Author Archives: lfriverscenic

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS supported Farmington River Watershed Association through funding for Water Quality Interns for cyanobacteria research on Rainbow Reservoir, a 225-acre impoundment on the Farmington River in Windsor. In recent years, cyanobacteria blooms, which have the potential to be toxic, and affect water quality, have been reoccurring in Rainbow Reservoir, impacting theContinue reading “Cyanobacteria Research”

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYThe Farmington River Watershed Association has been continuing work assessing stream crossing (culvert) conditions within the Farmington River Watershed in order to determine structural integrity, as well as the ability of passage for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Road-stream crossing assessments can be useful in determining which crossings may pose a threatContinue reading “Stream Crossings”

Winchester Center Congregational Church Quilt and Needle Arts Show 1 West Road Winchester Center, CT 06094 April 26th (10am-5pm) & April 27th (12pm-5pm) Winchester Center quilter, MaryPat Leger, has completed the work of art extolling the remarkable values of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook. Her inspiration brought together 26 quilt artists, some nationally recognized, someContinue reading “The Lower Farmington River & Salmon Brook Quilt Project”

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYContinuous conductivity loggers are being used by Farmington River Watershed Association to collect additional data concerning chloride contamination to determine the conditions of the Pequabuck River, Nod Brook, Roaring Brook, Owens Brook, Rainbow Brook, and Mill Brook. Due to the strong correlation between chloride and conductivity, conductivity will increase in responseContinue reading “Conductivity”

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYSixteen sites were monitored for chloride in 2023. This program is in partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) Salt Watch program. Sites are monitored year-round to determine how locations fare throughout the year, especially in winter months when road salts are applied, and in summer during high-production timesContinue reading “Chloride Monitoring”

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYThe Farmington River Watershed Association also conducts macroinvertebrate sampling days in the fall to monitor streams of the watershed on a rotating basis through the CT DEEP’s Riffle Bioassessment for Volunteers (RBV) program. Macroinvertebrates are used to identify high-quality, cold-water habitats in tributaries. Both temperature and macroinvertebrate data help streams orContinue reading “Water Quality: Riffle Bioassessment For Volunteers (RBV)”

This event has been postponed to May 5. Kenneth L. Feder, professor emeritus of anthropology at Central Connecticut State University and author of several books, is the founder and director of the Farmington River Archeology Project. He and his crew have revealed remains of the villages, hunting encampments, and quarries used by inhabitants of the FarmingtonContinue reading “POSTPONED: The Farmington River Archaeological Project: 12,000 years of Native History with Ken Feder”

The Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic Small is pleased to present “Changes in the Composition of Odonata (Dragonflies And Damselflies) Utilizing the Lower Farmington River/Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Area” by Jay Kaplan, Co-Director of the Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, Connecticut. The study was funded through a grant fromContinue reading “Dragonflies and Damselflies Report”

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYThe Farmington River Watershed Association deployed water temperature loggers at five sites in 2023. Loggers record water temperatures hourly throughout the year to monitor ambient in-stream temperatures to identify and document cold water habitat to assess long term trends. Two sites are located in the West Branch Salmon Brook, and threeContinue reading “Water Quality: Water Temperature”

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYTwenty-three sites were monitored for bacteria, from June to September. Due to increased precipitation and high flows in 2023, some sites did exceed the Water Quality Criteria for bacteria. Sites that exceeded the criteria include Roaring Brook and the Pequabuck River in Farmington, Munnisunk, Minister and Russell Brook in Simsbury, SalmonContinue reading “Water Quality: Bacteria”