Partners in Action Report - Thames River Basin Partnership

Thames River Basin Partnership
Partners in Action Quarterly Report
Winter 2015
Volume 33
The Thames River watershed includes the Five Mile, French, Moosup, Natchaug, Pachaug,
Quinebaug, Shetucket, Willimantic, and Yantic Rivers and all their tributaries. We’re not
just the "Thames main stem."
Greetings from the Thames River Basin Partnership. Once again this quarter our partners have
proven their ability to work cooperatively on projects compatible with the TRBP Workplan and in
support of our common mission statement to share organizational resources and to develop a
regional approach to natural resource protection. I hope you enjoy reading about these activities
as much as I enjoy sharing information about them with you. For more information on any of
these updates, just click on the blue website hyperlinks in this e-publication, but be sure to come
back to finish reading the rest of the report.
Jean Pillo, Watershed Conservation Project Manager
Eastern Connecticut Conservation District
And TRBP Coordinator
TRBP Updates
The current TRBP Plan of Work is scheduled for a review and update this year. TRBP partners
are asked to review the current TRBP Plan of Work for compatibility with your organization’s
current goals or to provide suggestions for revised goals for the organization. A draft TRBP Plan
of Work for 2015 – 2018 is available for review and comment. Click here to download a copy
from the TRBP website “What’s New” box. Please submit your comments or suggested
revisions to Jean Pillo by April 1, 2015. We may be voting to adopt the updated Plan of Work as
soon as the April 21, 2015 TRBP meeting.
The TRBP is seeking people with WordPress website experience that are willing to serve on the
website update committee. The TRBP website, www.TRBP.org, was created using software that
is no longer supported by the manufacturer. Please contact Jean Pillo if you can assist with this
project.
Floating Workshop XV is in the early planning phase. This year’s workshop will feature the top
of our watershed, the upper Quinebaug River in Massachusetts. The TRBP Floating Workshop
committee will gratefully accept ideas on workshop topics. Please contact Jean Pillo if you
would like to get involved with planning Floating Workshop XV. TRBP Floating Workshops
are traditionally scheduled on a Friday afternoon in June. A tentative workshop date for this
year’s workshop is Friday, June 19.
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Partner Reports
The Last Green Valley (TLGV) has been reauthorized by the US Congress through 2021 as part
of a National Lands Package. This reauthorization makes them eligible for continued funding
through the National Park Service. As part of the same legislation, the name of the national
heritage corridor has officially been changed from the original name, Quinebaug and Shetucket
River Valleys National Heritage Corridor to The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor.
TLGV was awarded funding through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for a project entitled “Improving
Soil Health and Water Quality in the Thames River Watershed”. With their partners, which
includes the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District (ECCD), Connecticut Resource
Conservation and Development Council (CRC&D), Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection (DEEP), NRCS and the TRBP, TLGV will utilize $400,000 in RCPP funds over two
years to work to improve soil health and water quality in the Thames River Watershed. The longterm objective is to implement soil health conservation practices through the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program on 1,000 acres of cropland and show a measurable improvement of
edge-of-field and in-stream water quality, including a decrease in nutrient and turbidity levels.
DEEP programs anticipate providing financial assistance through the Section 319 NPS grant
program for targeted agricultural implementation BMP projects in targeted NPS-impaired waters
of the greater Thames River Basin over the RCPP grant award period.
TLGV will be hosting a meeting of local land trusts, municipal open space committees and
conservation commissions to begin discussion on the development of regional conservation
partnership cooperative planning. Bill Labich of the Highstead Foundation will be the main
speaker at this meeting. Jean Pillo will be representing the Thames River Basin Partnership.
The meeting is planned for April 30, 2015 beginning at 6 PM at the TLGV office. Contact Lois
for more information.
TLGV is developing an Explore Guide, focused on outdoor recreational opportunities. They are
hoping to feature at least one hiking trail in each of their 35 municipalities, plus information on
land trust holdings with free public access, or fly fishing locations, and water based recreational
access points. Contact Lois if you have information to submit.
