Connecticut River Watch Program EIGHTMILE RIVER RAPID BIOASSESSMENT SUMMARY REPORT—2001-2008 Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District deKoven House, 27 Washington Street Middletown, CT 06457 860‐346‐3282 www.conservect.org/ctrivercoastal TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 INTRODUCTION 2 BACKGROUND 3 PROJECT SUMMARY 4 RESULTS 7 RECOMMENDATIONS 19 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 20 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A – RBV Organisms Attachment B – RBV Field Data Sheet Attachment C – Site Map Attachment D – Data Summary Eightmile River Rapid Biological Assessment Summary Report –2001‐2008 Jane Brawerman, Connecticut River Watch Program Director Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District deKoven House – 27 Washington Street Middletown, Connecticut 06457 860/346‐3282 November 2009 With support from and in collaboration with the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee Eightmile River Rapid Bioassessment Summary Report—2001‐2008 Page 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring in the Eightmile River watershed has been conducted from 2001 to 2008 as part of a community‐based effort to document water quality and stream health in the watershed, and conserve and protect this valuable resource. Study streams have included the Eightmile River and East Branch Eightmile River (2001‐2002), and Beaver Brook, Burnhams Brook, Harris Brook, and an unnamed stream in Pleasant Valley Preserve (2003‐2008). Assessments were conducted according to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection protocol, Rapid Bioassessment in Wadeable Streams and Rivers by Volunteer Monitors. Based on the study, streams were classified as having very good to exceptional water quality. Numerous volunteers from the community and area schools have participated in the assessment, raising awareness of local river resources and enhancing local stewardship. The information has been used to support local and regional river/watershed protection and management efforts, most notably, the effort to obtain Federal Wild and Scenic designation for the Eightmile River watershed, and to monitor changes in the Riverʹs water quality over time. INTRODUCTION In the fall of 2001, the Connecticut River Watch Program (CRWP), in cooperation with the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Study Committee and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), initiated what was to become an ongoing rapid bioassessment of the Eightmile River Watershed. Beginning with an upstream‐downstream study of the Eightmile and East Branch Eightmile Rivers, the focus has evolved over the years to four tributary streams: Beaver Brook, Burnhams Brook, Pleasant Valley Preserve brook (unnamed), and Harris Brook. Teams of volunteers, including riparian landowners, town land use commissioners, teachers and students from area high schools and Three Rivers Community College, Boy Scout troops, and members of the community have assisted with the bioassessment, a survey of the benthic macroinvertebrate community following the DEP protocol: Rapid Bioassessment in Wadeable Streams and Rivers by Volunteer Monitors. The monitoring project, now being conducted with leadership from Three Rivers Community College in collaboration with the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee, is part of an ongoing community‐based effort begun in 1999 to assess the health of the Eightmile River and help ensure the protection of this valuable resource. Goals of the monitoring program include: to collect baseline information about the condition of the Eightmile River and its tributaries; to identify areas of the river in need of protection or restoration; and to raise community awareness of the River and the need to protect it. Information collected has been—and continues to be—used to identify, plan and prioritize conservation and improvement efforts. The CRWP monitoring program was also intended to support the Federal Wild and Scenic designation of the Eightmile River watershed, and complement and enhance ongoing education and conservation efforts. Eightmile River Rapid Bioassessment Summary Report—2001‐2008 Page 2 BACKGROUND The Connecticut River Watch Program Connecticut River Watch Program (CRWP) is the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District’s citizen monitoring protection and improvement program for the Connecticut River and tributaries. Begun in 1992, CRWP initiates, supports and coordinates community‐based river monitoring, protection and improvement efforts throughout the Connecticut River Basin. Program goals are to collect scientifically credible data to use to identify and correct water quality problems; and build public awareness of local river resources and water quality issues. CRWP information has been used by municipalities to investigate potential sources of pollution, by the state for planning purposes, and by local groups in river protection and management efforts. Project areas include the Mattabesset/ Coginchaug, Eightmile, Salmon, Hockanum and Farmington River watersheds. Funding for the program has come from Connecticut DEP through US EPA grants under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, and private donations. 1 The Eightmile River Watershed The Eightmile River is a major tributary of the Connecticut River located in the Tidelands Region of the lower Connecticut. The Eightmile flows approximately 15 miles from its headwaters in East Haddam to its confluence with the Connecticut River in Lyme. Its watershed comprises a 62 square mile area draining large portions of East Haddam, Lyme and Salem, and smaller portions of Colchester and East Lyme. Before it meets the Connecticut River, the Eightmile opens up into Hamburg Cove. This largely undeveloped watershed is home to a number of rare and endangered plants and animals. Past water quality assessments of the Eightmile River and its main tributary, the East Branch undertaken by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), have documented good water quality and a healthy benthic macroinvertebrate community, although the most recent 305(b) report and Impaired Waters List include the Eightmile River as not supporting recreation due to bacteria. The Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Study/Watershed Project The Eightmile River is now designated as a Wild and Scenic watershed after years of work by the local community and the Wild and Scenic Study Committee. While our Eightmile River assessment has focused most recently on supporting the designation process, the effort pre‐dated the bid for wild and scenic status, and was launched as part of the Eightmile River Watershed Project, a joint project of the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Program and The Nature Conservancy begun in 1995. This project was initiated to assist the watershed communities in protecting their natural resources as they develop their towns, and focused on educating municipal officials and landowners in the watershed about its natural and cultural resources through use of geographic information system (GIS) technology, and promoting use of this information to guide land use decision‐makers and watershed property owners. An advisory committee with representation from the three major watershed towns (East Haddam, Lyme and Salem) and other interests (e.g. the local land trusts), provided local input, and financial and other support for the project came from the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1 For more information about CRWP, go to www.conservect.org/ctrivercoastal Eightmile River Rapid Bioassessment Summary Report—2001‐2008 Page 3 PROJECT SUMMARY Study Goals The Eightmile River Rapid Bioassessment was undertaken as part of an ongoing community‐based effort to document the health of the Eightmile River watershed. The overall goals of the study include: ♦ Collect baseline information about the condition of the Eightmile River and its tributaries ♦ Raise public interest in and knowledge of the Eightmile River and its watershed, both about the resources it has to offer to the community and the need to protect it ♦ Develop public awareness of water quality issues and human impacts on our rivers ♦ Build awareness among riparian landowners of the importance of maintaining streamside buffers ♦ Identify areas of concern and potential pollution problems that can be used to plan conservation and improvement efforts ♦ Form the basis for ongoing water quality monitoring activities that can be pursued in the future according to needs, level of interest, ability to commit time, and the availability of other resources Actual monitoring activities have been determined based on input from the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Study/Coordinating Committee. In the first two years, 2001‐2002, an upstream‐downstream study of the Eightmile and East Branch Eightmile Rivers was conducted. In subsequent years, 2003‐2008, bioassessments were conducted at sites on four tributary streams: Burnhams Brook in East Haddam, Beaver Brook and the Pleasant Valley Preserve brook (unnamed) in Lyme, and Harris Brook in Salem. Study Design and Methodology The DEP’s Rapid Bioassessment in Wadeable Streams and Rivers by Volunteer Monitors (RBV) is a benthic macroinvertebrate assessment protocol designed specifically for volunteer programs. Benthic macroinvertebrates are bottom dwelling aquatic organisms that can be seen with the unaided eye, such as stonefly, mayfly and caddisfly nymphs. They are good indicators of water quality for several reasons: many are sensitive to pollution, the composition of the community is a good reflection of