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  Fairfield County

City Announces Largest Open Space Purchase In Decades

by Dirk Perrefort  - News-Times

Sanford's Pond

DANBURY -- City officials announced Thursday the largest purchase of open space land in more than two decades.

The Farrington property, which lies on the city's west side along the New York border, is criss-crossed with large stone walls, sweeping trees and low-lying, dark green ferns.

The property also includes Sanford's Pond, and is the headwaters of the Still River.

The city purchased the 192 acre property for $1.6 million. A portion of that, about $650,000, was paid for with a state grant announced Thursday.

"This is a very important acquisition," Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said Thursday during a news conference at the property. "It's the gateway to the city and a large green buffer that will provide areas of recreation that residents can enjoy in perpetuity."

Boughton noted that it's the largest open space purchase since the city bought 535 acres near downtown in 1985 that became Tarrywile Park.

Environmental consultant Jack Kozuchowski said that when the city first began examining parcels for open space purchases nearly a decade ago, he knew the Farrington property was a gem.

"There is just so much this property has to offer," he said. "Everyone should feel really good about this."

Kozuchowski said the property has a variety of habitat, including the pond, a shrub swamp and a forested hillside.

Several roads that traverse the property, which may at one point have been used for logging or stage coaches, and provide a foundation for a trail system through the land.

"I couldn't have laid it out better myself," Kozuchowski said.

Boughton said potential uses for the land include hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking.

There has also been discussions about a canoe and kayak launch on the pond, as well as possible camping sites, according to a release by Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

"This is truly a significant purchase, as it will create one of the largest open space areas in western Connecticut," Rell said in a prepared statement released Thursday. "The city plans on taking good advantage of this to offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities on the land."

Besides open space, the property also includes several homes, two of which are currently being rented.

Boughton said that as part of the land purchase, the city has agreed to allow the residents to stay in the homes for at least three years.

Another home, the original Farrington homestead, could be used for offices for the Land Trust of Danbury, he said.

Bill Montgomery, president of the Land Trust of Danbury, said he'd be interested in considering such a proposal.

by Robert Miller - News-Times

DANBURY -- The city will buy 192 acres of ridge line and wetlands along Mill Plain Road near the New York border to preserve as open space.

"It's a huge deal,'' said Mayor Mark Boughton. "It's the biggest open space purchase since we bought Tarrywile Park.''

The Tarrywile purchase, in 1985, created a 535-acre island of green space in the city's center at a cost of $4.7 million. Tarrywile has grown over the years to 722 acres.

Environmental consultant Jack Kozuchowski said the Westside open space may be as important.

"It's been my gut feeling for years that this is the most important open space in the city,'' Kozuchowski said. "At least in the top two or three.''

The City Council unanimously approved the $1.6 million purchase price late Tuesday evening.

The money for the deal will come from the city's $6.6 million open space fund. But Kozuchowski said he's now working on a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection to recoup as much as 55 percent of that purchase cost.

The land, called the Isabelle Farrington property, runs along the southern side of I-84 and Mill Plain Road along the Connecticut-New York border.

"It's the entryway into the city,'' Boughton said.

Farrington, who lives in Redding, had previously owned the land. There are now three homes and a barn on the land, Boughton said.

The property is currently owned by Back O' Beyond Inc., a private corporation in Brewster, N.Y., that also owns Morefar, an exclusive golf course that borders Danbury.

Evaluations of open space often have ranked the Farrington land as one of the best pieces of open space in the city.

"It's a wonderful piece of property,'' said Bill Montgomery of the Land Trust of Danbury, who recently walked the land. "We've worked very closely with the city to save this land.''

Kozuchowski said the property includes Sanford's Pond at the base of the ridge line, a shrub swamp, and the wooded hills behind the water. These different habitats provide homes for a variety of wildlife.

"If the city did nothing else but preserve this land for wildlife, it would be worth the price,'' he said. "But we can do so much more with it.''

