation will allow for the continuation of the sampling and analysis efforts into 2025.   For additional Information please contact:   Kate Buckman River Steward, NH Connecticut River Conservancy kbuckman@ctriver.org 603-931-2448   Diana Chaplin Director of Communications Connecticut River Conservancy dchaplin@ctriver.org 413-834-0079   James Garner PhD Candidate UMass Amherst Environmental Conservation Department (ECO) JGGarner@umass.edu

On breezy, sunny summer days there is nothing better than getting the chance to get out on the water. The Connecticut River Conservancy is no stranger to hosting kayaking and paddling events for volunteers and children’s programs, which is why we have had a partnership for a number of years with the Compass Youth Collaborative . The Compass Youth Collaborative is a Hartford based organization dedicated to providing high-risk youths aged 16-20 with the tools they need to create sustained behavior change and transition successfully into adulthood.  Through our partnership, these youths have the chance to kayak, many for their first time, in Wethersfield Cove. Kayaking can be a great experience for many youths as it can foster a relationship with nature and spark a new hobby or interest in their lives. The collaboration in the summer spans from July to August every Wednesday and we paddle around the cove and sometimes out onto the Connecticut River!  Our staff helps the youths get situated with life vests, water shoes or flip flops, and we provide our foldable kayaks for them to use. The Compass Youth Collaborative staff doesn’t shy away from joining us out on the water either! It is a few hours of great fun and conversation as the youths learn how to paddle and navigate the water, frequently led by Tim Lewis, avid paddler and CRC Trustee, and Barry Gorfain, an Appalachian Mountain Club instructor. Volunteers from the Great Meadows Conservation Trust also join us to help with boat safety and to ensure a positive experience.  One of the highlights of the summer was when the weather and water level were just right, and the youths felt that they wanted to kayak further than the cove. Tim led the way along with our staff and we set out onto the river and had a blast showing the youths another environment to kayak in.  Rhea Drozdenko and Ava Gandhi have helped strengthen the partnership this summer by communicating with the Compass Youth staff and ensuring that this activity is as safe and fun as it can be. We are looking forward to another successful summer next year!

Join your CRC River Stewards to learn about the next stage of the relicensing of five hydroelectric facilities in the heart of the Connecticut River. As part of their effort to get a new license, under the Clean Water Act, the owners of the Wilder, Bellows Falls, Vernon and Turners Falls dams, and the Northfield Pump Storage facility are required to apply for a 401 Water Quality Certification from Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) states that a federal agency (in this case the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) cannot issue a license to hydro facilities unless the state verifies that the operation of the facilities will protect existing water quality standards. Watch this livestream recording to learn about the basics of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act and how it is currently being implemented in this relicensing process. This webinar will help to prepare the public to engage in upcoming Public Information Sessions and a subsequent public comment opportunity. Go to ctriver.org/hydropower to find out more.

Volunteers for the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) collect samples of the Connecticut River weekly from thirteen locations in Massachusetts and eight in Connecticut. Volunteers from the Putney Rowing Club also collect samples six times a year from one location in Vermont. Sampling usually occurs during the peak recreation season from the first week of June through sometime in September. The sampling season in 2020 was delayed until July and ran through the end of October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These sites were all selected as points of recreational interest; they are samples from boat ramps, docks, or at popular swimming holes. Most of the sites are directly on the mainstem of the Connecticut River. The Oxbow and Wethersfield Cove sites are located in semi-separate bodies of water that represent a mix of the main tributary to that body and the Connecticut River. Sample results are classified as having been sampled after either wet or dry weather. A sample is classified as wet weather if more than 0.1 inch of rain has fallen in the previous 48 hours. This indicates whether a sample result is being influenced by the presence of runoff. Runoff is rainwater or snowmelt that enters directly into the nearest body of water without being filtered through groundwater systems. The more impervious surfaces like asphalt and concrete there are in a given location, the more runoff is created there during a rain event. Runoff carries with it pollutants, including bacteria, from the land into the receiving water with it. Throughout the season, results are uploaded to Is It Clean?/¿Está Limpio? as they become available alongside other results from throughout the Connecticut River watershed. Why E. coli ? Escherichia coli is a coliform bacteria found in the guts of all warm-blooded animals (including mammals, birds, and humans) that is excreted when they poop. Not all E. coli is pathogenic (illness causing), but some strains can be extremely harmful. It is used an indicator organism for fecal contamination of rivers and lakes. Because it is found in the gut, abundant E. coli numbers in water mean there is a higher likelihood that the water is contaminated with human or animal waste and that there is an increased risk of waterborne illness. This could be from one of the harmful strains of E. coli or other pathogenic organisms that are often found in human or animal waste but are much more difficult or costly to test for. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made water quality recommendations for levels of E. coli to determine suitability for recreation. These are broken down into primary and secondary contact recreation. Primary contact means there is a high likelihood of accidentally ingesting water due to being fully immersed in the water such as during swimming, water skiing, or surfing. Secondary contact means there is a lower likelihood of accidentally swallowing water due to water spray or brief unintended immersion such as boating, fishing, or wading. In this report and throughout CRC’s sharing of bacteria data, “swimming” is shorthand for primary contact and “boating” is shorthand for secondary contact. Results The average of all results from the last five years on the Connecticut River have been pretty good. All sites were suitable for all types of recreation during dry weather, and most were on average suitable during wet weather as well. The few sites that were not suitable for swimming were still suitable for boating. The Connecticut River is a large river and carries a lot of water compared to its tributaries. Because of this, runoff is easily diluted and results in generally lower bacteria numbers for the length sampled. The cluster of three sites with the highest numbers in southern Massachusetts (Medina St, Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, and Pioneer Valley Yacht Club) are all impacted by combined sewer overflows in addition to increased runoff from urbanization. As mentioned above, Wethersfield Cove is a semi-separate body of water from the mainstem and so is more easily affected by local runoff. How often is the river swimmable and boatable? Each brick on the chart above represents one sample collected and is colored by which standards it is or isn’t meeting. This shows the difference between the numbers of wet and dry weather samples collected each year as well as how the weather affects the sample results. Overall, most of the samples collected meet the standard for swimming and boating in either wet or dry weather, and a majority of the samples that are either boatable only or unsuitable for recreation were collected during wet weather. Results by Sample Date and Location The sites are ordered on the chart from upstream to downstream from top left to bottom right. Sites that were not sampled in a year do not appear on the chart. To see the data for years 2019-2022 and the interactive version of the graphs visit this page . Conclusion Reviewing five years of E. coli data collected from the Connecticut River shows that after dry weather, the Connecticut River is usually swimmable and boatable. Even after wet weather, many sites tend to maintain their good water quality. Working to improve stormwater infrastructure and remove CSOs will continue to improve the water quality in the Connecticut River. Complete Results Please visit this page to browse the complete results used in this report.

The 45th annual New England Paddlesports Championship ( NEPC ) and Community Challenge brought dozens of competitive and recreational paddlers to Hinsdale/Brattleboro on July 28th for an event hosted by Connecticut River Conservancy and community partners.     Racers launched from Norm’s Marina on the Connecticut River, participating in 5-mile recreational and 12-mile competitive races. The 12-mile marathon race is one of the longer “marathon” courses in New England, with both earning paddlers points in the New England Canoe and Kayak Racing Association (NECKRA) Flatwater Point Series.     41 individuals and 32 vessels (18 singles; 9 doubles; 5 SUPS) competed in the races, and an additional 3 boats/6 individuals in the 1-mile Community Challenge. Some of the first-place finishers include Pam Browning from Athol, MA in the K-1 Rec Course, Karen Delury of Killington, VT in the SUP Competitive, and Del Cummings and Vikki Cummings of Meriden, CT in the C-2 Mixed 50+. Local long-time Brattleboro racer Michael Fairchild took first place in his single class this year having won in 2022 in C2 with regular partner Peter Heed of Keene, NH. All of the winning results are available here.    “We received some incredibly positive feedback about the races” said Gabriél Chevalier, Connecticut River Conservancy’s Recreation and Restoration Program Manager who designed the racecourse.  “This event was all about celebrating the Connecticut River, the recreation community, and the many ways healthy rivers enrich our lives, so I’m thrilled that we were able to accomplish that.”     The event was made even more exciting with the presence of a Brattleboro Community Radio DJ team playing riverside jams. The WVEW 107.7 FM volunteers David Longsmith and Ian Kiesel kept the racers energized and provided commentary on the mic. Food trucks from J&B Curbside Café and Frisky Cow Gelato were also on site. Racers were celebrated with an awards ceremony and prizes, and spectators were entertained by an inflatable costume relay race, lawn games, and demonstrations including fly-casting by Trout Unlimited and a stream table by the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District. Rescue, Inc. provided on-water safety with multiple safety boats and even members of their swift water rescue team.   As with all successful community events, the NEPC, Community Challenge, and riverside activities were made possible by the generosity of local sponsors and volunteers.   Event sponsors included the Savings Bank of Walpole, NorthStar Vermont Yankee Decommissioning, 802 Credit Union, Berkley & Veller Greenwood Country Realtors, Reed & Reed, Brattleboro Food Co-op, Richards Group, Brattleboro Savings and Loan/Park Place Financial Advisors, George’s Field Shopping Plaza, Hamshaw Lumber, Integrated Solar, Brattleboro Area Realty, and others. Additional community partners included Brattleboro Community Television, Brattleboro Community Radio, Brattleboro Reformer, Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, Rockingham Recon, The Marina Restaurant, and event hosts Norm’s Marina.    Lapping the Brattleboro-Hinsdale Island is a special feature of hosting the event and showcases an area of the local landscape that will change next year after traffic shifts to the new General John Stark Memorial Bridge. By next summer, the existing bridges and island will be free of traffic. Landscaping at the bridge landing on the NH side overlaps the entrance to Norm’s Marina and is scheduled to be completed by June 2025, just in time to welcome people for an even better NEPC and riverside activities in late July.     CRC looks forward to working with the communities and local partners to make this a premiere summer event for the towns and region. According to local champion and CRC’s Director of Development Brett Morrison, "The river is a long-underutilized asset. The race is a great opportunity to bring people to the area, to connect the local community to this amazing river resource, and to support CRC’s ongoing work to increase free public river access, improve habitat, and restore resiliency.”

