What We Do
NRWA is committed to protecting and restoring water quality and fish and wildlife habitats in the watershed through
volunteer action, educational walks and talks, and advocacy.
Highlights From Last Year
1
State Law Passed Banning a Harmful Pesticide from Use on Lawns
10
Acres Cleared of Invasive Plants
1000
Native Trees and Shrubs Planted
Over 1500
Wildflowers Planted for Pollinators
Over 500
Volunteers Donating Over 1000 Hours
30
Nature Walks
1000
Pounds of Trash Cleaned Up
Water Quality Monitoring
NRWA partners with East Norwalk Blue and the the UCONN Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering lab to test rivers and streams in our area for the emerging contaminants, PFAS and lawn pesticides.The Norwalk River Watershed Association also supports the Harbor Watch Program and its on-going monitoring of water quality in the Norwalk River and across Fairfield County, CT. Harbor Watch is based out of Earthplace in Westport, CT and provides annual water quality reports. It tests water for bacteria, conductivity and dissolved oxygen.
Habitat Restoration
Over the years, as we have developed the watershed, people have added roads, dams, channelization, sewer discharges, accidental spills, pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, road salt and sand, and asphalt among other impacts. Development has led to the extensive loss and continuing incremental destruction of natural habitats and degradation of water quality. In addition, climate change and invasive species are altering habitats and threatening biological diversity.
To slow this loss of habitat and improve water quality, NRWA, partners, and volunteers are working to restore habitats where possible, especially along riverbanks. Much of the work involves removing invasive plant species and planting native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses. The goal is to help rebuild a healthy, functioning ecosystem. These restoration projects also protect our rivers from stormwater runoff by creating vegetated buffer zones. These buffer zones are strips of land along streams, lakes, or wetlands that contain trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses which capture runoff before it reaches the river and allows it to percolate through the soil where it is filtered.
Advocacy
The Norwalk River Watershed Association serves as a guardian of the watershed, voicing concerns about threats to the area’s environment through pollution, development, and legislation. NRWA submits comments and suggestions on proposed development or new regulations that affect the watershed at the local, state and federal levels.