Ash Creek/Rooster River Watershed from Ash Creek Conservation Assoc
ACCA has been asked to joint the Steering Committee of the Rooster River Watershed Action Plan. Ash Creek is the tidal portion of the Rooster River Watershed. (See our PowerPoint presentation above for an overview of the Rooster River Watershed).
This project will be led by the City of Bridgeport, Fuss & O¹Neill, Inc., Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Southwestern Conservation District (SWCD). The watershed action plan will become a comprehensive planning document that addresses water quality and related issues within the Rooster River watershed and provides guidance to municipalities and the public to learn more about the Rooster River.
The primary objective of the project is to develop a watershed action plan that:
- Characterizes existing river and watershed conditions by incorporating
- current data and information that has become available on the Rooster River Watershed;
- Identifies and assesses current water quality problems and issues in the watershed;
- Fosters regional land and water solutions;
- Integrates water quality, stream flow, aquatic and riparian habitat, and land use needs;
- Provides guidance for local land use decision-makers to address stormwater and non-point sources of pollution with a focus on
- sustainable development practices;
- Prioritizes water bodies and implementation projects to reduce pollutant loads in the watershed and ultimately improve water quality in the Rooster River.
The plan will contain the nine watershed management planning elements required by EPA and DEEP for future funding of plan recommendations through the 319 Non-point Source Pollution and similar state and federal grant programs.
The Steering Committee will include representatives from DEEP, Fuss & O’Neill and Save the Sound, as well as municipal representatives from the watershed communities, government organizations, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and others who live and work within the watershed. Staff members from Bridgeport, Fairfield, Easton and Trumbull may also be included to participate on the Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee will focus on achieving water quality improvement goals with respect to ongoing municipal, business and development interests in the Rooster River watershed, which is an approximate 15.3 square-mile area that includes Bridgeport, Fairfield, Trumbull, and a small portion of the Town of Easton.
