CUSH was founded in 2007 by Stonington resident and author Gracelyn Guyol. Her goal was twofold: to establish a scientifically credible water-quality database and to educate residents in how they can improve water quality. At its inception, “CUSH” stood for Clean Up Stonington Harbor; after several years, as the scope of our efforts expanded, CUSH became Clean Up Sound and Harbors. CUSH’s water-mo
nitoring program began in 2008 under the guidance of the University of Rhode Island Watershed Watch (www.uri.edu/ce/wq/ww), which had been supporting environmental volunteers for over 20 years. That year, CUSH also launched the Harbor Friendly Yard campaign, distributing yard-care guides packed with information on environmentally responsible gardening. Water testing began with 12 volunteers monitoring six sites in Stonington Harbor. Now in its sixth year, the program has expanded to 14 estuary sites between the Pawcatuck and Mystic Rivers, together with a number of tributary streams. Water-quality data are made available to state and local officials as well as other environmental groups, academic researchers, and the general public. Funding for the program has been provided by donations as well as grants from United Water, Connecticut Sea Grant, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation-Long Island Sound Futures Fund, and the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA). The Harbor Friendly Yards campaign has blossomed into a full-blown effort to protect the Sound from harmful runoff by promoting chemical-free lawns and turf from Westerly, RI to Groton, CT. In 2013, CUSH invited Chip Osbourne, the pre-eminent national expert on organic lawn and turf management, to conduct three days of training for residents, businesses, and managers of playing fields and parks. This remarkable series was made possible by grants from United Water Company and the Garden Clubs of Stonington and Mystic, as well as in-kind donations from Mystic Soup Company, Mystic Market, and Dog Watch Café. Chip’s well attended workshops led to increased commitments to organic practices for both private and public properties, with CUSH providing ongoing advice and information. In the public sphere, plans include application of organic turf management to a new athletic field in the Town of Stonington and to historic Wilcox Park in Westerly. The Stonington composting facility is adopting a new process that will increase both the quantity and quality of compost for top-dressing--at a cost savings to the Town. Clean boating education began with the printing and distribution of a Harbor Friendly Boating brochure, encouraging boaters to use materials and practices with a gentler impact on our waters. Soon after, CUSH facilitated a collaborative effort involving the Towns of Stonington and Westerly, the CT DEP, and the RI DEM, to raise funds for a new pumpout/police dock in Stonington Harbor. Dedicated in 2011, the dock complements the efforts of the Town of Westerly to support a new pumpout boat serving both Westerly waters and Stonington Harbor. CUSH was able to match state funds for more pumpout-related services thanks to a grant from the Bonnell Cove Foundation. In 2013, with funding from the BoatUS Foundation and guidance from two local harbor masters, CUSH created a convenient water-resistant pamphlet featuring an updated map with area pumpout service locations and contact information, as well as a list of recommended boat maintenance materials. These brochures will be included in marina “welcome kits” and in mooring permit renewal letters from area harbor masters. Signs reminding boaters to “pump-out and carry out” are being posted at area docks and marinas. Coastal cleanups of shoreline debris have been part of the CUSH program for several years, starting with one cleanup a year. In 2012, this effort expanded to six events in collaboration with RI organizations Clean the Bay and Save the Bay, which provided a barge, captain, and crew, while CUSH spotted locations and organized land-based cleanup crews. CUSH is currently conducting an area-wide campaign to raise funds for removal of a disintegrating barge on the bank of the Mystic River, in collaboration with the Town of Stonington, Mystic River Harbor Commission, Mystic River Harbormaster, Docko Inc., and the owner of the adjacent property.