TLGV will once again be sponsoring river clean ups in 2015 for municipalities or other groups
that organize them. For more information, please visit their website at www.TLGV.org
TLGV participated in the mid-winter eagle count for the 6th year on January 10. Despite the cold
temperatures at the beginning of the 4 hour survey period of 7 – 11 AM (minus 4 degrees on my
car thermometer), a record 32 sightings were reported by the 35 hearty volunteers participating
in the survey at 20 different locations within the Connecticut TLGV towns. The survey areas
were mainly near the Quinebaug, Shetucket, Willimantic and Natchaug Rivers. It is not known
yet how many unique birds this represents. Survey results submitted to the CT DEEP will be
interpreted into a report. Contact Chief Ranger Bill at TLGV for more information.
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TLGV Water Quality Monitoring Program update:

Volunteers are being sought to participate in bacteria monitoring during the summer of
2015. This year’s target watersheds will include the French River watershed in
Thompson in cooperation with an ECCD bacteria track down project, and a focus on
recreational water quality in one or more of the National Water Trails.

Planning is underway for stream temperature monitoring. An effort to document cold
water streams in undisturbed watersheds will be the focus of this study.

River Bioassessments were completed in eleven eastern Connecticut streams in fall 2014.
First and second order streams were the focus of this monitoring protocol. Low or no
flow in many upper watershed streams due to late summer drought conditions made site
selection a challenge. Results of the sampling will be published in a report from CT
DEEP soon.
ECCD is near completion of a Watershed Based Plan (WBP) for Amos Lake, located in Preston,
CT. Several recommendations in the Amos Lake WBP have been or are in the process of being
implemented. This includes:



Encourage low impact development strategies to lakefront home owners: cadets from the
Coast Guard Academy gave a program to the Amos Lake Association and prepared an
informational brochure based on their review of the watershed.
Continue water quality monitoring: Amos Lake Association is continuing a mid-summer
water quality monitoring snapshot as part of TLGV Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
Program.
Initiate aquatic invasive control of Variable Leaf Milfoil established near the state boat
launch: Amos Lake Association, in partnership with the Town of Preston received
funding to initiate an herbicide treatment program in 2015.
ECCD completed the installation of a manure storage shed on a llama farm in Ashford. The
project will reduce the amount of E. coli bacteria and nutrients in a tributary stream to the Mount
Hope River. The existing manure storage area was relocated away from the path of storm water
runoff and a permanent roof cover over the manure will prevent storm water runoff from
contaminating the brook in the future. Fecal bacteria measured in the Mount Hope River in
Ashford and Mansfield, CT is above the limit allowed in the CT Water Quality Standards. This
implementation project was selected from a BMP matrix developed by ECCD staff after a
bacteria trackdown survey in the river was completed in 2013.
ECCD is continuing their focus on small farm manure management assistance in the Little River
and Mashamoquet Brook watersheds (Woodstock, Pomfret, Thompson and Putnam). Manure
compost covers are available at no charge to horse and other livestock owners. The goal of this
project is to reduce manure contaminated runoff from causing pollution in area streams. Contact
Matt for more information.
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Ekonk Brook in Plainfield is a tributary of the Moosup River. ECCD reviewed water quality
data collected in summer 2014 and is preparing a watershed based plan that identifies the sources
of E. coli and is developing recommendations for implementation projects that will improve
water quality in the brook.
ECCD is preparing for a study of nutrient cycling in Roseland Lake in Woodstock, CT. Roseland
Lake has been experiencing summer blue green algae blooms. The lake is upstream of the
Putnam drinking water intake. ECCD will be partnering with the Town of Putnam, the
Connecticut Department of Public Health, USGS and Nichols College on various parts of this
study. CT DPH sees this project as a potential model for other small water companies working
to sustainably develop and protect drinking water supplies.
