Share
Seventy-eight thousand people call the Mill River Watershed home. This hardworking river wears many hats: it provides drinking water, conveys shipping barges, sustains native species, accommodates sewer overflow, and hosts recreational opportunities for residents of Cheshire, Hamden, and New Haven. This plethora of uses strains the River, stretching thin its capacity like a rubber band trying to hold too many papers. Maintaining its well-being means intentional, community-driven stewardship of the entire 117,000 acre watershed. That’s no small order – but it is what guides us, as the all-volunteer Mill River Watershed Association (MRWA).
Our group is as diverse and vibrant as the River itself. We are concerned citizens; Ivy League professors; professional engineers; water company staff; neighborhood group members; employees of the state’s largest environmental nonprofit; and small business owners. We all have different backgrounds and relationships with the River – some of us bring PhDs and Masters degrees to the table, while others bring irreplaceable local wisdom and observations. When it comes to tending the 12-mile main stem, its seven tributaries, and a watershed that spans 7 municipalities, we need every eager pair of hands we can get.
Our humble group has achieved much since it was founded in 1999, and even more since the Mill River Watershed Based Plan was published in 2018. Yes, we’ve undertaken activities you might expect of a watershed group, like water quality monitoring and cleanup events. But did you know we’ve secured grants and launched projects related to trail building, street art, and movie-making? We want to spotlight a few projects we have taken on in recent years, to showcase the variety of ways we try to keep our River and its surroundings thriving.
Green Infrastructure. One of the threats the Mill River faces is contaminated stormwater runoff due to the large amount of impervious surface in highly developed areas throughout the watershed. Allowing rainwater to infiltrate into the soil naturally filters out pollutants, slows down flood surges, and can nourish water-tolerant plants in the process. MRWA worked with Save the Sound, the Town of Hamden, and the City of New Haven to install a rain garden at Town Center Park in Hamden and the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, specially designed to retain rainwater and let it soak into the ground naturally. Co-benefits include native habitat creation and a beautiful community amenity in an underserved area.
Educational Storm Drain Medallions. Did you know that roadside drains often divert water right into streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean? As a way to educate residents of this fact, MRWA worked with several partners including the Town of Hamden, Hamden Inland Wetlands, Hamden Land Conservation Trust, Regional Water Authority, Hamden Boy Scouts, Quinnipiac University students, Cheshire Pollinator Pathway, and Cheshire Sustainability Coalition to design and install educational medallions that say “Drains to Long Island Sound – No Dumping,” with an image of a heron and cattails. About 500 medallions were affixed to storm drains in Hamden, and an additional 100 in Cheshire. Changing a car’s oil in your driveway or tossing excessive deicer onto the sidewalk may not seem like a big deal, but the cumulative effects can do damage to our water resources. These medallions serve as a reminder to community members that individual actions can impact the health of our watershed.
Urban Waters Initiative. Community engagement is crucial for addressing the water quality of waterways around urban areas, particularly in areas that experience environmental injustice. Funded through a CT DEEP & US EPA grant, the Urban Waters Initiative brought together nearly 50 different community-based organizations to discuss ideas, engage in citizen science opportunities, and distill local feedback into actionable projects for the watershed. One outcome of this process was the Photo Voice project, a virtual story about environmental assets and hazards in the Fair Haven community told through pictures taken by residents. Other projects included installation of litter traps at three locations; Mill River based research conducted by high school and university students; and art projects and displays that raise awareness about aquatic ecosystems.
In addition to the projects we’ve completed so far, we have a number of other plans on the horizon. We recently received funding to install bioswales in the Westwoods neighborhood and a rain garden at Alice Peck Learning Center. We’ve also partnered with the Six Lakes Park Coalition to support their goal of conserving 100 acres of forest in Hamden. Another future effort is to expand the storm drain medallion installations to other communities.
And MRWA’s best project is still waiting to happen – that’s where you come in! We are always looking for eco-minded community members to join our team and share their hopes for the watershed. Our virtual meetings occur on the second Tuesday of each month at 6pm – all are welcome. Even if you’re not quite sure what you can contribute, we encourage you to tune in and meet the friendly faces behind the watershed.
If you’d like to learn more, visit https://millriverofsouthcentralct.org/ and reach out using our contact form.