“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.”   -Laura Gilpin On June 8th, 2024, I completed a solo kayak through paddle of the Connecticut River. The journey took 11 days and was completed 1 day earlier than planned. Here's my story. Origins: Well, I guess this story starts a year and a half ago but in truth, I’ve always toyed with the notion of attempting a through paddle. More to the point, the idea of doing the Connecticut River wasn’t even mine! The Connecticut River first came to my attention while on an annual kayaking trip with a bunch of friends from High School and College. And like all plans hatched around a campfire we had a whole crew ready to tackle the Connecticut together. However, as the realities of carriers and kids began to set in it soon became apparent that I was going on a solo trip.   “You can, you should and if you’re brave enough to start, you will”   -Steven King Preparation and Training: Before I even started doing the actual planning for the trip I knew I needed to get myself into better physical shape which, in truth, was something I desperately needed to do regardless. Like most people, leaving my 20s meant leaving my metabolism behind as well. Having a fairly sedentary job only compounded the issue. With that in mind, I identified 2 major areas I need to overhaul before ever dipping a paddle into the Connecticut.  1. Endurance/Cardio: From what little research I had done up until this point it was fairly obvious that to do 300-plus miles I needed to really up my endurance and cardio game. I was, by my own admission overweight, I could barely run a mile without stopping to catch my breath. To that end I started running every other day, at first it wasn’t even a full mile due to the hills in my area but I slowly progressed to 3 miles and then to a full 10k or 6.2 miles. This was, without a doubt, the hardest part of the whole journey. At the start it felt like I couldn’t breathe, I developed shin splints and when I would finish a run I felt terrible the rest of the day. I was seriously thinking about quitting at this point. Thankfully my partner Anna and my father were super supportive, plus knowing a physical therapist didn’t hurt either. 2. Core/Upper Body Strength: One of the unintended consequences of the pandemic is that Facebook marketplace is flooded with hardly used and more importantly inexpensive workout equipment. As a person who was never a “gym guy,” this couldn’t have worked out any better. I was able to find a set of weights and a bench for a fraction of what it would’ve cost new. From there I consulted the almighty YouTube and built myself a small workout routine consisting of crunches, push-ups, arm curls, and shoulder shrugs amongst others.  Roughly halfway through my planning and training, I started to have serious concerns about the condition of my back. Could it hold up to the day-in and day-out stress paddling was going to put on it? In my early twenties, I was rear-ended and my back had never been quite right since. If my body was going to let me down it seemed apparent that it was going to be my back. To combat these concerns I started adding an evening yoga class a few times a week. It was great and I’m totally hooked at this point. I think that’s the thing I loved the most about preparing for this trip, it brought me other activities that I wouldn’t have engaged in. In regards to the actual planning, that was the fun part. Every evening as my Mets played another woeful season on the TV, I read and watched everything I could. A lot of the books I got were unfortunately fairly out of date. For example, many of the breached dams that caused dangerous rapids have been cleaned up to the point that they are mostly bits of quick water or class I rapids. That being said, River Days by Michael J Tougias was incredibly helpful in understanding the history and cultural importance of the Connecticut River. For the real nuts and bolts of navigating the river, I found the Far Out app and the two waterproof Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail maps to be superbly accurate and up to date. It was nice having both on the trip because if there was anything that I found unclear I could cross-reference with the other. Additionally, the Connecticut River Kayakers group on Facebook was an invaluable resource, their members were always super helpful and polite.   In the end, I determined that it made sense to launch sometime during the middle to back end of May, based on past years the water level would still be high enough from the spring thaw and I wouldn’t get completely cooked the further south I went. The big trade-off for launching at this time of year was that the water was still pretty cold at the top of the river making hypothermia a concern. It came down to threading the needle between air temperature, water temperature, and water level/flow rate. With all that in mind, I figured I could accomplish my goal in 12 to 14 days barring any major setbacks. Also, the fact that I couldn’t take any more time off from work played a major part. I still remember what my boss said when I told him my plan.  “Better not go the wrong way Jess or you’re going to need your passport”   -Sal Travis  Launch Day:  The day of an adventure is one that always finds me a bit out of sorts. Especially in the packing department, every trip into the outdoors has its own beats and rhythms and even though I’ve packed and repacked my kayak numerous times to find the right Tetris arrangement it’s still an unnatural motion. Not yet the mechanical second-nature ritual that this process would soon become. As far as gear goes, my philosophy has been pretty simple, if it’s lightweight and durable enough for a backpacking trip, it’s good enough for a kayaking trip. But there are some paddling-specific items that I’ll go over now. The boat - an older Eddyline Fathom I  picked up years ago in pretty bad condition. Water had gotten into the bulkheads, freezing over the winter and blowing out chunks of the hull. I was just out of college at the time which meant I couldn’t afford such a boat in good condition but being just out of college also meant I had a lot of time on my hands to figure out how to repair it and it’s been a smooth reliable ride ever since. Tent-wise, I chose to go with the Haven hammock tent system because it can easily convert from a lay-flat hammock to a traditional tent which would give me a lot of options depending on what the primitive campsites had in store. I also brought two paddles, a standard straight shaft, and a bent shaft, I started out using my standard paddle first but after a day or two I switched to the bent shaft. I never really got the hype around bent shaft paddles, especially because they tended to be significantly more expensive than their straight shaft counterparts (I got mine used off Facebook marketplace) but I totally get it now, if you plan on doing 20-plus miles a day for multiple days it’s worth it.      The big challenge on my first day of paddling was going to be Lyman Falls. In the days and months leading up to my launch, I spent a lot of time researching Lyman Falls, Sumner Falls, and Wyoming Dam rapids extensively, this is where I felt my communications with the Connecticut River Kayakers group on Facebook really paid off, not only was I supplied with a plethora of first-hand accounts of what to expect but some members had even filmed their own decent through the tougher parts which helped me visualize what to expect. Based on where I was launching from, just below the Canaan Dam portage, I estimated that I should be hitting Lyman’s just after lunch. However, the current was moving a whole lot quicker than anticipated. I was flying down the river. It was just after ten-thirty when I realized that I was barring down on Lyman, I knew I wanted to run it to the left but I wanted a little time to prepare, time that I didn’t have. Cutting hard to the left to avoid a particularly churned-up bit of water I overcompensated and grounded my kayak into a shallow section. I tried wiggling my hips while pushing off with my paddle but that only exacerbated the problem. Within a matter of seconds, my kayak pitched sharply to the side, if I didn’t have my skirt on the boat would’ve swamped right then and there. “Well this trip is off to a flying start Jess,” I thought to myself. Gingerly and with a fair amount of cursing I was able to dislodge the kayak by reaching my bare hands under the hull, slowly lifting and sliding myself back. It was quite a stretch and bend. Those hours spent contorting my body at the yoga studio were already paying off!   The rest of the day went off without a hitch. The current stayed strong with bits of quick water thrown in here and there. My original plan was to camp at the Maine Central Railroad Trestle but seeing as how quickly I was moving I figured I’d shoot for the Samuel Benton Campsite an additional seven miles down the river. It was a gem of a site, a perfect spot to spend my first night made only better by an appearance of a rainbow after a brief evening shower. I took it as a sign I was on the right path. “The path of the paddle can be a means of getting things back to their original perspective” -Bill Mason A Gauntlet of Portages:   Let’s just say off the bat, no one likes portages. I’ll amend that, no one likes portages in the moment but everyone likes to talk about portages they’ve done. They’re basically the definition of type II fun.  When plotting out this trip I only really planned, in detail, the first five days. Over the possible two weeks I thought it would take to complete the Connecticut River there were too many variables that could render a more detailed plan useless. I came to this conclusion based off a single twenty-five-mile stretch. The problem was that this stretch included five dams with five accompanying portages: Gilman Dam, Moore Dam, Comerford Dam, McIndoe Falls, and Dodge Falls. These portages alone could cause things to go sidewise quickly destroying any semblance of a plan in the early days of the trip. No matter how I sliced it there wasn’t a great way to split up the portages. Luckily the quick current had put me ahead of schedule resulting in me being able to knock off Gilman Dam at the end of the previous day. Four portages sounds better than five but either way, it was shaping up to be one of the hardest days of the trip.  I woke up early and banged out most of Moore Reservoir before the sun could creep above the tree line. When the current eased to an eventual standstill I figured I was getting to my first portage of the day. Leading off with the Moore Dam portage was great. Steep? Yes, but I was able to use my kayak kart from beginning to end.  Now the Comerford Dam on the other hand? The toughest portage of the whole trip. How I didn’t end up completely covered in poison ivy is a minor miracle. At one point I tied a rope to the back of my kayak to slowly lower it down a steep embankment. The whole time I kept envisioning my beloved kayak careening away and smashing on the rocks below. When I took a break to collect myself before navigating the final pitch I looked back up at the dam only to see a handful of workers watching intently, I guess I was good entertainment for them.   