For one thing, he said, Sanford Pond and the wetlands connected to it would be an excellent place for kayaking and canoeing. There are also two old roads that traverse the land that are perfectly situated for hiking trails.

"If I had to lay trails out on the land, that's where I'd put them,'' he said.

And the Danbury portion of the land is only part of the ridge line. The rest of the ridge, also owned by Back O' Beyond, continues into Southeast, N.Y.

Boughton said if Southeast were able to purchase that land, then the two towns could work cooperatively on a through-trail.

Michael Rights, town supervisor in Southeast, said he's been working with the town's Conservation Committee to se

"The town of Southeast is interested in purchasing and preserving that land,'' he said.

e if that's possible.

Lake Lillinonah and Lake Zoar

Zebra Mussels Found In Local Lakes (10/15/10)

Robert Miller, Staff Writer

The zebra mussel -- a highly invasive species of aquatic mussel -- is now growing in Lake Lillinonah and Lake Zoar.

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday it has found small numbers of the mussels in the two lakes that are created by dams and hydroelectric power plants on the Housatonic River.

"This is a disturbing discovery," said DEP Commissioner Amey Marrella.

"It is, obviously, not a good thing," said Robert Barnes, chairman of the Lake Zoar Authority.

Allowed to proliferate, zebra mussels have the potential to greatly alter a lake's ecology, as well as cover pilings and docks, and clog the intake pipes in hydroelectric power plants like those at Lillinonah and Zoar.

The DEP has now posted signs at the boat launches at both lakes, warning boaters to take extra precautions to not spread the mussels to other bodies of water.

Bill Foreman, an environmental analyst with the DEP's inland fisheries division, said a consultant, surveying native mussels in the two lakes for FirstLight Power Resources Inc. -- the utility that owns the two lakes and their hydroelectric plants -- found six zebra mussels in Zoar and one in Lillinonah.

Foreman said there's no way of knowing how many more zebra mussels are in the two lakes. Lillinonah has nearly 2,000 acres of surface, and Zoar has more than 900. Foreman said once the mussels get into large bodies of water, they are hard to control.

Foreman said both lakes also have high calcium levels -- a factor needed for shellfish to thrive.

"Its unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected," Foreman said of the finding.

The mussels are native to the Caspian Sea region southwest Russia and Central Asia. Environmentalists suspect they came to North America and the Great Lakes in the bilge of freighters and were first found in Lake St. Clair in Michigan and Ontario in 1988.

In 22 years, they've spread throughout the Great Lakes, into the Mississippi River system and most of New York state, including large lakes like Lake George and Lake Champlain.

Prior to Friday's announcement, the only place zebra mussels have been found in Connecticut was in East and West Twin Lakes in Salisbury, where they've been growing steadily since being discovered in 1998.

But environmentalists found zebra mussels in Laurel Lake in Lee, Mass., in 2009, as well as in the lake's outlet stream to the Housatonic River. Foreman said there's a chance the mussels got washed downstream into the Lillinonah and Zoar, the first big impoundments on the Housatonic River in Connecticut.

But he also said it's possible a boat accidently carried the mussels from an infested lake to Lillinonah, which drains into Zoar.

Six towns border Lillinonah -- Bridgewater, Brookfield, New Milford, Newtown, Roxbury, and Southbury. Sections of Southbury and Newtown also border Zoar, as do Oxford and Monroe.

Because only one zebra mussel had been found in Lillinonah, "people should be alert, not alarmed," said Shannon Young, the chairman of the Lake Lillinonah Authority.

He said that no one knows if there more zebra mussels in the lake -- "it's a strong reason for concern."

"Boaters should be aware: You could be contaminating other lakes," Young said.

From the Connecticut DEP

Photograph courtesy of the Department of Environmental Protection.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that zebra mussels, an aquatic invasive species, have been discovered in Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah, two large impoundments on the Housatonic River.

This is the first report of a new infestation since zebra mussels were first discovered in Connecticut in 1998 in East and West Twin Lakes in Salisbury. Only small numbers of the zebra mussels have been discovered so far, and it could take a relatively long period of time for them to have an impact, the DEP said in a release. At this point it is uncertain if the mussels found in Lakes Lillinonah and Zoar are the result of downstream migration from upstream sources or the result of a separate introduction.

