Hartland’s 22,300 acres are characterized by expansive natural resources providing the foundation for inclusion into the National Park Service’s Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers program. Given the geographical locations and the quality of its watercourses, Hartland is the only town in Connecticut to be part of this nationally recognized program.
The majority of land in Hartland consists of vast contiguous tracts of land supporting robust biodiverse communities including forest interior birds, black bear, fisher, bobcat, otter and moose. Our extensive forests and conserved lands protect our significant network of streams, rivers, and waterways. An abundance of natural resources offers recreational and aesthetic benefits, and the pristine waters support thriving, breeding native populations of brook and brown trout. Exceptional quality water is supplied to over 400,000 Hartford County residents via the Barkhamsted Reservoir located on the Farmington River which also bisects the town.
In 1994, Congress designated the upper Farmington River located in the southwest section of Hartland and again in 2019, the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook located in Hartland’s southeast corner and corridor in the northeast corner as Wild and Scenic.
Both the Farmington River Coordinating Committee (FRCC) and the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee (LFSWS) comprise the non-regulatory advisory groups that act as stewards of the natural and cultural components which exist in this area of the state without infringing on local autonomy. Together, the groups advocate and ensure that the waterways’ beauty and character will be enjoyed by generations to come.
Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic 