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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’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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wilmington, VT [12/19/23]: The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), in collaboration with a private dam owner, the Town of Wilmington, the State of Vermont, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), recently completed a dam removal project on Beaver Brook in Wilmington, VT. The project will improve water quality, restore native Brook trout habitat, and bolster flood resiliency in Beaver Brook, a vital tributary to the Deerfield River. CRC received funding for the dam removal from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation through the Dam Removal Design and Implementation Block Grant administered by Watersheds United Vermont. Additional funding was provided by Vermont’s Flood Resilient Communities Fund, the Vermont Watershed Grant Program, Deerfield River Enhancement Fund, VT Rural Fire Protection Dry Hydrant Grant Program, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Thanks to a truly collaborative effort, Beaver Brook is now a free-flowing river with updated infrastructure benefiting the ecosystem as well as the human community! Important funders, landowners, restoration experts, and fish biologists all came together to make this project happen.” – Rebecca Todd, Connecticut River Conservancy’s Executive Director. In addition to removing the old mill dam, CRC and project partners removed a town-owned culvert on Hall Rd. and installed a new bridge, and also upgraded the Town’s dry hydrant at the site. The US Fish and Wildlife Maintenance Action Team removed the undersized culvert and installed the new 40-foot bridge, which improves flood resiliency and emergency access to Hall Rd. CRC hired local contractor Joe Saladino to remove the privately owned dam – which resulted in lowering the flood elevation level by 7 feet – and to install the new dry hydrant. CRC and USFWS will be back on site next spring to finish the restoration of the site by planting more than 130 native trees and shrubs along the stream to restore the riparian area along Beaver Brook. Over time the trees will help keep the stream cooler, reduce erosion, and increase habitat. More information about the Beaver Brook Dam Removal can be found HERE . Several key members of U.S. Fish & Wildlife staff were recognized as Connecticut River Conservancy’s Restoration Partners of the Year for their incredible work on this project. Pictured in the center photo from left to right above are Ron Rhodes, CRC’s Director of Restoration; Dave Sagan from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program at U.S. Fish & Wildlife; Phillip Herzig and Julie Butler from the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program at U.S. Fish & Wildlife; and Becky Budd, CRC’s Restoration Program Manager. This project wouldn’t have happened without USFWS funding and their staff expertise in implementing river restoration projects like this. Vermont’s Watershed Grant Fund mentioned above supported this project thanks to conservation plates like these! The Watershed Grant Fund assists local efforts related to stewardship and enjoyment of our water resources.

Every year the Turners Falls Cabot Station drains their canal for maintenance purposes, which leaves thousands of juvenile sea lampreys and other fish stranded without water and exposed to harsh elements. Connecticut River Conservancy organizes volunteers to find and rescue as many as possible. Thanks to the 30 volunteers who joined us this year, the results of 2024's sea lamprey rescue were the following: 1,000 juveniles (transformers) 2,000 larvae (ammocoetes) 500-1,000 other fish species A very impactful outcome in just a few hours! CRC partnered with the USGS S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory to rescue larval and juvenile sea lamprey in coordination with FirstLight Power (owners of the hydropower facility). Some of the ammocoetes and juveniles were taken to the Conte Lab for research while others were released below the dam after the event to continue on their journey. This effort will support ongoing migratory fish research for sea lamprey, as well as conservation science and advocacy in the Connecticut River watershed. Sea lamprey are an important native, migratory fish of the Connecticut River . Our local sea lamprey are not invasive in the Connecticut River like they are in the Great Lakes. Adult sea lamprey migrate up the Connecticut River and tributaries from the ocean every year to spawn (reproduce). Once they've reached the ideal habitat to lay their eggs (shallow moving water with rocks they can move to build their nests), their lifecycle comes to an end, leaving a carcass full of rich nutrients our ecosystem thrives on. The lamprey babies, called ammocoetes, grow in our freshwater systems and take 4 to 5 years to migrate to the ocean and grow into adults. It is at this stage when the ammocoetes and juveniles begin to move downstream that some of them end up in the canal. Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting the life of this species, both through nest surveys in the spring , and with the sea lamprey rescue in early fall. It is also worth noting that unnatural infrastructure and hydropower facility operations create these issues for migratory fish in the first place. FirstLight, the company that owns the power canal, currently has no legal responsibility to rescue any of the thousands of fish that die while they drain the canal for maintenance, nor do they have any financial responsibility to support our rescue efforts. This is why Connecticut River Conservancy is actively engaged in the hydropower relicensing process  to ensure that the new license better protects our rivers, habitats, and communities. You can learn more at migratoryfish.org , and sign up for our newsletters to be alerted the next time there are volunteer opportunities for community science.

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 .