The Eightmile River Watershed News
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Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee (ERWSCC) The Eightmile River Watershed News 2016-2017 Richard H. Goodwin Trail Opens Along the Goodwin Trail: T to B. A woodland meadow, local dignitaries and board members at trail dedication and remnants of the past along the trail. P. Young Official Ribbon Cutting at the newly restored pedestrian bridge over the Eightmile River on the Richard H. Goodwin Trail. L to R, Art Carlson (East Lyme Conservation Commission), Chuck Barscz (National Park Service) and Rob Smith (ERWSCC, E. Had- In This Issue……. dam Land Trust & Conservation Commission). Photo by Humphrey Tyler East Branch-A Re- stored River Important Bird Area Chairman’s Column: Recognized With the dedication of the Good- selves into the natural world. This Salem Community win Trail this past June, fourteen coordinated effort between the Trail miles of forested habitat are now Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Co- Headwaters of Lake open for hiking. From East Lyme ordinating Committee, the water- Hayward to be Pre- to East Haddam this mostly unin- shed towns and the Town of East served terrupted trail system shows off Lyme was promoted as one way to Bugs in the Water the Eightmile River watershed as showcase this multifaceted land- a peaceful place to immerse our- scape. To think that here in near- Community Events continued on next page Chairman’s Column continued coastal Connecticut you can hike It reminds us of the adage of think- fourteen miles with hardly a hint of ing globally and acting locally. The civilization is a testament to the Eightmile River watershed with its watershed’s largely unbroken for- 40,000 acres cannot by itself pro- ested landscape. For those of us vide sanctuary enough for the long- who live within the Eightmile River term survival of all of our native flo- system it is literally the nature of ra and fauna, but it’s a starting these surroundings that make it is place. And as adjacent watershed so beguiling. And for those living groups, like the Salmon, continue outside the watershed the Goodwin to raise awareness about the im- Trail provides a regional resource portance of natural systems, our for nature exploration. area of southeastern Connecticut stands out as a valuable refugium Another way to look at the Goodwin for our native flora and fauna. Trail is to think of how it showcases the needs of the thousands of other It is the primary goal of the Eight- species that inhabit this watershed. mile committee to assist and facili- I read in Newsweek recently that tate management practices that On the Goodwin Trail according to the World Wildlife Fed- foster a compatible relationship be- P. Young eration the earth has lost almost tween all species inhabiting this 60% of its wildlife populations with- river ecosystem. Which brings us 2015-2016 Financial Report in the last 40 years because of hu- back to the Goodwin Trail because Income man activity. What a startling and here you can experience these habi- disturbing statistic. Our wildlife re- tat blocks and their connections NPS Federal Funds quires large blocks of open space to with one another. Walk the trail Annual Funds: $56,000 supply their life cycle requirements and notice how you move through Cost-Share Grant* $7,300 collectively resulting in a balance in the system of uplands and out- nature. From top predator to mi- crops, wetlands and waterways, dif- Cost Share Grant * $10,000 croorganisms, there is interconnec- ferent zones of forest and vegetation (carry over) tion between them all. As these and how they are all connected. Total: $73,300 connections are broken through The Goodwin Trail shows you all ____________________ habitat loss, species begin to drop the parts and how they merge into out and because of their interde- the whole. It’s a great walk and an Expenditures pendence on one another a cascad- education as to how nature is put Operating Costs $45,702 ing effect of species loss sets in. together. Anthony Irving Subcommittees -Education $2,433 SMALL GRANTS, EASY PROCESS! -Project Review 0 Sometimes a small infusion of cash at just the right time is all that’s needed to get a -Mon. & Science $1,611 great idea off the ground. With that in mind, the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee has created a Community Small Grant Program. If you -Protection & Mgt. $940 are an educator, a community leader, a civic group organizer…really anyone …with -Executive $3,960 an idea for a program or project that supports education and outreach to the local Cost Share Project $10,000 community about our amazing watershed, and if $50 to $300 would make your idea Other Projects $2,624 happen, we want to hear from you. Visit our website at www.eightmileriver.org and click on Eightmile River Small Grant Application on the home page, to find out Total $67,270 the types of programs that would qualify, and you can fill out a simple application. *NPS Cost Share Grants can We have a world-class resource right here in our backyard and it’s also a fabulous extend over multiple years classroom. Let’s work together to take advantage of it. Ed Bills Dam Removal Restores River Life Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Elizabeth Robinson, Eightmile River Land Steward, The Nature Conservancy Committee Members After several years of planning The riverine ecosystem. Through a great Nature Conservancy—partnering with deal of careful engineering and hard Anthony Irving, Chair American Rivers, CT Department of work the East Branch River channel Energy and Environmental Protection was restored, providing access to an Town of Lyme and several private land owners— additional ten miles of the East Bernie Gillis completed the removal of the last re- Branch River for migratory fish. Sally Town of East Haddam Harold, who serves as David B. Bingham the director of river res- Salem Land Trust toration and fish pas- Anthony Griggs sage for the Connecti- cut chapter explains: Town of Salem “Dam removal and fish- Eric Belt way construction help Town of Salem rebuild native migratory Linda Bireley fish populations by Lyme Land Conservation Trust providing access to up- stream habitats critical Richard Chyinski for spawning.” Moni- Salem Land Trust toring this past Spring Parker Lord showed the success of Town of Lyme Newly restored riverine habitat. P. Young the project. Fluvial spe- Melvin Woody maining dam on the East Branch of cialist species (those requiring swiftly Lyme Land Conservation Trust the Eightmile River. flowing water) including long-nose dace and fall fish were already seen Paul Armond Removal of the nearly 80-year-old Town of Lyme dam at Ed Bills Pond began late Sep- exploring the newly restored channel. tember in 2015, as the first breach of A community tour of the project and Rob Smith the structure was created and water tree planting took place in early Octo- East Haddam Land Trust again flowed unencumbered under the ber of 2016. Over 100 native saplings Mary Augustiny bridge on Salem Road. As the project and tublings were planted along the Town of East Haddam continued the pond underwent a re- river banks, helping to further restore Susan Merrow markable transformation back into a the habitat and prevent erosion. Town of East Haddam Kim Barber-Bradley Immediate Temperature Improvements: Comparing the last three summers of data above Town of Salem the dam (blue line) with below the dam (red line), 2016 summer results showed critical improvements in water temperature. For full data report visit: www.eightmileriver.org Jamie Fosburgh National Park Service 28.0 Eric Thomas Temperature ºC 26.0 CT DEEP 24.0 East Branch of Elizabeth Robinson the Eightmile The Nature Conservancy 22.0 at Darling Rd 20.0 Staff 18.0 East Branch of the Eightmile 16.0 at Salem Rd Patricia Young Program Director Lyme Forest Block Recognized as an Important Birds Area Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, Important Bird Area Program Coordinator Audubon Connecticut This past summer, Audubon Connecticut, in partnership with Since 85% of our region’s woodlands are privately owned, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental large blocks of forest, like the Lyme Forest Block, may have Protection recognized the Lyme Forest Block as an Im- hundreds of landowners. Small actions by individual land- portant Bird Area (IBA). This 60,000 acre forest block in- owners can have a significant impact in maintaining large cludes wooded areas in Salem, Lyme, East Lyme, Old Lyme, blocks of high quality habitat for birds. Here are some tips Colchester, and East Haddam that are important to the glob- for managing your property with birds in mind: ally vulnerable Cerulean Warbler, near threatened Wood Around the home, plant native vegetation that provides Thrush, and a fruit, seeds, nectar, and hosts butterfly and moth variety of oth- larvae for birds to eat all year round. er forest nest- Maintain or encourage a mix of deciduous and conifer- ing bird spe- ous trees on your property. Conifers provide protec- cies. The tion from the elements and predators in the winter area also sup- months. ports a variety Along woodland edges, encourage the growth of vegeta- of bird spe- tion of varying heights, from grasses and wildflow- cies listed on ers, to shrubs, to small trees. This will create habitat Connecticut’s for a wide variety of birds. Threatened Promote a dense understory and midstory of native trees and Endan- and shrubs that provides nesting and foraging habitat Cerulean Warbler Laurie Doss gered Species for species such as the Wood Thrush. List and over- Retain snags and downed deadwood and create brush laps with the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Watershed.