Natural Resources Planning
Connecticut River Watershed Restoration
Eroding Bank on the Connecticut River.
Project Overview
The Connecticut River is New England's largest river and drains a huge watershed that encompasses 11,260 square miles and 4 states. In Franklin County, the Connecticut River and its watershed lands are integral to our region's sense of place and provide productive farmlands, recreation opportunities, and important wildlife habitat. The Franklin Regional Council of Governments has teamed with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, the Connecticut River Joint Commission, and the Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership to implement a $1.5 million multi-year project to address water quality problems in the Connecticut River and its watershed, including erosion, sedimentation, agricultural runoff, urban stormwater runoff, and threats to municipal water supplies. FRCOG's other project partners include local residents who will be volunteer water quality monitors and FirstLight Power Resources, Inc., the owners and operators of the Northfield Mounatain Pumped Storage Facility.
Current Activities
The results are in from the first year of the Connecticut River Water Quality Monitoring Project! Water quality monitoring has ended for the 2008 season and the web site for the water quality monitoring project is still under development. The monitoring results for the 2008 season can be seen at the draft web site: http://www.umass.edu/tei/mwwp/ctrivermonitoring.html. The final design of the web site will provide simple, clear graphics, including a colored flag system, to communicate sampling results. Information, to be presented in both English and Spanish, will be posted within 24 hours of monitoring so that recreational users can make informed decisions about their activities on the river. Fifteen volunteers collected water samples during the 2008 season. If you are interested in volunteering your time next year (training is provided) or have any questions about this project, please call Kimberly Noake MacPhee, P.G., Natural Resources Program Manager, at 413.774.1194 x103 or via email at natres@frcog.org.
Future Plans
In Franklin County, the project tasks will inlcude: monitoring water quality for recreational use of the river, developing Smart Growth tools for municipal water supply protection, and implementing innovative bioengineering riverbank stabilization techniques. There is also a significant public outreach/education component of the project. A project website will be launched and virtual tours of the watershed that include descriptions of all project-related tasks will be developed.
Page Last Updated: March 4, 2009