ECCD is also preparing to complete a track down survey in the Connecticut portions of the
French River in Thompson. The French River and some of its tributaries have cycled on and off
of the Connecticut Impaired Waters list. While the French River is currently not on the 2014 list,
Long Branch Brook does not meet recreational water quality standards. Data collected from the
track down survey will be used to prepare a watershed based plan for maintaining or improving
water quality. Data collected by the French River Connection (TLGV volunteers in the
Massachusetts portion of the river) and MA DEP will be reviewed as part of this project.
Mashamoquet Brook in Pomfret does not meet water quality standards for recreational contact.
The brook supplies water to a seasonal swimming area at Mashamoquet Brook State Park.
Swimming access is denied during periods of high E. coli concentrations. ECCD prepared a
watershed based plan for Mashamoquet Brook in 2010. A recommendation of the plan is to
educate Pomfret residents on the importance of septic system maintenance and to financially
support homeowners along Abington Brook, Mashamoquet Brook and White Brook with
upgrades to their non-compliant septic systems. ECCD was awarded funding to implement these
recommendation by the US EPA through the CT DEEP.
ECCD has also been awarded funding to construct a covered aerated composting facility for
dairy mortality and heifer manure on a dairy farm in Woodstock. Solar power will provide
electricity to the aeration system, increasing the environmental benefits of the facility. Being
aerated, this agricultural best management practice composts large animal carcasses more
quickly than traditional composting methods and, being covered, significantly reduces the
discharge of harmful pathogens and nutrients into waterways.
Upstream of the ECCD owned Hallville Dam fishway in Preston, there is another smaller dam on
land owned by the State of Connecticut. ECCD, in cooperation with the DEEP Marine Fisheries
Program, will coordinate the breaching of that dam in order to allow migration of alewife to
additional suitable breeding habitat further upstream.
Connecticut’s Soil Health Workshop, sponsored by the CT Resource Conservation and
Development Council in partnership with the USDA-NRCS and DEEP was held on November 4,
2014. This workshop was designed to benefit regulators, policy makers, municipal, regional, and
state officials to help them understand the importance of healthy soil. Healthy soils are important
to Connecticut’s (and the region’s) bottom line. DEEP has included the promotion of healthy
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soils as an agricultural BMP in the 2014 Connecticut Nonpoint Source Management Program
Plan.
The AGvocate Program is pleased to announce that their website has been updated with lots of
current organizational links, key resource contacts, and updated guides. The AGvocate Program
promotes farm-friendly community policies and regulations in Eastern Connecticut, and is the
liaison between agricultural producers and local communities. The Program is managed by the
Eastern Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. (RC&D) in cooperation
with a Steering Committee comprised of members from The Last Green Valley (TLGV),
participating communities, agricultural businesses, and many federal, state, and nonprofit
agencies and organizations. Click here to visit the updated website.
www.CTPlanningForAgriculture.com.
An Agriculture Conference on Soil Health for Municipal Agriculture Commissioners is
scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the UConn Middlesex
County Extension Center, 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT. The admission fee is $15.00 per
person and includes lunch and snacks. Please contact Janice Ehlemeyer for more information.
2015 Marks the International Year of Soils – something that we are all passionate about. Be sure
to check out Connecticut NRCS’s Webpage for soil health if you get a chance. Here is a very
well put together video that follows three ranchers as they showcase how they have improved
their soil.
NRCS’ online newsroom was recently updated, connecting you with the latest news, stories,
digital media, publications and much more. They have renovated the suite of webpages, shaping
this suite of webpages using web traffic as well as comments from the general public, media
groups and partners.
The 2014 Connecticut Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report as prepared by the CT DEEP
has been approved by the US EPA. Click here to view this report. The Department’s GIS
shapefiles will soon to be uploaded and publicly available through CLEAR’s CTECO website.