The Mclndoe portage had a steep set of stairs with some logs and rocks to drag over at the launch but it was a super short portage. Plus there was a country store just up the hill and ice cream makes everything better. I hit Dodge Falls by five pm and I was shot. The takeout was a bit precarious and it wasn’t entirely clear where to go, probably the trickiest takeout of the five portages. I stayed at the campsite along the portage trail that night and was asleep before the sun went down. The next morning I was flung awake by a fury of shrieks and caws coming from the river banks, a bald eagle and two ospreys were fighting and continued to do so for the next few minutes. The coolest animal experience on the trip.  “The storms come and go, the waves crash overhead, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on paddling.” – George R. R. Martin Storm Dodging:   Rain never bothers me when I’m out on the water, I’m usually hot and stinky so a nice shower is a good respite. Even windy and choppy water can be fun in so much as it makes the whole experience feel more epic. As white caps wash over the front of my kayak I start to imagine I’m on an old masted ship crossing the ocean. I bark orders to my crew “Batten down the hatches!” “Keep her stead Mr Cromwell, the sail will hold.” By the middle of the trip I had begun to find my rhythm, my paddling was dialed in, and setting up and breaking down camp was becoming second nature which was good because the weather couldn’t seem to make up its mind. This daily dance would happen where I’d sort out the next day's paddle based on portages, estimated mileage, and of course weather, and by the time I was hitting the water, I was just keeping an eye on the forecast and winging it. This meant that my daily mileage goals were being thrown all out of wack, some days I was barely hitting twenty miles while others I was pushing forty-five miles just to stay on track. Looking back I was a little too focused on the milage aspect of the trip and I wish I would’ve been a little more zen about the whole thing. For my birthday I was given a Garmin inReach and the detailed weather reports I could download were invaluable. I felt like I was doing a fairly decent job dodging thunderstorms as I rolled through Springfield. I had been playing it cautious, making sure I was off the water well before a severe weather band was passed over. Which only made it more alarming when I started to hear the roll of thunder in the distance. I knew there was severe weather coming through in the late evening but I thought I could get a solid amount of paddling in before then. I quickly scanned the horizon, everything was overcast but nothing looked like what my ears were telling me. Flipping through my Garmin and weather apps on my phone was no help. A few days before by Bellows Falls there were a bunch of small weather cells in the area so I assumed that’s what it was and proceeded with caution but the thunder only continued to grow. That all changed when I rounded a bend revealing a massive roller coaster. Moral of the story, you can’t outrun the weather and you can only dodge storms for so long…unless those storms are amusement parks.  “The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.” – John Muir An Early Goodbye  I knew I was close as I settled in for what I thought was my second to last night, if the wind blew just right I swore there was a hint of salt in the air. My body, not without its aches and pains, was holding up remarkably well. The only real physical issue I ran into was my hands, even with gloves they’d become so dried out and callused that I had problems opening bottles but in the middle of the trip I was fortunate to meet a trail/river angel who gave me a lift to CVS to pick up some hand salve. My food supplies were still good though the options were limited.  The plan was to paddle out to the last string of campsites on the Connecticut River and then have a relatively short paddle the next day as I made my way out into the sound. I pulled into the first Selden Neck campsite mid-afternoon, a nice soft beach that led to a picnic table and fire pit, it was perfect. This all changed when I saw a sign with a QR instructing me to reserve the site. I knew I had screwed up immediately. I saw in the FarOut app that you could reserve these sites but it was difficult to make a reservation through the app on top of that I wasn’t too sure what day I was going to be there. I figured there’d be some first come first serve sites along the way too but as I stopped at each campsite only to be greeted by a QR code my heart sank further and further. By the time I hit the last campsite, the writing was on the wall; I was going to have to grind out the rest of the trip today. A wave of deep sadness swept over me, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the Connecticut River yet. I was feeling wistful for a journey that hadn’t ended yet. Regardless of your beliefs, if you spend that much time paddling, drinking from, sleeping next to any body of water you form a special connection with it.  The last few hours of paddling were great which weirdly only made my heart grow heavier. Just thinking about what the river looked like from the start in New Hampshire to now was a great experience. But nothing beats the feeling of getting out onto open water. For the whole trip I was surrounded by trees, and now in front and to either side of me was nothing but the open ocean. Before paddling back to land I just floated out there for a few minutes. I wanted to say thank you and goodbye. And as my dad and I were loading my kayak onto the car a brief rain shower crossed over leaving behind a beautiful rainbow, it felt like the river was saying goodbye back.  You read all the time about people conquering Everest or taming the Zambezi River but I don’t feel that way about the Connecticut River, in truth I feel like I made a great friend and I’m really going to miss them now.

