Information reprinted from: The Norwalk River Watershed Initiative Web Site: www.norwalkriverwatershed.org

[Section I] [Section II] [Section III] [Section IV] I. HABITAT RESTORATION ACTION ITEMS Goal 1: Preserve and improve wildlife habitat Goal 2: Restore anadromous fish passage Goal 3: Foster cold water fisheries Goal 1: Preserve and improve wildlife habitat Objective 1: Control or diminish the prevalence of invasive species. Introductory Statement: Invasive species threaten the diversity and sustainability of native floral and faunal communities. In an effort to maintain diversity, invasive species must be actively discouraged and/or eliminated. Supporting Tasks: Educate residents, landscapers, land use commissions, nurserymen, and interested groups about the detrimental effects of non-native invasive species. Implementing Group: Municipalities and Private Conservation and Civic Community Organizations Year Start/End: 1999-ongoing Measure of Success: Educational brochure produced and distributed; workshops held. Identify sites degraded by invasive, non-native species. Implementing Group: Municipalities and Private Conservation and Civic Community Organizations Year Start/End: 1999-ongoing Measure of Success: List of such sites in the watershed developed. Implement specific invasive species reduction/restoration projects. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee, Norwalk River Watershed Association Year Start/End: 1999-ongoing Measure of Success: Listed sites restored, which should result in the absence or significant reduction of targeted species. Encourage nurseries to offer more native species and discourage the sale of invasive non-native species. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee, Municipalities, Private Conservation and Civic Community Organizations Year Start/End: 1999-ongoing Measure of Success: Occurrence of non-native species decreased and availability of native floral species increased. Return to the top of the page Objective 2: Minimize loss of habitat values coincident with land use practices. Introductory Statement: Some current and future land use practices threaten the watershed habitat by directly eliminating or reducing its value through alterations, fragmentation, pollution, and other environmentally negative consequences. This trend needs to be stopped and opportunities to reverse existing damage need to be developed or pursued. Supporting Task: Make recommendations regarding habitat needs for general wildlife support. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee Year Start/End: 1999-2000 Measure of Success: Produce and distribute habitat needs recommendations. Objective 3: Support the preservation of valued habitat. Introductory Statement: As valued habitat is a dwindling resource, efforts to preserve remaining valued habitat need to be bolstered to address future stresses. Supporting Task: Inventory high quality sites which promote biodiversity and disseminate this information as appropriate. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee Year Start/End: 1999 Measure of Success: Site inventory produced and distributed. Return to the top of the page Objective 4: Uniform adoption by municipal inland wetland agencies of a minimum 100 foot regulatory review area adjacent to wetlands and watercourses. Introductory Statement: A regulated (not prohibitory) buffer adjacent to wetlands and watercourses is essential to minimize impacts that reduce habitat quality and improve water quality. Supporting Task: Review each municipality's inland wetlands and watercourses regulations and develop information package to enable municipalities to compare and contrast their regulations, and to make informed decisions about the benefits of establishing a 100 foot regulatory review area adjacent to wetlands and watercourses. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee Year Start/End: 2000 Measure of Success: Regulation review document and information package developed and distributed. Follow up with Inland Wetland/Conservation Commissions to urge or assist in the adoption of the 100 foot regulatory review area. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee, Municipalites Year Start/End: 2000-2005 Measure of Success: One hundred foot regulatory review area adjacent to wetlands and watercourses is adopted by each watershed municipality. Return to the top of the page Goal 2: Restore anadromous fish passage Objective 1: Restore anadromous fish passage. Introductory Statement: Restoration of anadromous fish passage will provide opportunities for greater biodiversity and larger fish populations within the watercourses. Supporting Task: Examine the historic use of the Norwalk River and its tributaries in terms of species composition and geographical limits. Implementing Group: State and Federal Agencies Year Start/End: 1999-2000 Measure of Success: Document describing the historic use of the Norwalk River by various anadromous fish species produced. Examine the existing and potential streambed conditions for their ability to meet the habitat needs of anadromous fish. Implementing Group: State and Federal Agencies Year Start/End: 1999-2000 Measure of Success: Document describing existing and potential streambed conditions produced. Examine the character and potential for reversal of identified fish passage blockages if streambed conditions are acceptable. Implementing Group: State and Federal Agencies Year Start/End: 1999 Measure of Success: Plan that establishes the proposed methods of fish passage blockage reversal prepared. Make recommendations for achievable restoration, noting areas with potential to be restored, specifying method of blockage restoration, (i.e., fish ladder or dam removal), and identifying targeted species. Implementing Group: State and Federal Agencies Year Start/End: 1999-2000 Measure of Success: Report of recommendations developed and submitted to appropriate entities. Oversee the implementation of management practices to restore fish passages as recommended above. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee Year Start/End: 1999-Ongoing Measure of Success: Fish passage(s) restored. Return to the top of the page Goal 3: Foster cold water fisheries Objective 1: Reestablish and protect riparian zones. Introductory Statement: Adequate riparian zones are important in maintaining cooler water temperatures, reducing nutrient loading, and reducing shoreline erosion. Supporting Task: Implement the two demonstration riparian restoration projects at a commercial site (Perkin-Elmer in Norwalk) and at a residential site (Fox Hills in Ridgefield). Implementing Group: FCSWCD, CTDEP, NRCS Year Start/End: 1998-1999 Measure of Success: Designated sites restored. Seek funding to restore riparian zones to vegetated riparian corridors. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee Year Start/End: 1998-ongoing Measure of Success: Funding received. Document the design, implementation and outcome of restoration projects and communicate benefits to municipal boards and general public. Implementing Group: FCSWCD, Advisory Committee Year Start/End: 1998-ongoing Measure of Success: Report documenting status of projects prepared and distributed. Objective 2: Restore streambeds impacted by road sand deposition and seek solutions to reduce future road sand sedimentation. Introductory Statement: Accumulation of road sand within the Norwalk River and its tributaries degrades cold water fisheries habitat by eliminating suitable spawning areas and habitat to support food sources (benthic invertebrates). Supporting Task: In cooperation with municipal public works departments and Connecticut Department of Transportation, develop and implement the most effective methodology for reducing the deposition of road sand into watercourses. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee, Municipalities, ConnDOT, FCSWCD Year Start/End: 1999-2004 Measures of Success: Guidelines to reduce the amount of sand deposited into watercourses, produced and implemented; subsequent reduction in sand deposition. Reduce direct stream discharges of stormwater through retrofitting existing discharges and by minimizing or avoiding discharges associated with road improvement projects and new construction. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee, Municipalities, State Year Start/End: 1998-ongoing Measures of Success: Existing discharges retrofitted and new construction with fewer or no direct storm water discharges to watercourses approved. Return to the top of the page Objective 3: Enhance in-stream habitat conditions. Introductory Statement: Historically, in-stream conditions have suffered negative impacts with respect to supporting cold water fisheries, by management and surrounding land use practices. Steps must be taken to reverse these impacts in order to recreate watercourse conditions suitable for cold water fish. Supporting Task: Review stream morphology and habitat characteristics to identify contiguous reaches of stream capable of sustaining a cold water fishery. Implementing Group: DEP, NRCS Year Start/End: 1998-1999 Measures of Success: Document detailing the reaches of stream capable of sustaining cold water fisheries produced. Seek funding and support to implement habitat restoration and enhancement projects in identified viable stream reaches. Implementing Group: Advisory Committee, Municipalities, Trout Unlimited Year Start/End: 1998-ongoing Measures of Success: Receipt of funding; implementation of restoration and enhancement projects providing fish passage, in-stream cover, bank cover, supplementing spawning gravel and riparian zone improvements. This concludes Section I. Continue to Section II.