DEEP has a current Open Space and Watershed Lands Acquisition grant program open round
(the 18th round!) that closes 3/1/15. The 2014 grant round awards under pending agreements will
include the protection of nearly 2,250 acres and include Town of Coventry (Williams, within the
Willimantic River watershed), Franklin/Sprague, within the Shetucket River watershed) and
Northern CT Land Trust (Culver within the upper Willimantic River watershed); other areas
outside of the greater Thames basin with current TRBP partners include Groton Open Space
Association (Avery Farm, Ledyard/Groton). DEEP submits monthly and annual reports to the
Connecticut General Assembly and the State Bonding Commission – updates and archived
reports are available to view here.
DEEP is partnering with USDA NRCS to continue the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
in the Little River watershed (Woodstock/Putnam area), while also designating a new focus in
the Broad Brook watershed of the CT River watershed in the East Windsor/Ellington area. The
focus is cooperative agreements with agricultural producers enrolled in the NRCS Environmental
Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).
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DEEP has drafted the Connecticut Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) general permit
focusing on large dairy and poultry operations; DEEP has recently received US EPA review
comments, which are under further revision currently before a public comment notice.
DEEP is providing support to the recently announced national NRCS Regional Conservation
Partnership Program (RCPP) award ($10 million over a five year period) to improve water
quality for the Long Island Sound Watershed.
DEEP has approved the first stream flow classifications in the greater Thames, Southeast Coastal
and Pawcatuck River watersheds with posting in the Connecticut Law Tribune. DEEP maintains
a Connecticut Stream Flow webpage for updates here. DEEP is currently classifying streams
and rivers in the South Central Coastal watershed.
DEEP developed an interactive statewide location map of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)
that includes identified in the Norwich Public Utilities system, impacting the Shetucket, Yantic
and upper Thames Rivers. The location map can be viewed here.
The Connecticut Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan (2014-2019) includes an interim
priority list of water bodies in need of restoration, as well as a priority list of water bodies in
need of protection. The Plan is posted here. Watershed partners are encouraged to review these
lists when developing collaborative project proposals to protect surface waters across the greater
Thames River watershed.
DEEP continues to enhance support for water quality monitoring across Connecticut, through
QAPP review/approvals, active involvement of a DEEP staff as a volunteer monitor coordinator
for the River Bioassessment Program (RBV), coordination of the inaugural (and successful)
statewide volunteer water monitoring summit, and current work on 2014 Connecticut RBV
report. Interested people who have not signed up to subscribe to the Stream VolMon listserv can
learn more about it here.
DEEP is providing financial assistance for Year 2 of a stream gauging project with partners
ECCD and US Geological Survey, with three perennial freshwater sites in the greater Thames
River basin.
DEEP continues to provide support for stormwater retrofit projects in priority water qualityimpaired watersheds (including Eagleville Brook WBP implementation – 3 stormwater tree
filters on UConn Storrs campus.)
DEEP continues support for development of watershed based plans in priority water-quality
impaired watersheds across the greater Thames River basin. Planning recently completed or in
development includes Lower Natchaug River (ECCD), Amos Lake (ECCD), Ekonk Brook
(ECCD), French River (ECCD), Crandall Pond/Skungamaug River. (Town of Tolland).
DEEP continues to provide technical support for small recreational boat access locations along
the federally designated National Recreation Trails of the Quinebaug River and the Willimantic
River, through coordination by The Last Green Valley’s Water Trails subcommittee. CT State
boat launch locations (car top and trailer options) can be found on this DEEP Boating webpage.
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DEEP continues to work on TMDL (Total Daily Maximum Daily Load) analyses for individual
waterbodies and watersheds recently assessed with non support for designated uses. Two
previously developed TMDLs in the greater Thames River Basin have follow up watershed
planning work completed or in progress - Eagleville Brook (impaired Aquatic Life Use Support,
addressed with an Impervious Cover TMDL, and now with a 9 element watershed-based plan
and several implementation elements in place), and Ekonk Brook (Recreation Use Support due to
excess bacteria, with track down and watershed planning underway by ECCD). The statewide
Bacteria TMDL has 17 sub-regional basin appendices for sub sections of the greater Thames
River basin. The statewide bacteria TMDL was recently augmented with several estuarine
segment appendices, including the Thames River mouth. DEEP staff is also actively
participating in a national work group for developing an integrated vision for the TMDL and the
NPS/319 programs – more information will be available later in 2015.