This article was originally written by Gary Moore for the Caledonian Record and is republished with permission. Brook trout, the trout species that symbolize clear cold water are a favorite of many anglers who enjoy fishing small mountain brooks and other waters not overrun with anglers. Regular readers of this column know that I love fishing remote brook trout streams, some of which are barely four feet wide. State and federal fish and wildlife agencies, Trout Unlimited and many other conservation organizations have long worked to protect and enhance brook trout habitat. I visited one such project last month with Dana Hazen of Redstart Inc. and Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs for the Connecticut River Conservancy. The unnamed brook in the western section of Corinth is one of several brooks that were part of a strategic wood addition project implemented by Redstart. Some twelve miles of streams that are all tributaries of the Cookville Brook in Corinth which leads to the South Branch of the Waits River and then to the main stem Waits River in Bradford have been the focus of the effort. The days when trees were simply cut and dropped in a stream are long past. Now a process guided by science and experience determines where and how the wood will be placed to create trout habitat . In the case of the Corinth projects, the National Resource Conservation Service required the wood to be placed every 100 feet and dictated the size and quantity of the wood. The locations of the projects are carefully chosen so as to not endanger, bridges, culverts or private property should high water incidents move the trees downstream. The projects require a lot of interaction and many permits from federal and state agencies. They are also labor intensive requiring a lot of handwork to cut and winch the trees in to place without heavy equipment. I should point out that the undertaking is not cheap and has to rely on many funding sources. In the case of the projects I visited, the Connecticut River Conservancy did the grant writing and contracted with Redstart, Inc. to do the work which took place last year. I was impressed that most, if not all, of the wood Redstart had placed did not move with the record July flooding Vermont received last summer. The pools and rifles created will certainly enhance the trout population of those steams.

STEM Gems Summer Camp (a project of STEAM Train Inc. ) is a STEM-intensive week of hands-on activities, career exploration, and mindful conversations.   This summer, Connecticut River Conservancy partnered with Mary Ruth Shields who is a long-time CRC volunteer and business owner, Kim O’Rourke, Middletown Recycling Coordinator, and Jane Brawerman of the CT River Coastal Conservation District to bring the children an expansive and engaging array of environmentally focused activities. CRC’s seasonal staff helped the day come together by assisting our partners with their activities.    Rotating Learning Stations Create a Dynamic Activity Flow The campers rotated through the stations so they got to experience all the activities. We begin with paper making! Adelheid Koepfer and Mary Ruth Shields hosted a table to showcase the children’s creativity by having them learn how to make paper out of recycled paper. There was a variety of colors to choose from and the children loved getting the chance to make their own recycled piece of paper!   We then move stations to get down and dirty with compost. Kim O’Rourke and her assistant Kate led an exciting activity that taught children how to compost, and why it is important and helpful to the environment. They also got to see some worms! The children were thrilled to get to see what makes up compost and to be able to plant seeds in a container of their own to bring the activity home.   Not too far from compost, we have our soil station! Jane Brawerman and Kate Preston taught the children about what makes up healthy soil and the different critters that you can find in it. The children couldn’t stop talking about the different insects they got to identify and why healthy soil is important for healthy plants.  After feeling antsy from the soil and compost, the campers were ready for some tag! Ava Gandhi and Michelle Helming led a Runoff Tag Activity designed by a Wesleyan University student. The activity taught the children how trees prevent pollution from getting into waterways and how they provide habitat and shade from the sun. The children could barely contain their excitement as they identified where certain species live in the Connecticut River watershed and pretended to be trees in the tag game.    To cool off, the campers finally headed inside to finish off the day with another colorful activity. Kaitlin Koczon and Hayden Crumb helped the children explore their creative side by having them add their touch to Mary Ruth Shields’ art project which consisted of different materials that may have been referred to as “trash” prior. The children also had the chance to color in some beautiful coloring pages of different species in the Connecticut River watershed.  Environmental Education is Essential for Future Generations   About 80 children had the chance to see how fun and diverse environmental science can be. CRC and our partners are thrilled that we had another chance to show that there are many different avenues to take if the campers wish to pursue a future of helping and learning about the environment. Our environmental education work in Middletown is funded by the Robert F. Schumann Foundation, the Raymond and Pauline Larson Family Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. Thank you for making these incredible experiences possible!

