Many dams were removed and where they remained fish ladders were installed. At least 13 fires incidences have occurred on the river with the first fire occurring in 1868. SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. “This is not a criminal investigation,” Deputy Police Chief Fred Spagnolo told The Waterbury Observer this afternoon. My grandmother would tell me that you could walk down to the Naugatuck river, and depending on the day it would be a different color depending on what chemicals were dumped into the river on that day. Three events involved sewage spills from the Waterbury Sewage Treatment plant. The Housatonic River (/ ˌ h uː s ə ˈ t ɒ n ɪ k / HOOS-ə-TON-ik) is a river, approximately 149 miles (240 km) long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. NAUGATUCK — What most surprised Courtney McGinnis once she began to study the state of the Naugatuck River were the letters she received from people who lived near its banks. Unfortunately, much of the mid-to-lower portion of the Naugatuck River suffered through decades of industrial use, with chemicals and other industrial pollution damaging the water quality and severely impacting the river's wildlife. Further injury was added during the mid-20th century when the river corridor was ravaged by a pair of hurricanes and then subsequently walled and dammed along much of its length. Cuyahoga River was among the most polluted rivers in the US in the 20th century. 2018 Naugatuck River Brigade After years of rehabilitative efforts, recent sewage spills have put a strain on the Naugatuck River ecosystem as it continues to heal from years of industrial pollution. A workman's touch ignited the fire. Courtesy: Naugatuck-Pomperaug Chapter Trout Unlimited). Residents say the Naugatuck river is still polluted with pieces of melted rubber. In the Naugatuck Watershed, there are impaired reaches along the mainstem Naugatuck River, Steele Brook, Great Brook, Mad River, Hop Brook and Long Meadow Pond Brook. More recently, industrial discharges have been reduced even further through the use of wastewater recycling systems which reuse discharges rather than sending them into the river. What is Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)? "There's some really good stuff happening on the river," said Peterson, who grew up in Litchfield and remembers in her youth seeing different colors of industrial pollution staining the Naugatuck. The Waterbury Police Department has launched an investigation into what happened at the Water Pollution Control Facility on October 9th that resulted in 5,000,000 gallons of raw sewage being dumped into the Naugatuck River. The State of Connecticut has also been a dedicated partner in the reversal of the river’s declining health. A plan was therefore proposed to allow only very limited treatment at the existing facility while the new plant was being built. A committed program of formal enforcement actions for wastewater discharge violations, led to the collection of corporate penalties in excess of $2.5 million. Consequently, the river is a predominantly rapidly flowing river for most of its length, characterized occasionally by rapids. Title: Summit Corporation of America, Final Permit, CT0001180, 12/21/2007 Author: US EPA, Region 1, Office of Ecosystem Protection Subject: Contains NPDES permit for Summit Corporation of America in Thomaston, CT to discharge to Naugatuck River The steel and grain industries along the Buffalo River dumped toxic chemicals into the river. – TMDL Fact Sheet, A Total Maximum Daily Load Analysis for Recreational Uses of the Naugatuck River Regional Basin, Naugatuck River Regional Basin Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Summary, Notification of Approval of Upper Naugatuck River TDML, TMDL Analysis for Recreational Uses of the Naugatuck River Regional Basin. Unfortunately centuries of industrial abuse left the river essentially lifeless for most of the 20th century, ranking it among the most polluted rivers in the nation. Long Meadow Brook is one of those two-way green corridors connecting the Naugatuck River and the Gunntown Passive Park & Nature Preserve. Naugatuck River Upper Section: From RT 118 (Harwinton-Litchfield) downstream to the Thomaston Dam ; Lower Section: From Prospect Street (Naugatuck) downstream to Pines Bridge Road (Beacon Falls) Shetucket River From the Scotland Dam (Scotland) downstream to the Occum Dam (Norwich) The regulations in Atlantic Salmon Management Areas are complex with specific gear restrictions, catch … The exception lies in an approximately 2-mile region located between Naugatuck and Beacon Falls. Over the past several years, insect hatches have begun to re-emerge on the Naugatuck River in large enough numbers to sustain trout populations. This region serves as a reminder of what the stunning river valley likely looked like before the Valley’s industrial revolution left its lasting footprints. These waterbodies were classified as impaired due to high levels of indicator bacteria.The majority of these segments are found in the southern section of the watershed (see map on DEP TMDL factsheet). The pollution they left behind, drew this reaction from the Waterbury river Brigade: “Honestly quite repulsive,” said Zak Robushi. Little attention was paid to the ecology of the forgotten river until locals — seeing its potential despite its pollution — united in 2008 to form the Naugatuck River Revival Group. In the mid 1980s, the Connecticut Department of Energy & the Environment (DEEP, then known as the Department of Environmental Protection) took additional permitting measures based upon the biology of the river to further reduce toxic substances in industrial discharges. The East and West Branch of the river converge to form the main stem in Torrington, the first urbanized section of the river as you move downstream. To compensate for the negative impacts on the river due to not fully treating the sewage during this construction period, CT DEEP, the EPA and the City of Waterbury developed a mitigation plan to enhance water quality and the ecology of the Naugatuck. From Torrington south to Thomaston the river flows through a landscape dotted with rural, agricultural and suburban sections. Naugatuck River ecosystem as it continues to heal from years of industrial pollution. Photo courtesy of the Naugatuck Historical Society. SEATTLE (AP) - The owners of a hydroelectric project in south-central Washington violated the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Department of Justice says in … A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant that the waterbody can absorb while still meeting waterquality standards. Like a physician administering a check-up, the state looks at whether the biological, chemical and physical condition of the state’s waterways support specific uses like drinking and recreating, and whether the water is healthy enough to support aquatic life. degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment The river’s size and steep gradient, made it ideal for hydropower development, causing a surge in industrial development in the 1700 and 1800’s. DEEP officials say that many rivers, streams and lakes are now cleaner than they have been in the past 100 years, and that once badly polluted rivers, such as the Willimantic, Naugatuck, Pequabuck, Quinnipiac, Connecticut and Farmington, are now used for many recreational pursuits. (See story in Appendix I). Citizen groups and communities along the river have played a key role in driving the Naugatuck River Restoration Plan forward. The main stem flows 39 miles south from Torrington through Litchfield, Harwinton, Thomaston, Watertown, Waterbury, Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, and Ansonia before reaching its confluence with the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. While many of the SEPs are tied to dam removal and fish passage, SEP monies have also been used to purchase equipment to treat and dispose of grease tank wastes, encourage local river cleanups and for the creation of riverside pocket parks, open space preservation, and public river access. Water Pollution Control. The City of Waterbury will be hiring 10 local high school students who will comprise the first class of the Waterbury River Brigade to remove litter and debris from the Naugatuck River this summer. The river's neighbors need to see that the Naugatuck's transformation from pariah to community asset is … A large river with a relatively steep gradient in its upper stretches, the Naugatuck River has strong flows and deep pools which make it ideal habitat for trout and an excellent river to accomodate the state's annual stocking of broodstock Atlantic Salmon. The Naugatuck is the largest tributary of the Housatonic River, and it is the only major river in the state contained entirely within Connecticut’s borders. The Naugatuck River, the Housatonic’s nost i ortant tributary, has historically been known for extremely poor quality. The headwaters of the Naugatuck River, the ‘east branch’ and ‘west branch,’ originate in the towns of Winchester, Norfolk and Goshen in northwestern Connecticut before converging to form the main stem of the Naugatuck River. On or before November 15, 2017, the Respondent shall certify to the Commissioner in writing that actions in paragraph a. i. have been completed and provide written details of actions performed. Wastewater treatment improvements during the 1970’s, combined with the general decline of the brass industry and closure of other businesses, led to dramatic improvements in the water quality and aesthetics of the Naugatuck River. Unfortunately, much of the mid-to-lower portion of the Naugatuck River suffered through decades of industrial use, with chemicals and other industrial pollution damaging the water quality and severely impacting the river's wildlife. With their passage now unheeded, fish were once again able to swim upstream. Beginning in the 1700’s, the Naugatuck Valley became attractive for industrial development. By the time it reaches its confluence with the Housatonic, just 12 miles north of Long Island Sound, it is considered a ‘fourth order’ stream. Costing $124 million and taking three years (1997-2000) to construct, this advanced wastewater treatment facility features ammonia removal, total nitrogen removal and ultraviolet light disinfection – upgrades critical to ensuring continued improvements in the health of the Naugatuck River as well as Long Island Sound. The Naugatuck River is a 40.2-mile-long (64.7 km) river in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The pathway at the Tingue continues the state's angioplasty of the once dam-clogged river, said Susan Peterson, a DEP environmental analyst who tracks the health of the interconnected Naugatuck… A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant that the waterbody can absorb while still meeting waterquality standards. The big Naugatuck River sewage spill was one year ago. Among other things, the plan required removal or construction of fish passage facilities at several major dams within the watershed. By 1976, through a combination of legal enforcement and the distribution of state and federal grants, all eight municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharging to the Naugatuck River had installed secondary waste treatment, ensuring that cleaner, safer water was discharged to the river from these plants. Regular monthly meetings are on the third Thursday of every month in the Hall of Burgess at the Town Hall at 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted. In 1845, the largest brass mill in the United States was built in the City of Waterbury and by the early 1900s the Naugatuck Valley was one of the principal brass manufacturing regions of the world, a distinction, which remained through the 1960s. Here, the river is walled by steep, forested hillsides, inhospitable to development. iii. State agencies like the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) are responsible for assessing the state of our waterways periodically. Large quantities of industrial wastes from the brass mills and related metalworking industries, as well as wastes generated by the manufacturing of rubber, synthetic chemicals and textiles, were discharged to the river along with municipal sewage. In the late 1980s, the Department adopted a plan to improve the effectiveness of WWTPs in order to meet water quality goals for the river. But after so many years of abject pollution, few people know that. This lowest section of the river is tidally influenced for approximately one mile upstream from the confluence. The plan required upgrades at nearly all of the WWTPs along the river. At the same time, industries were required to begin using “best available technology” to treat their wastewaters, leading to further reductions in pollutants entering the river. Thomaston’s AWT facilities are in the final stages of construction. “They were stories of how the river has impacted their lives,” said … Industrialization of its valley and use of the river as a receiving stream for municipal sewage, and a wide variety of industrial wastes followed. Naugatuck River from bypass discharge location to at least the confluence with Beacon Hill Brook. In the Naugatuck Watershed, there are impaired reaches along the mainstem Naugatuck River, Steele Brook, Great Brook, Mad River, Hop Brook and Long Meadow Pond Brook. Treatment plant pollution along the buffalo river dumped toxic chemicals into the late 1960s and early 1970s a landscape with! Required upgrades at nearly all of the Housatonic ’ s nost i ortant tributary, has historically been for... Emphasis was placed on improving the Waterbury WWTP, by far the river!, forested hillsides, inhospitable to development most notably as it continues to heal from years of pollution... 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