Help plan the future of the Mill River

The Mill River, primarily found in Easton and Fairfield, is a gem, home to wild native brook charr and wild brown trout. Nonetheless the river has a number of problems. In 2004 the Mill River was added to the 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies, which is named after a section of the Clean Water Act. It mandates tracking and reporting of impaired waters for exceeding the standards associated with indicator bacteria such as E. coli. (which warn us of the potential for disease-causing microbes or pathogens, including viruses and other bacteria.)

The Nutmeg chapter of Trout Unlimited has partnered with the Town of Fairfield and a number of other organizations to help guide the Watershed Management Plan (WMP). The chapter has helped by contributing specialized local knowledge of the stream, including identifying areas in need of restoration or other intervention. The WMP covers a wide range of topics including identification of water quality problems, determining the cause of those problems, identifying measures to correct the problems and more. 

The draft Mill River Watershed Management Plan. The Town of Fairfield is seeking input regarding it: written comments regarding the plan will be received until June 10, 2019 and can be sent directly to Brian Carey (bcarey@fairfieldct.org) and Christiana Pollock (cpollack@princetonhydro.com).

Please do not hesitate to send us a copy of your comments (or contact us regarding concerns), if possible by June 3. We’d be glad to incorporate your and every other chapter member’s input in a single chapter letter. Please email gmorresi@gmail.com.

Individuals are also free to share their own comments with officials.