Connecticut River Conservancy’s recent Annual Meeting & Riverside Celebration had governance and programmatic updates, brunch and boat rides, and community mingling. We heard from our Executive Director, Rebecca Todd, about the future of CRC. Programmatic updates were given by Kathy Urffer, Director of Policy and Advocacy, and Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs. Every year, CRC has the distinct honor of recognizing individuals from our communities with the Bud Foster Award. We presented it to Dick Shriver, founder of Estuary Magazine at the annual meeting. Read more about the award and Dick's accomplishments here. Candice Constantine from Fuss & O'Neill presented on Community-Centered Climate Adaptation and Ecosystem Restoration, which was followed up by some Q&A! Time Stamps: 00:00-09:30 - Welcome from Rebecca Todd, Executive Director 09:30-16:10 - Policy & Advocacy updates from Kathy Urffer, Director of Policy and Advocacy 16:20-23:20 - Programs updates from Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs 23:30-31:30 - CRC Board Meeting and Finance Updates 31:40-43:45 - Bud Foster Award presented to Dick Shriver 44:30-1:09:40 - Presentation by Candice Constantine from Fuss & O'Neill 1:10:05-1:22:30 - Q&A

Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) is thrilled to announce that Board of Trustees member Kari Kastango is the first person to complete a swim of the entire length of the 410-mile Connecticut River! The final stretch of the swim took place on Sunday, October 15th, in Old Lyme, CT, as Kari swam 2.6 miles from the Amtrak railroad bridge towards Long Island Sound. The conditions were just right for the swim finale, starting 1 hour and 33 minutes past high tide, with a north wind gusting upwards of 30 mph to provide a helpful river assist for the takeoff as fans cheered from the boardwalk at Ferry Landing State park. The winds diminished further downriver, but the speed of the tide increased as Kari made her way towards the Sound. The final swim took 47 minutes and 2 seconds. After the final swim, a Riverside Celebration was held at the Great Island Boat Launch where speakers included the following: Tim Lewis – who has provided swim support for Kari for much of the swim journey by following in a boat, helping with logistics and planning, and ensuring safety – spoke of how focused Kari has been in the river during her many swims. Tim relayed how Kari is truly “one with the river” during these outings, noticing incredible details including wildlife, trees, or any unexpected debris. Tim is a fellow member of CRC’s Board of Trustees, President of the Great Meadows Conservation Trust in Connecticut, and someone who’s paddled the entire length the Connecticut River. Kari Kastango spoke about how she became inspired to begin this endeavor after realizing that while the river is swimmable now, that was not always the case. She became more involved in advocacy and conservation for the river throughout her swim and connected with Connecticut River Conservancy and many others whose efforts have helped to make the river cleaner and healthier over the years. Rebecca Todd – Connecticut River Conservancy’s new Executive Director – presented Kari with a Certificate of Appreciation and an award to celebrate Kari as a “Connecticut River Champion.” Rebecca then went on to highlight how the length of the full swim is equivalent to the distance between Boston and Baltimore, and recognized the many individuals who have helped to steward the Connecticut River, including the indigenous people of pre-colonial history and all the volunteers, fellow conservation nonprofits, state and federal agencies, anglers, paddlers, boaters, donors, advocates, and local communities in more recent decades. Markelle Smith – Director of the Friends of Conte (Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge) closed out the speaker portion by sharing the latest updates of the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act , highlighting that regional partnerships are a critical component of how progress for conservation can be made as we look ahead to the future. Kari’s motivation is to raise awareness for the immense significance of the Connecticut River, all the efforts taken to reverse the river’s historic water pollution, and the ongoing collective action to keep the river clean, healthy, and swimmable for future generations. While Kari had swum in the river for a few years prior to starting this ambitious endeavor, it was in early 2019 that she firmly set the goal of swimming the entire Connecticut River. She swam a new section of the river each year between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the help of her wife, Alison Garvey, a good friend, Julie Paradis, fellow Connecticut River Conservancy Board of Trustees member, Tim Lewis and many others who would follow her in a kayak, canoe or motor boat for safety during each swim. Kari’s story was previously covered by NEPM in 2019 at the start of the swim, with additional details shared in a CRC webinar in 2022 when she had surpassed the half-way point in the journey. The final swim has since received incredible press coverage, including in CT Insider , WWLP , MassLive , 22 News , NEPM’s Fabulous 413 , The Day , and Western Mass News among others. Through challenges related to climate, planning logistics, water quality, accessibility and much more, Kari has accomplished this ambitious goal with resilience and dedication. “Kari is what I consider a true adventurer. She was self-funded, took time off work to travel up and down the watershed, providing her own transportation, housing and equipment. She even purchased a used