DEEP is revising the now 10-year old Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan (CT-WAP), coordinated
through its Wildlife Division. Connecticut’s List of Species of Greatest Conservation Need is
being updated as well. Public information meetings have recently been held across Connecticut,
and comments are being solicited via the CT-WAP webpage. Several chapters have been drafted
and posted for public review and comment.
Thames Valley Trout Unlimited (TVTU) is forming a Conservation Committee to plan projects
for the Shetucket River and Natchaug River Watersheds (includes their tributaries). If you are
interested in improving these watersheds please contact Jim Smith. Recently, a TVTU member
reported a sediment plume noticed in the Mount Hope River to local officials in Ashford and the
CT DEEP. An investigation followed the report and the source of the pollution was isolated and
discontinued. TVTU meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the Moose Lodge in Bozrah.
Fly tying starts at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. Their meetings are open to the
public.
Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. owns Sandy Point Nature Preserve, a small island off the shore
of Stonington, CT and Westerly, RI. The island provides nesting areas for terns, piping plovers,
and American oystercatchers; all of which are species that are endangered, or threatened. Its
beautiful sandy beaches lure boat owners and beach lovers to visit. The conflict between human
beach goers and wildlife habitat management has been too much for the land trust to manage.
Steps have been taken to turn over enforcement of island management to the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. The boundaries of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge have
been expanded to include Sandy Point Island. Management will be overseen by the Rhode
Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex under a 10 year management lease agreement.
Avalonia LC has partnered with Mystic Aquarium to complete habitat restoration work on a 2.6
acre wetland along the Stonington Coast. This project is being funded by the Long Island Sound
Futures Fund.
The annual Avalonia Land Conservancy Pot Luck Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 14 at
Saint James Episcopal Church in Preston beginning at 5:30 PM. Bruce Fellman will give a
presentation on Avalonia’s development of a wildlife corridor in North Stonington. This
corridor includes one mile of protected waterfront along the Shunock River. His talk is entitled,
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“Through the Seasons in Erisman Woodlands, Babcock Ridge and Beyond”. All are welcome.
Contact Anne for more information.
The Avalonia Land Conservancy Ledyard Town Committee is hosting Thursday morning
programs to introduce their Ledyard holdings to the public. Contact Anne for more information.
UConn Extension is pleased to offer customized training for proper pesticide and fungicide
applications on organic farms. What kind of personal protective equipment is necessary? What
are correct application rates? How can pesticides be stored safely? What happens to organic
compounds post-application? Learn what's behind organic pesticide labels and how to protect
your health and the health of your farm workers and guests. The program will take place on
Thursday, February 19th at Scout Hall Youth Center, 28 Abbe Rd, East Windsor, CT.
Registration & Coffee at 9:30am - Workshop will begin at 10:00am - 3:30pm. Registration Fee
is $20 (Lunch will be included). Contact Mackenzie White for more information or to register
for this program. The registration deadline is February 12.
News from the Municipalities
The Town of Preston, in cooperation with the Amos Lake Association, applied for and was
awarded funding to conduct aquatic invasive weed control in Amos Lake. An aquatic weed
survey of Amos Lake performed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station located
variable leaf milfoil near the boat launch. The funds will pay for the first year of a multiyear
herbicide treatment.
Eagleville Lake is an impoundment of the Willimantic River located between the Towns of
Coventry and Mansfield, CT. There are problems with invasive aquatic plants including fanwort
and variable leaf milfoil in the pond. The two towns jointly applied for funding assistance to
address this weed problem in the lake. This project was selected for funding in 2015.
The Town of Hampton is participating in a pilot program under the Department of Agriculture
Community Farms Preservation Program (CFP). Hampton recently protected a 50 acre sheep
farm along Little River. Their focus this year will be on preserving smaller farms near the town
center.
