The goal of the North Branch Park River Watershed Management Plan is to improve water quality within an urban watershed. A key to successful watershed management is strong science integrated into sustainable urban design strategies.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) has retained a project team led by Fuss & O’Neill, Inc. and including the Farmington River Watershed Association, the Park River Watershed Revitalization Initiative, and New England Environmental, Inc. to prepare a Watershed Management Plan for the North Branch of the Park River in Hartford County, Connecticut. The Watershed Management Plan is being developed in cooperation with the CT DEP, other governmental entities, stakeholder groups, and the general public.
The watershed management plan will be a comprehensive, scientifically sound, and practical planning document for the protection and restoration of water resources in the North Branch Park River watershed. The watershed management plan will characterize the watershed conditions, identify, investigate, and address the current and emerging issues facing the watershed, and have the clear potential to affect on-the-ground change within the watershed.
The watershed management plan is being developed consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CT DEP guidance for the development of watershed-based plans. The guidance outline nine key elements that establish the structure of the plan, including specific goals, objectives, and strategies to protect and restore water quality; methods to build and strengthen working partnerships; a dual focus on addressing existing problems and preventing new ones; a strategy for implementing the plan; and a feedback loop to evaluate progress and revise the plan as necessary. Following this approach will enable implementation projects under this plan to be considered for funding under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.