Boston Whaler for safety in the larger sections of the river. It was all on Kari, and she deserves a tremendous amount of credit for completing this monumental task, and for being the first to do so for the Connecticut River!” -Tim Lewis, CRC Board of Trustees member and support for Kari’s swim   “The river provided me opportunities to practice letting go of misconceptions of myself, others and of the river, and being in the present moment more fully. I am extremely grateful to everyone who has been involved with Connecticut River Conservancy since its inception. Their persistent efforts and commitment through the years made this swim possible!” –Kari Kastango, CRC Board of Trustees member and first person to swim the entire length of the Connecticut River It was never about “conquering the river” for Kari, but rather about developing a relationship with the river and all the wildlife within and around it. This experience was held with deep appreciation for the living river, and the many individuals who work tirelessly to protect it. Below is a collection of Kari’s photos taken throughout the swim experience, with the top two rows of images being from the day of her final swim. As a unique symbol of connection with her family ancestry, Kari wore 7 Norwegian coins around her neck as she traversed the entirety of the Connecticut River swim journey. The coins hold even greater meaning now as they have also traveled the entire Connecticut River, and Kari is thoughtfully offering them as gifts to loved ones. With a father who was a Sea Captain in the Merchant Marines, and a mother who loved the water and ensured that all of her children learned to swim at a young age, Kari’s roots run deep in water. Kari’s sister, Eve Kinne, also described Kari as “the perfect aunt” for having inspired her nephews to embrace water sports including competing in the Ironman 70.3 Western Massachusetts race. Through this experience, Kari has become a role model for many more young people who may be drawn to the river in new ways.  Kari, a resident of South Hadley, MA, began her career as a research exercise physiologist (UMASS, Amherst ‘89, ‘92) which then led her to pursue a PhD in Biostatistics (PITT ‘06). With 19 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Kari currently works as a director of statistical operations at a clinical research organization in addition to serving on CRC’s Board. Kari balances these professional and personal commitments through physical pursuits that are meditative in nature. In addition to a significant personal achievement, this unique swim journey highlights the importance of ongoing commitment to conservation, restoration, and advocacy of the Connecticut River and tributaries. At the start of Kari’s swim, she was not aware of the history of pollution in the river, and had immense gratitude for the commitment of many organizations including state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and volunteers who have spent decades working on watershed-wide strategies for cleaner and healthier rivers. We have come a long way since the state of polluted local rivers in the 1950’s, which can now be enjoyed for swimming, fishing, and recreation, and yet there is much more still to do in supporting the clean water, healthy habitats, and thriving communities that Connecticut River Conservancy and partners strive for every day.  Here is a map summarizing Kari’s swim, with additional stats below: Swim Facts: Total # of swims/outings : 84 Longest distance of any one swim: 11 miles. Turner Falls Dam to Sunderland. That swim only took 2 hours and 8 mins due to a river assist resulting from water released from the dam a few hours prior to the swim start.  Longest duration of any one swim: 3 hrs 50 mins; 10.9 mile swim: Bloomfield Access to Maidstone Bridge Access (swimming in a drysuit) Longest duration total of two swims back-to-back: 6 hrs 10 mins. The Bloomfield Access to Maidstone Bridge Access swim (swam in drysuit) on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s swim: Johns River Ramp to Gilman Boat Launch (including a portage, also swam in the drysuit). Coldest swim:  ~47.5 F. Route2 Bridge, Lancaster, NH to Mount Orne Covered Bridge, Lunenburg, VT on April 29, 2023. Frequent Questions & Answers: Q: How did you get around the dams? A: Kari followed the safety signs around the dams, swam as far as she could above the dam, and then hiked or biked around the dams until she could safely re-enter the water again below the dams. You can learn more about how hydropower affects the Connecticut River , and the current hydropower relicensing process. Q: What about CSO’s/sewage in the river? Kari used CRC’s water quality database to track water safety in the areas she intended to swim, and avoided certain sections of the river during/shortly after rain events. Kari did not swim during any flood conditions when stormwater runoff would have put her safety at risk, and at which times sewage in the river is of highest concern. Over the last 50 years water quality in the Connecticut River has improved tremendously and the river is very often safe enough for swimming, boating and fishing. However, combined Sewer Overflows (CSO’s) are an issue in some parts of the river during heavy rain or flood events when sewage contaminants are released into the river. This is a result of outdated infrastructure where Connecticut River Conservancy is advocating for funding to make improvements. You can read more about the challenge of stormwaters in Massachusetts. Contact: For interview requests or media inquiries, please contact CRC’s Communications Director, Diana Chaplin, at dchaplin@ctriver.org or (413) 834-0079.