Contract #12-05f 2017 French River Watershed-Based Plan Prepared by the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District, Inc. This project is funded in part by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection through a US EPA Clean Water Act §319 Nonpoint Source Program grant. www.ConserveCT.org/eastern TABLE OF CONTENTS Tables ............................................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................... xiii Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................... xv 1. Executive summary ...................................................................................................... xvii 1.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. xvii 1.2. Document Overview..................................................................................................... xviii 1.3. Watershed Description .................................................................................................. xix 1.4. Land Management Policies ............................................................................................. xx 1.5. Water Quality Conditions/Water Quality Data .............................................................. xxi 1.6. Pollutant Source Assessment ....................................................................................... xxiii 1.7. Pollutant Load Assessment .......................................................................................... xxiii 1.8. Watershed Management Goals and Objectives ........................................................ xxviii 1.9. Watershed Management Recommendations .............................................................. xxix 1.10. Financial & Technical Assistance ............................................................................. xxxii 1.11. Education & Outreach ............................................................................................ xxxiv 1.12. Monitoring and Assessment ................................................................................... xxxvi 1.13. Plan Implementation Effectiveness ........................................................................ xxxvi 1.14. Next Steps ...............................................................................................................xxxvii 2. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 2.1. Document Overview......................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1. Watershed Management Plan Purpose and Process Used ...................................... 3 2.1.2. Issues Facing the Watershed .................................................................................... 5 2.1.3. Watershed Management Team ................................................................................ 6 2.1.4. Public Participation ................................................................................................... 8 3. Watershed Description ................................................................................................... 9 3.1. The French River Watershed in Massachusetts ............................................................. 10 3.1.1. Physical and Natural Features ................................................................................ 10 3.1.2. Land Use .................................................................................................................. 11 3.1.3. Pollution Source Overview ...................................................................................... 13 3.1.4. Watershed/Water Quality Documents ................................................................... 14 3.1.5. Water Quality Data ................................................................................................. 15 i 3.2. The French River Watershed in Connecticut ................................................................. 17 3.2.1. Physical and Natural Features ................................................................................ 18 3.2.2. Water Resources ..................................................................................................... 42 3.2.3. Wildlife and Fisheries .............................................................................................. 57 3.2.4. Sensitive Areas ........................................................................................................ 59 3.2.5. Land Use and Land Cover ........................................................................................ 63 3.2.6. Changes in Land Use ............................................................................................... 70 3.3. Demographic Characteristics ......................................................................................... 71 3.3.1. Cultural Resources .................................................................................................. 71 3.3.2. Population/Economics ............................................................................................ 72 3.4. Land Management Policies ............................................................................................ 74 3.4.1. Federal-level Planning Policies................................................................................ 74 3.4.2. State-Level Land Planning Policies .......................................................................... 75 3.4.3. Regional Land Planning Policies .............................................................................. 76 3.4.4. Municipal Land Use Policies .................................................................................... 77 3.4.5. Future Land Use Considerations ............................................................................. 74 4. Water Quality Conditions ............................................................................................. 76 4.1. Water Quality Standards ................................................................................................ 76 4.1.1. Anti-degradation Policies: ....................................................................................... 77 4.2. Available Monitoring/Resource Data ............................................................................. 77 4.2.1. Stream Bacteria Data .............................................................................................. 77 4.2.2. Windshield Field Survey .......................................................................................... 86 4.2.3. Review of Data by Others ....................................................................................... 89 5. Pollutant Source Assessment ........................................................................................ 93 5.1. Point Sources .................................................................................................................. 93 5.1.1. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) .................................... 93 5.1.2. AFO/CAFO Permits .................................................................................................. 99 5.2. Hazardous Waste ......................................................................................................... 100 5.2.1. CERCLA Sites .......................................................................................................... 100 5.2.2. RCRA Sites ............................................................................................................. 100 5.2.3. Brownfields ........................................................................................................... 100 5.2.4. Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) ...................................................................... 101 _____________________________________________________________________________ French River Watershed-Based Plan September 2017 ii 5.3. Non-point Sources ........................................................................................................ 103 5.3.1. Impervious Cover/Stormwater Runoff ................................................................. 103 5.3.2. Stormwater Outfalls .............................................................................................. 108 5.3.3. Septic Systems ...................................................................................................... 109 5.3.4. Sanitary Sewers ..................................................................................................... 111 5.3.5. Pets ........................................................................................................................ 113 5.3.6. Wildlife/Waterfowl ............................................................................................... 113 5.3.7. Riparian Area Encroachment ................................................................................ 115 5.3.8. Agriculture/Cropland ............................................................................................ 115 5.3.9. Livestock/Poultry .................................................................................................