Since 2021, FRWA has been studying Rainbow Reservoir to determine the causes of recurrent cyanobacteria blooms which are negatively affecting water quality, recreation, and aquatic organisms. In 2025, FRWA requested funding from LFSWS to expand the study to include nutrients throughout the watershed. Sites above and below the 8 sewage treatment plants on the Farmington River and selected tributaries which seemed likely sources of additional nutrients, particularly phosphorus, were monitored. LFSWS and the upper river’s Wild & Scenic committee, the Farmington River Coordinating Committee (FRCC), shared the cost of the project which required additional staff time for planning and for the increased sampling. The work verified that the main sources of nutrients come from upstream of the reservoir and helped identify sites where phosphorous inputs need to be reduced.
2025 Education, Research & Stewardship Projects
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Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic 