Pequabuck River
Watershed Association
Watershed Association
In-compassing the towns of Harwinton, Burlington, Plymouth, Bristol, Plainville and
Farmington, the Pequabuck River Watershed has been important to the area since
colonial times. Sawmills and gristmills were so numerous by 1750 that it was being
referred to as the Mill River. By 1820 an industrial sector that relied on waterpower from
area streams and rivers was emerging. Clock makers, foundries and spring makers
were the forerunners of the heavy industry that was to sustain the area throughout the
19th and most of the 20th centuries. Unfortunately most of these industries were located
near or on the Pequabuck River and it's tributaries and the river became what most
people thought as hopelessly polluted.
However, in the past twenty years the Pequabuck River has been making a remarkable
comeback. The Clean Water Act of 1972 and two advanced sewage treatment plants,
which have been put online in Plymouth and Bristol, have made a significant
improvement on the water quality of the watershed. Factories are now required to clean
their discharges and in many cases are not allowed to discharge into the river at all. In
the spring of 1994 the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
stocked the river with Brown trout for the first time to the delight of area anglers. The
watershed became part of the Federal Atlantic Salmon Restoration program with the
stocking of salmon parr in the spring of 1995. There is work being done right now to
make the watershed a community wide resource .
The work cannot be done by the state alone. In 1994 a small group of people interested
in preservation of the watershed formed the Pequabuck River Watershed Association Inc.
(PRWA.), a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to act as a watch-dog group
and caretaker of the Pequabuck River and it's tributaries in the watershed. The PRWA
holds annual spring and fall cleanup days along the river and have become a regular
voice at local town land use boards by identifying existing and potential problem areas
along the waterway. We've sponsored environmental programs with speakers from
around the state and opened them to the public. We have assisted the DEP in identifying
key pollution sources and spills. Our volunteers have become a key manpower resource
for the DEP, assisting with the salmon-stocking program and fishery surveys. Past
projects include removing a small dam that was blocking fish passage during low water
periods and creating a flood hazards during spring runoffs, identified and worked on
bank stabilization projects to correct bank erosion problems and create better access to
the river. We now supplement the DEP spring trout stocking with our own fall stocking
program with the approval of the DEP. Intended for the enjoyment of area youths and
anglers this project offers an outdoor activity during the late fall and early winter. The
PRWA has joined forces with the Central CT Regional Planning Agency to form the
Pequabuck River Organization, a coalition of local groups, businesses and communities
dedicated to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the river as a regional and
local resource for area communities.
Future projects are to include creating more open space along and greater access to the
river. Creation of a watershed awareness and educational program for area students and
citizens. That is why we are asking you for your support. By joining the PRWA as an active
member or if you wish only to be a sponsor, you can help realize the dream of seeing the
Pequabuck River, from it's headwaters in Harwinton to it's junction with the Farmington
River in Farmington, become a valuable resource for the communities- a place to fish,
hike, paddle a canoe, ride a bike along or just dip you feet on a hot day. These are all
attainable goals with your support.
Farmington, the Pequabuck River Watershed has been important to the area since
colonial times. Sawmills and gristmills were so numerous by 1750 that it was being
referred to as the Mill River. By 1820 an industrial sector that relied on waterpower from
area streams and rivers was emerging. Clock makers, foundries and spring makers
were the forerunners of the heavy industry that was to sustain the area throughout the
19th and most of the 20th centuries. Unfortunately most of these industries were located
near or on the Pequabuck River and it's tributaries and the river became what most
people thought as hopelessly polluted.
However, in the past twenty years the Pequabuck River has been making a remarkable
comeback. The Clean Water Act of 1972 and two advanced sewage treatment plants,
which have been put online in Plymouth and Bristol, have made a significant
improvement on the water quality of the watershed. Factories are now required to clean
their discharges and in many cases are not allowed to discharge into the river at all. In
the spring of 1994 the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
stocked the river with Brown trout for the first time to the delight of area anglers. The
watershed became part of the Federal Atlantic Salmon Restoration program with the
stocking of salmon parr in the spring of 1995. There is work being done right now to
make the watershed a community wide resource .
The work cannot be done by the state alone. In 1994 a small group of people interested
in preservation of the watershed formed the Pequabuck River Watershed Association Inc.
(PRWA.), a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to act as a watch-dog group
and caretaker of the Pequabuck River and it's tributaries in the watershed. The PRWA
holds annual spring and fall cleanup days along the river and have become a regular
voice at local town land use boards by identifying existing and potential problem areas
along the waterway. We've sponsored environmental programs with speakers from
around the state and opened them to the public. We have assisted the DEP in identifying
key pollution sources and spills. Our volunteers have become a key manpower resource
for the DEP, assisting with the salmon-stocking program and fishery surveys. Past
projects include removing a small dam that was blocking fish passage during low water
periods and creating a flood hazards during spring runoffs, identified and worked on
bank stabilization projects to correct bank erosion problems and create better access to
the river. We now supplement the DEP spring trout stocking with our own fall stocking
program with the approval of the DEP. Intended for the enjoyment of area youths and
anglers this project offers an outdoor activity during the late fall and early winter. The
PRWA has joined forces with the Central CT Regional Planning Agency to form the
Pequabuck River Organization, a coalition of local groups, businesses and communities
dedicated to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the river as a regional and
local resource for area communities.
Future projects are to include creating more open space along and greater access to the
river. Creation of a watershed awareness and educational program for area students and
citizens. That is why we are asking you for your support. By joining the PRWA as an active
member or if you wish only to be a sponsor, you can help realize the dream of seeing the
Pequabuck River, from it's headwaters in Harwinton to it's junction with the Farmington
River in Farmington, become a valuable resource for the communities- a place to fish,
hike, paddle a canoe, ride a bike along or just dip you feet on a hot day. These are all
attainable goals with your support.
Wateshed History
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