In Fiscal Year 2024, LFSWS successfully supported a variety of its own research, conservation, and outreach work in the partnership towns. It also provided grant funding to local organizations for river-related projects consistent with the mission of the Partnership Wild & Scenic Rivers program.

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS was proud to again help host the Wild & Scenic Film Festival along with our partners, FRWA and the Farmington River Coordinating Committee (FRCC). In addition to the traditional evening showing of the environmentally oriented Wild and Scenic films, a new event was added, a matinee with family-friendly films andContinue reading "Wild and Scenic Film Festival"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS purchased a small stream table for use at educational events. FRWA debuted it at the Burlington Public Library for a stormwater education workshop. FRWA staff used the stream table to teach participants about stream hydrology, stormwater pollution, the effects of runoff, and current methods used to increase climate resilience inContinue reading "Stormwater Education Stream Table"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS participated in the Simsbury Sustainability Committee’s first annual Sustainability Fair. Simsbury LFSWS representatives answered questions about the river and gave out brochures about the special resources of the river and brook. Our new Wild & Scenic stickers were popular, especially with young people!

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSSimsbury Land Trust received funding to help cover the cost of producing and publishing its booklet, Simsbury Invasive Plant Guide Book. The guidebook provides information on identification and control of common invasive plants and encourages property owners to remove them from their land to help protect natural habitat. The booklet wasContinue reading "Simsbury Land Trust’s Invasive Plant Brochure"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS contributed funding to the maintenance of the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) data center. NAACC is a network of individuals from universities, conservation organizations, and state and federal natural resource and transportation departments focused on improving aquatic connectivity across a thirteen-state region, from Maine to West Virginia. The databaseContinue reading "North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) Database Support"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSThe Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) received a grant from LFSWS toward hosting of a World Fish Migration Day event on May 21, 2024 at Northwest Park in Windsor. The purpose was to showcase migratory fish and efforts to restore free-flowing streams across the Long Island Sound region. WorldContinue reading "World Fish Migration Day Celebrated at Northwest Park"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSRiver Rally is the national conference of the River Network (www.rivernetwork.org). Held every two years, it provides educational and networking opportunities for those involved in river conservation. LFSWS funded one of its members to attend and to report back on national rivers issues relevant to the lower Farmington River and SalmonContinue reading "River Rally 2024"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS supported FRWA staff to attend the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society (NEAPMS) Plant Camp in New Jersey. Plant Camp is a 3-day symposium to allow professionals hands-on learning about native and invasive aquatic plants. The week was split between classroom sessions and in-field workshops where attendees learned to identify theContinue reading "Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society Plant Camp"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONLFSWS sponsored the third virtual series of lectures about Avon’s Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian archaeology site. The first lecture this year was “The History of Native American Archaeology in Connecticut.” The series included a program on plant evidence from the site, addressing what people were eating and where they found it, andContinue reading "Avon Historical Society’s Unearthing History"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONAs one part of its annual series of talks, Simsbury Historical Society organized a presentation of Howard Wright’s program, Away From the Sea: Why the Farmington River Flows Northward in Simsbury. The program explained the geology underlying the unusual direction of flow and revealed how the river has affected Farmington River ValleyContinue reading "Simsbury Historical Society Geology Talk"

Join us for Chasing Dragons: A Study of Dragonflies on the Lower Farmington River on Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 p.m. at Simsbury Public Library. Beginning in the 1990s, David Wagner of the University of Connecticut and Mike Thomas, then affiliated with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, surveyed dragonflies and damselflies across the state. Their work,Continue reading "Chasing Dragons: A Study of Dragonflies on the Lower Farmington River"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONLFSWS funded a series of flat-water paddles for the summer of 2024 to familiarize town representatives, both LFSWS members and members of the Farmington River Coordinating Committee (FRCC, the upper river Wild and Scenic group) with most of the Farmington River. The 2-hour paddling trips included river segments from Riverton to theContinue reading "River Exploration Trips"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONIn 2024, LFSWS decided to upgrade the displays previously shown at each designated town’s library. Each town has its own locally based display featuring information on the Lower Farmington and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic program and the special resources relevant to the town. The new design and layout will be shownContinue reading "Library Displays"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONTo raise interest and appreciation of the outstanding resources of the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook, LFSWS funded the development of a series of quilts which resulted in an extension of the upper Farmington River’s “Farmington River Quilt Project.” MaryPat Leger organized a group of 26 quilt artists, including herself, toContinue reading "Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic Quilt Project"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONThis year LFSWS funded informational panels for three kiosks. The three kiosks, one for Berg Field in Hartland and two for Avon, one in Alsop Meadow and one near the river at the Tillotson Road parking area, were prefabricated in 2022. They were installed in 2024 after the panels were designed andContinue reading "Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Recreational Uses Study"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONThe Mclean Game Refuge has been a site of small-scale archaeology studies since the 1990s because of the strong evidence of the land’s use by native Americans. In support of a continued effort to learn more about native American use of the game refuge’s land, LFSWS provided funding to McLean for itsContinue reading "McLean Game Refuge Archaeology Project"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONThis year LFSWS funded informational panels for three kiosks. The three kiosks, one for Berg Field in Hartland and two for Avon, one in Alsop Meadow and one near the river at the Tillotson Road parking area, were prefabricated in 2022. They were installed in 2024 after the panels were designed andContinue reading "Kiosk Panels"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS again supported the participation of the 8th grade at East Granby Middle School in Trout Unlimited’s program, “Trout in the Classroom.” Students, with their teacher’s guidance, raised the fish from eggs in the classroom. Because the “chiller,” which is essential for maintaining the cold-water temperature trout require, was failing, theContinue reading "East Granby Middle School Fish Release Program"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYBryan Connolly, Associate Professor of Botany at Eastern Connecticut State University, conducted surveys of vascular plants in Nod Brook Wildlife Management Area (NBWMA) located in both Avon and Simsbury and also in Simsbury Wildlife Management Area (SWMA) and in Simsbury’s Tariffville Park. The surveys documented native species, including rare plants andContinue reading "Botanical Surveys"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY“Changes in the Composition of Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) Utilizing the Lower Farmington River/Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Area” In the spring and summer of 2024, Jay Kaplan, Co-Director of Roaring Brook Nature Center, led a survey of Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) at fifteen sites along the lower Farmington River andContinue reading "Survey of Odonates (Dragonflies & Damselflies)"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYFRWA employed a multiparameter water quality meter on Barber Pond to monitor aquatic conditions during herbicidal treatment. Measurements were taken on several dates between June - August 2024, with two dates including measurements throughout Barber Pond at 1-meter increments. FRWA used this data to create depth profiles for several physical andContinue reading "Barber Pond Monitoring"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYFRWA staff and volunteers, along with volunteers from JAX and KNOX Hartford, removed more than 1,300 pounds of water chestnut from Barber Pond over five pulling events in the summer of 2024. Water chestnut seed corms were counted and measured throughout the season to determine efficacy of herbicidal treatments on seedContinue reading "Barber Pond Invasive Water Chestnut Pulls"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYThe Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee is proud to have the opportunity to continue supporting Dr. Carole Cheah’s work protecting hemlocks along the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook and their tributaries. Using a tiny beetle from Japan, S. tsugae, which co-evolved with the hemlock woollyContinue reading "Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Control Project"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYThe Farmington Land Trust’s fishing pier was developed with the intent of providing a fishing site accessible to people with limited mobility. Unfortunately, over the years it has presented repeated problems. Located at a bend in the Farmington River near the confluence of the river with Unionville Brook, the pier obstructsContinue reading "Farmington Land Trust’s Fishing Pier Remediation Project"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS supported FRWA 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 recurring in Rainbow Reservoir, impacting the recreational use. TheContinue reading "Cyanobacteria Research"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYSixteen sites were monitored year-round for chloride to determine how locations fare in winter months when road salts are applied, and in summer during high-production times for aquatic plants and animals. In fiscal year 2023, LFSWS funded FRWA’s purchase of continuous conductivity monitors to enable conductivity research in relation to chlorideContinue reading "Chloride Monitoring"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYFRWA deployed water temperature loggers at four sites in 2024. Loggers record water temperatures hourly throughout the year to monitor in-stream temperatures to document cold water habitat for temperature-sensitive species and to assess long term trends. The data recorded indicate cold water at all sites where the loggers were deployed.

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYTwenty-three sites were monitored for bacteria from May to September. In 2024 several exceeded the Water Quality Criteria for bacteria. These data can better inform where there may be higher levels of polluted stormwater runoff and help to determine potential land-based causes behind these factors. Results are updated weekly during theContinue reading "Water Quality: Bacteria"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYBecause Water Quality is one of the outstanding resource values for which the river was designated Wild and Scenic, the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee (LFSWS) provides funding for some of the monitoring and related research done by the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA). Good waterContinue reading "Water Quality Monitoring"

The Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee (LFSWS) is proud to present its Annual Report for the fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 through September 2024). The report summarizes the work we have done with respect to the river and brook’s special resources for which they were federally designated Wild & ScenicContinue reading "Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Annual Report 2024"

In Fiscal Year 2023, LFSWS successfully supported a variety of its own research, conservation, and outreach work in the partnership towns. It also provided grant funding to local organizations forriver-related projects consistent with the mission of the Partnership Wild & Scenic Rivers program.

