Lower Farmington River/Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic

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News and Events from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Study

11/06/2026

Owen Mortimer Invasive Plant Control

Multiflora Rose In 2025, Simsbury Land Trust completed a 2 year project to control invasive plants on about 3.5 acres of its Owen Mortimer property. The goal was to restore native forest habitat by eliminating the existing understory invasive species, Japanese Barberry, Multiflora rose and Euonymus alata, through an application of herbicide by All Habitat Services. The first treatment was done in late spring of 2024....

Multiflora Rose In 2025, Simsbury Land Trust completed a 2 year project to control invasive plants on about 3.5 acres of its Owen Mortimer property. The goal was to restore native forest habitat by…

10/30/2026

Farmington Land Trust Fishing Pier Removal/Bank Restoration

The Farmington Land Trust’s former fishing pier was intended to make fishing possible for everyone, including people with mobility issues. Unfortunately, the pier flooded repeatedly and obstructed the flow of the river, causing bank erosion. Wanting to eliminate problems inadvertently created by the pier, the land trust undertook its removal, using technical support from the National Park Service and some funding support from LFSWS....

The Farmington Land Trust’s former fishing pier was intended to make fishing possible for everyone, including people with mobility issues. Unfortunately, the pier flooded repeatedly and obstructed …

10/23/2026

Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society Annual Conference

In 2025, LFSWS sponsored a staff member from FRWA to attend the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society’s (NEAPMS) 26th annual meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York. The three-day conference included presenters from federal, state, private, and nonprofit organizations, and lectures covered a variety of topics relating to the monitoring and management of aquatic plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. As FRWA learns more about both native and introduced invasive aquatic plants, staff plan to use the information from the conference to identify, monitor and manage invasive aquatic species in the Farmington River and its watershed.

In 2025, LFSWS sponsored a staff member from FRWA to attend the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society’s (NEAPMS) 26th annual meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York. The three-day conference inc…

10/16/2026

Northeast Aquatic Biologists Conference

In 2025, LFSWS funded FRWA staff’s attendance at the annual Northeast Aquatic Biologists (NAB) conference. Two staff members presented posters on FRWA’s cyanobacteria and water level research at Rainbow Reservoir and Rainbow Dam in Windsor. The posters provided previously unavailable data, and shared information about watershed nutrient inputs. The staff also attended sessions on ways to improve and expand the scope of water quality monitoring. This led to the purchase and use of new equipment and the application of new approaches to data reporting.

In 2025, LFSWS funded FRWA staff’s attendance at the annual Northeast Aquatic Biologists (NAB) conference. Two staff members presented posters on FRWA’s cyanobacteria and water level research at Ra…

10/09/2026

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management

In addition to water chestnut, there are other aquatic invasive plant species in Connecticut including Eurasian watermilfoil, variable leaf milfoil, curly leaf pondweed, watercress and Hydrilla. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has surveyed lakes and ponds for AIS since 2002. FRWA requested funding to conduct surveys of AIS in 9 areas along lower Farmington River and in 4 ponds in the lower Farmington River watershed....

In addition to water chestnut, there are other aquatic invasive plant species in Connecticut including Eurasian watermilfoil, variable leaf milfoil, curly leaf pondweed, watercress and Hydrilla. Th…

10/02/2026

Water Chestnut Control in Barber Pond

In 2022, the Connecticut River Conservancy alerted the FRWA to the presence of invasive water chestnut in Barber Pond on Mill Brook, a direct tributary to the Farmington River in Bloomfield. The dam that creates Barber Pond is slated for removal by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). Getting rid of the water chestnut is the only way to prevent its spread into the lower Farmington River when the dam is removed....

In 2022, the Connecticut River Conservancy alerted the FRWA to the presence of invasive water chestnut in Barber Pond on Mill Brook, a direct tributary to the Farmington River in Bloomfield. The da…

09/25/2026

Conductivity Monitoring to Evaluate Chloride Pollution

FRWA requested LFSWS funding in order to collect more data through its conductivity monitoring program, which began in 2023. There is a strong correlation between conductivity levels and chloride levels. That means higher conductivity indicates larger amounts of chloride (mostly from road salt) in the water. How elevated chloride is and for how long determines which water courses have toxic conditions for aquatic organisms....

FRWA requested LFSWS funding in order to collect more data through its conductivity monitoring program, which began in 2023. There is a strong correlation between conductivity levels and chloride l…

09/18/2026

Rainbow Reservoir Monitoring for Cyanobacteria and Water Levels

Since 2021, FRWA has been studying Rainbow Reservoir to determine the causes of recurrent cyanobacteria blooms which are negatively affecting water quality, recreation, and aquatic organisms. In 2025, FRWA requested funding from LFSWS to expand the study to include nutrients throughout the watershed. Sites above and below the 8 sewage treatment plants on the Farmington River and selected tributaries which seemed likely sources of additional nutrients, particularly phosphorus, were monitored....

Since 2021, FRWA has been studying Rainbow Reservoir to determine the causes of recurrent cyanobacteria blooms which are negatively affecting water quality, recreation, and aquatic organisms. In 20…

09/11/2026

Enhanced Cyanobacteria Research

Since 2021, FRWA has been studying Rainbow Reservoir to determine the causes of recurrent cyanobacteria blooms which are negatively affecting water quality, recreation, and aquatic organisms. In 2025, FRWA requested funding from LFSWS to expand the study to include nutrients throughout the watershed. Sites above and below the 8 sewage treatment plants on the Farmington River and selected tributaries which seemed likely sources of additional nutrients, particularly phosphorus, were monitored....

09/04/2026

Water Quality Monitoring: Chloride

Fifteen sites were monitored for chloride pollution in 2025, using a multiparameter meter. The primary source of chloride pollution in the watershed is road salt application, yet chloride can infiltrate groundwater and appear in waterbodies during drought. Chloride was higher at all sites for both yearly average and maximums. While higher, not all sites were “impaired” for chloride. The Farmington River had higher averages and maximums than previous years with most locations faring well, but in Windsor chloride increased to 180 mg/L, which is of concern....

Fifteen sites were monitored for chloride pollution in 2025, using a multiparameter meter. The primary source of chloride pollution in the watershed is road salt application, yet chloride can infil…

Address

749 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT
06070

Telephone

(860) 658-4442 Ext 205

Website

http://www.lowerfarmingtonriver.org/

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