The Niantic River Watershed Committee (NRWC) would like to invite you to participate in the development of an updated watershed management plan for the Niantic River Watershed.
For the next 12 months, the project stakeholders will work collaboratively with NRWC and Fuss & O’Neill through participation in two workshops and the review of an update to the 2006 Niantic River Watershed Protection Plan. The purpose of the workshops is to draw upon stakeholders’ experience and knowledge of the Niantic River and the surrounding watershed in order to identify, review, and prioritize updated recommendations and projects that will have a positive impact on the Niantic River.
The stakeholder workshops will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 to gather public input regarding the current state of the watershed and actions that can be incorporated into the plan to improve and/or protect water quality in the Niantic River and the watershed as a whole.
The schedule for the workshops is as follows:
• Workshop #1: Tuesday Oct. 29, 2019, 2-4 pm, Chesterfield Fire Department – 1606 Route 85, Oakdale, CT.
• Workshop #2: Tuesday Oct. 29, 2019, 6:30-8:30 pm, Waterford Town Hall Auditorium – 15 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT.
Before the stakeholder workshops next month, please take a moment to complete this short survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LW3VLMY Our goal is to better understand your concerns on water quality issues and conditions in the Niantic River and its watershed. Survey responses from stakeholders and the community will help to inform and prioritize workshop discussions. Your input makes a difference!
This project is being led by the Niantic River Watershed Committee (NRWC) and consultant Fuss & O’Neill, Inc. with support through grants from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection via the US EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source program. The project participants will include representatives from NRWC, Fuss & O’Neill, CT DEEP, municipal leaders and staff from our watershed communities (East Lyme, Montville, Salem, Waterford), government organizations, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, local businesses, and residents of the watershed.
The main objectives of this project are to:
• strengthen partnerships with and among key stakeholders, and use their local knowledge to effectively identify recommendations and prioritize project
• assess whether the 2006 Plan was useful in guiding local restoration and protection efforts, and recommend how the 2006 Plan can be improved for broader community involvement
• develop a focused update of the Plan that characterizes current causes and sources of water quality impairments in the watershed
• identify best management practices to reduce bacteria and nutrient loading at the sources, with an emphasis on green infrastructure
A Watershed Summit is planned for the late summer of 2020 to introduce the updated watershed plan to stakeholders and the general public.
If you would like to participate in the watershed plan update and attend one or both workshops, please contact me by email (judy.rondeau@comcast.net) or phone at (860) 774-9600 extension 13. I look forward to your participation as we plan for the continued protection of the Niantic River watershed.