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSThe Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions (CACIWIC) held their annual meeting on Saturday, November 11, at the Bristol Event Center. LFSWS sponsored the attendance of a Committee member who attended several sessions relevant to the lower Farmington River, Salmon Brook and its tributaries. These included greenways as aContinue reading "CACIWIC Conference 2023"

In 2024, Jay Kaplan of Roaring Brook Nature Center did a study of dragonflies and damselflies in the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook area to compare the species present then with findings of studies from the 1990’s and early 2000’s.  Some species he expected to find were not present.  For the most part, theyContinue reading "2025 Dragonfly and Damselfly Study"

OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS funded an educational paddle on the Farmington River for the Nonprofit Accountability Group (NAG) of Hartford which serves young people ages 13 to 18 years old. The river trip had 18 participants and was led by Farmington River Watershed Association staff. It took place in Windsor, with canoes, kayaks, andContinue reading "Nonprofit Accountability Group (NAG) Paddle"

 OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS supported the 2023 Northeast Partners for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NEPARC) annual meeting, because both the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook rely on scientific data from members of this group. The June, 2023 conference at Wesleyan University in Middletown provided an LFSWS member with the opportunity to learn aboutContinue reading "Northeast Partners for Amphibianand Reptile Conservation (NEPARC) Sponsorship"

 OTHER EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROJECTSLFSWS was proud to yet again help host the Wild & Scenic Film Festival along with our partners, FRWA and the Farmington River Coordinating Committee (FRCC). The greater Farmington River community came together for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival as a hybrid event. The live event was at the CantonContinue reading "LFSWS Sponsorship of Wild & Scenic Film Festival"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONLFSWS voted to support Bloomfield’s second request for grant funding for the Farmington River Park so the town could buy three benches to provide seating along a Bird Trail. Working on carrying out the town’s Master Plan for the Farmington River Park, the town and other partners developed the Bird Trail. EachContinue reading "Farmington River Park Bench Grant"

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE & RECREATIONLFSWS sponsored a virtual series of lectures covering the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian discovery in Avon. Lecture series included LIDAR imaging of the dig site, Paleoindian hunting, blood residue analysis of ancient stone tools, travel corridors, and an update on the scientific analysis of the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian site. The UnearthingContinue reading "Unearthing History Virtual Series"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS funded a grant for Farmington River Watershed Association to provide Middle and High School students education and hands-on training on how to conduct macroinvertebrate surveys. Fifteen students at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington, Connecticut were trained in Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (CT DEEP’s) Riffle Bioassessment byContinue reading "Riffle Bioassessment by Volunteers, Lewis Mills High School"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS funded a grant to enhance the Salmon in Schools program. The grant provided for the purchase of a new chiller to maintain an appropriate temperature for raising the salmon and also supported other parts of the program. Hartland School 6th grade students raised Atlantic salmon in the classroom, which wereContinue reading "Hartland Middle School Salmon in Schools"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS funded a grant to support an 8th grade field trip to release Atlantic salmon and brown trout into Salmon Brook. The students spent the winter raising the fish from eyed eggs in the classroom, and by late April they were ready for release. This annual field trip combined the fishContinue reading "East Granby Middle School Fish Release"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYIn October 2021, a storm washed out the pedestrian bridge at the town-owned Holcomb Farm which had provided access to the farm property west of the bridge and its very popular trail network. Both the Friends of Holcomb Farm and the Town of Granby wanted access to the land restored andContinue reading "Engineering Study for Salmon Brook Pedestrian Bridge Replacement"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYSimsbury is the home of the Pinchot Sycamore, the largest Tree in CT. It is located in a small town park on the Farmington River, where a bridge on the heavily traveled Route 185 crosses the river. The tree is named in honor of Gifford Pinchot, who was born in SimsburyContinue reading "Pinchot Sycamore Park Invasive Control"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS funded The Farmington River Watershed Association's effort to carry out a series of invasive water chestnut removals on Barber’s Pond in Bloomfield, CT. Invasive water chestnut is an issue in many areas of the CT River watershed, and so far has only been reported in the Farmington River watershed inContinue reading "Invasive Water Chestnut Pulls"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYThis year, LFSWS funded the Farmington River Watershed Association’s purchase of 10,000 S. tsugae for release as a biological control of the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook watershed. HWA is an invasive aphid-like insect that attacks North American hemlock trees. They can beContinue reading "Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Control"

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYLFSWS supported funding for the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic town employees and elected officials to attend the CT Green Snow Pro training. This training is offered by the T2 Center at UCONN. It provides resources on how to use road salt more effectively in order toContinue reading "CT Green Snow Pro Training"

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"