“This is a disturbing discovery,” said DEP Commissioner Amey Marrella. “Only small numbers of the zebra mussels have been discovered so far, and it could take some time before we see the impact they may have. The zebra mussels have the potential, however, to do much damage by displacing native mussels, clogging power plant and industrial water intakes, affecting public drinking water distribution systems and disrupting aquatic ecosystems.”

“Zebra mussels can be spread from one water body to another through boating and fishing activities and Connecticut’s boating and angling communities have worked closely with us the past 12 years to prevent this from happening,” Commissioner Marrella said. “With this latest news, it is now time to redouble our efforts to make certain everyone on our waters is aware of common sense precautions they can take to help contain the spread of zebra mussels.”

The zebra mussel is a black and white-striped bivalve mollusk, which was introduced into North American waters through the discharge of ship ballast water. Since its discovery in Lake St. Clair (Michigan/Ontario) in 1988, the zebra mussel has spread throughout the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River system and most of New York State. Zebra mussels were first found in the Housatonic River in 2009 when they were discovered in Laurel Lake in Lee, Massachusetts, and subsequent sampling found them in the lake’s outflow into the mainstem river.

Zebra mussels have fairly specific water chemistry requirements, and are limited to waters with moderate to high calcium concentrations and pH. In Connecticut, suitable habitat for zebra mussels is mostly limited to a number of water bodies in western portions of the state.

The mussel can foul boat hulls and engine cooling water systems and clog power plant, industrial and public drinking water intakes. Sites that may be affected on the Housatonic River include the hydroelectric facilities at Falls Village, Bulls Bridge, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoar, Lake Housatonic, and the pump-storage facility at Candlewood Lake.

“DEP is seeking the continued active cooperation of boaters and anglers to follow practices that help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species,” said Commissioner Marrrella. “We also encourage the public to make DEP aware of any indications of zebra mussels or any other invasive's they may have seen.”

The DEP Boating Division is posting signs at Lakes Lillinonah and Zoar alerting the public to the presence of the zebra mussels in those waters and listing steps they should take to prevent them from spreading. DEP is also posting signs at nearby Lakes Candlewood and Housatonic, as well as Squantz Pond, which are all interconnected and have water qualities making them susceptible to the zebra mussels. These signs will alter the public to the fact that this invasive species has been detected in nearby water bodies and that proper precautions should be taken.

Actions anglers and boaters can take to prevent the spread of zebra mussels include:

What Paddlers Can Do

Before Leaving A Boat Launch:

Completely drain all water from the boat, including bilge water, livewells and engine cooling systems.

Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment. Remove and discard all aquatic plants and animals you may have picked up while on the water.

At Home:

Rinse boat, trailer and equipment with tap water. A bleach solution can be used to clean livewells. Dispose of all rinse material properly!

When Fishing:

Do not dump your bait bucket or release live bait! Avoid introducing unwanted plants and animals. Unless your bait was obtained on site, dispose of it in a suitable trash container.

Do not transport fish, other animals or plants between water bodies. Release caught fish, other animals and plants only into the waters from which they came from.

The DEP will continue to monitor for the presence of zebra mussels at these lakes and others throughout the state. Individuals wishing to report possible sightings of zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species can contact DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division at 860-424-3474. More information on zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species can be found on the DEP website (www.ct.gov/dep) in the· 2010 CT Angler’s Guide (www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/fishing/anglers_guide/anguide.pdf) and the  2010 CT Boater’s guide (www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/boating/boating_guide/boaterguide.pdf)

Frequently Asked Questions About Zebra Mussels

  Hartford County

  Litchfield County

  Middlesex County

  New Haven County

Quinnipiac River

Mysteries Flow Down Quinnipiac River

Sunday, November 7, 2010

By Erica Schmitt

Staff Writer – The New Britain Herald

The picturesque view of a river: murky green water with mountains of dirt, tires, rusty metal, and garbage sinking down into it? This is not what might be imagined, but this is the case in New Britain. There’s a river in New Britain, you ask?

Mother Earth gives birth to the Quinnipiac River in the city. The streams that make up its beginnings are known as headwaters, and their health is crucial to the river’s survival.

The source of the Quinnipiac is Dead Wood Swamp in New Britain, and the Niedzwiecki family has lived at the end of Long Swamp Road off Corbin Avenue for generations.

They used to have a pond in their backyard, its streams the river’s headwaters, but more than fifty years ago people began dumping old car parts, tires, garbage and landfill material in its vicinity that began to fill in the pond and pile up in the woods around it.

John Niedzwiecki grew up in the home at 350 Long Swamp Road, and he remembers fishing in the pond as a kid. Fond memories like this are what is motivating his project, digging out the junk and reclaiming the pond. The fish are starting to return now that water is filing the pond again.

Niedzwiecki is passionate about continuing his efforts, as “they are only to benefit the environment,” he said one recent day standing by his pond. He’s lost track of how much he’s hauled away “to reestablish the river and the fish.”

In the early 1990s, the city of New Britain realized both residents and industries were dumping hazardous waste there and decided they had to put a stop to it. They cleaned up the dump zone and put up roadside concrete barriers to prevent people from continuing to pollute the area. However, they did not clean up the dumped material in Niedzwiecki’s yard, leaving him on his own.

Although his intentions are to help reestablish the dried-up streams that flow into the river, his tactics are going to need to change. He has constructed dams in three places. Also, there are no vegetative buffers (plant material) in place around them, only sand and broken pieces of concrete, which are not stopping pollutants from entering the water.

Quinnipiac River Watershed Association Director Mary Mushinsky discovered this visiting the property recently. “It’s nice of him to try and attempt this project, but we need to send someone to help him do it right, and the dams need to go,” she said.

DEP Industrial Compliance Inspector Marshall Hoover used to be a Wetlands Enforcement Officer and has walked almost every inch of the Quinnipiac River. When he heard about Niedzwiecki’s project, he agreed with Mushinsky. “At the very least he needs a local permit to build the pond in the yard,” said Hoover.

Niedzwiecki would welcome help. “That would be good for you to send someone to help me out here,” he told Mushinsky when she proposed the idea. “They want this cleaned up, and I’m doing the best I can.”

A Wetlands Enforcement Officer will be sent by the DEP in the coming months to evaluate the site, discuss Niedzwiecki’s endeavor with him and figure out the next phase.

Downstream Of The Headwaters

After its humble beginnings in New Britain, the Quinnipiac River meanders into Plainville and then through Southington. These sections are rated Class C by the DEP, identifying them as “boatable, not swimmable.” They are particularly unappealing for recreational use, because of a mysterious oily-looking residue on the water’s surface and industries all along their banks.

Both Mushinsky and Hoover have walked these banks side by side, fusing her ecological approach with his solutions to deal with the many concerns they ran into along the river, both together and separately.

The QRWA is able to identify pollution sources, determine solutions for water quality issues and often work to fix these, while also educating municipalities and landowners about reducing pollution.

One of their many projects is to work with North Haven and Southington to create storm drain markers that remind people to keep oil, anti-freeze, pet waste and other pollutants from the drains, as most aren’t aware that drains don’t go through a waste treatment plant, they go straight into rivers.

The DEP tends to deal with industries that are not following stream flow regulations or not disposing of chemical wastes in ways that are environmentally sound ” the engineering problems.

West of Hamlin Pond in Plainville is Nickson Industries, which has manufactured muffler hardware at 336 Woodford Ave. since 1986.

Rayex owned the site from 1910 to 1968, manufacturing plastic and metal sunglasses using many chemicals that left plating wastes” including cyanide” released into a leaching field contaminating the river. Rayex closed in 1968 after not following orders to install a wastewater treatment plant to process the wastes.

“In 1974, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Water Compliance Division cited Rayex as the source of pollution to the Quinnipiac River,” according to a federal Environmental Protection Agency report.

“Analytical results of sediment samples collected downstream of the discharge pipe in 1992 indicated the presence of 10 semivolatile organic compounds, two pesticides, and six metals, including lead,” said the EPA after a site inspection. Fifty unlabeled, empty 55-gallon drums and two crushed and rusted drums were also found.

Officials found that Nickson Industries disposes of all wastes generated by manufacturing processes offsite. Hoover inspected the property in 1994, and found that “stormwater from Routes 84, 72 and 372 enters the river in this area as does run-off from the Loews Plaza and local roads.” He also noted many other area industries could be potential pollution sources causing the poor water quality and oily sheen observed there.

“There were no outstanding wastewater issues remaining at Nickson Industries after an inspection and follow-up visit about a year and a half ago,” Hoover concluded.

He visited the Plainville section of the Quinnipiac again a few weeks ago to verify that all regulations are continuing to be followed. He also solved the mystery behind the oily sheen.

“The groundwater in the area has high levels of iron and iron fixing bacteria. Just as prevalent is the floating metallic surface skim that we find associated with iron fixing bacteria, normally manganese, but is commonly mistaken for oil.”

The Watershed Association distributes over $100,000 annually to various projects protecting the river’s wildlife and improving water quality. Trained volunteers from their Streamwalk Project walk different sections to evaluate environmental concerns.

When grass is mowed down by a riverbank, it causes a lot of problems for the health of the water. The towns of Meriden and Wallingford need to restore vegetation on the banks of their portions of the river, known as buffers.

Southington has been the first to do its part by restoring the buffer at Recreation Park Pond; filtering waste and keeping geese back from the water’s edge so they don’t defecate in and around the water. Vegetation also needs to be reestablished around Niedzwiecki’s pond to catch runoff from chemical waste and filter incoming contaminants.

Mushinsky compares the river’s health to the longevity of a human life in saying, “Having those restored buffers on the river is like having a functioning kidney in a person.”

However, more than just the QRWA and the rest of the conservation community can help save the river. Residents can help too by not throwing anything into storm drains, not mowing their grass all the way down to the riverbank, washing their cars in the yard instead of the driveway and using as little fertilizer as they can on their lawns.

The Mouth Of The River

Even where the Quinnipiac flows into the ocean the water is cloudy. At Quinnipiac River Park on Chapel Street in New Haven, fishermen line the water’s edge, catching bluefish, snapper, and trout. Beside them is a machine shop whose parking lot extends right down to the harbor. Although tall grass plays the part of buffer here, pavement is still eroding into the water, bringing clumps of trash along.

About a mile down the road is the well-maintained Front Street Park. Informational signs there tell about the river’s wildlife and pollution sources, specifically how the Quinnipiac River Marsh is a depository for toxic waste, industrial discharge, tires, metals, glass, landfills and sewage treatment.

According to fisherman Jesus Aquino of 43 East Pearl St., “Every two days this park is cleaned by volunteers from the neighborhood.”

Although the river below the park looks clean, Aquino said he is not happy about its condition in other areas of the city.

“They load the city sewage into the river every morning through a sewer in the back of Lowe’s (Home Improvement). You can smell it. We love this river but they are polluting it,” he said.

Hoover of the DEP said New Haven storm water runoff and sanitary sewage sometimes mix in the same in the same pipe.

Instead of trying to replace every sewer line in the city, they have retention ponds that serve as holding tanks.

“Most of the complaints of contamination in that area were actually naturally occurring,” he said. “When it’s raining, there could be numerous sewer overflows going into the river . . Especially if a fisherman is out first thing in the morning, that is one of the peak times in the sanitary line when there may be an overflow, so it’s entirely possible (Aquino) saw sewage flow into the river then.”

Despite all the efforts of the DEP and QRWA, still, only one fish per month from the Quinnipiac should be eaten.

  New London County

  Tolland County

  Windham County