Other news
The results of a study on the impacts of road salts on streams has been published by the USGS
and is available here.
EPA has released a draft of a document titled, "Regional Monitoring Networks to Detect Climate
Change Effects in Stream Ecosystems." The document was prepared by the National Center for
Environmental Assessment within the EPA Office of Research and Development. It describes
EPA's efforts to work with its Regional offices, States, Tribes, and other organizations to
establish Regional Monitoring Networks. These Networks will allow biological, thermal, and
hydrologic data to be collected from freshwater, wadeable streams to quantify and monitor
changes in baseline conditions, including climate change effects. EPA is releasing this draft
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document for the purposes of public comment and in connection with pre-dissemination peer
review.
EPA's Watershed Academy has archived the "Climate Resilience: What to Expect, How to
Prepare, and What You Can Learn from Others" webinar. Learn more about the Climate Ready
Estuaries' "Being Prepared for Climate Change" workbook and the San Juan Bay Estuary
Program's vulnerability assessment project. The Workbook is a tool that can be used by any
place-based organization to identify and prioritize actions needed to address climate change
vulnerabilities. The webinar can be viewed anytime at:
http://water.epa.gov/learn/training/wacademy/archives.cfm#w20141029. The Workbook and
other resources can be found on the Climate Ready Estuaries website:
http://www2.epa.gov/cre/risk-based-adaptation.
The Storm Surge Inundation Map is an interactive map that illustrates the current worst-case
storm surge and inundation scenarios on the American Gulf and Atlantic coasts, including Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The map combines data layers from FEMA 100 and 500 year
flood maps as well as NOAA's Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) and
National Hurricane Center's coastal county hurricane strike maps. Explore the map on EPA's
website.
Sea Grant recently launched the National Sea Grant Resilience Toolkit - a compilation of tools
and resources that have been developed over the years by the Sea Grant Network to help local
communities become more resilient. As coastal populations continue to grow, it becomes
increasingly necessary for communities to become more resilient to a range of natural hazards,
water quality challenges, severe weather, and the effects of climate change. Sea Grant programs
are spread across diverse communities and specialize in developing tools that are tailored to local
needs. This toolkit allows users to learn about tools from across the entire network, giving them
the opportunity to adapt tools for their own local needs. Each entry includes a description of the
tools, a link for more information, and a point of contact. The toolkit combines more than 100
tools and will be updated as more tools are created. To access the toolkit, visit:
http://seagrant.noaa.gov/WhatWeDo/ResilienceToolkit.aspx.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you would like your organization’s efforts included in the next edition of the TRBP Partners in
Action Report, consider attending one of our quarterly meetings. It includes a TRBP Plan of
Work activity reporting session, which is an informal “round the table” discussion of Partner
activities. It is a great time to network with like-focused organizations. All meetings begin at
9:30 AM. Generally, the TRBP meet quarterly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month
The next meeting of the Thames River Basin Partnership will be held April 21, 2015 beginning
at 9:30 AM. Chris Stone of CT DEEP will give a presentation on the Connecticut Municipal
Separate Stormwater Sewer System (MS4) permit update. (Rescheduled from the January 2015
meeting). Location for this meeting has not been determined at this time.
Contact Jean Pillo at (860) 928-4948 for more information or to be added to the TRBP
distribution list.
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If you are not already on the e-distribution list for this publication, contact Jean Pillo by email
and request to be added, or you can download the most current version of this quarterly
publication from the TRBP website.
The Thames River Basin Partnership is a voluntary, cooperative effort to share resources, and strives to develop a
regional approach to resource protection. The Partnership is made up of a variety of agencies, organizations,
municipalities, educational institutions, companies, and individuals interested in the environmental health of the
greater Thames River basin. Partial funding support for FY 14 for TRBP Coordinator time has been provided by
The Last Green Valley. Additional sources of funding are being sought to continue the TRBP Coordinator
position. Please consider making a donation to the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District and designate it to
support the Thames River Basin Partnership Coordinator position.
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