  |
 |
 |
 |
Massachusetts Home
About Us
News
Programs
Technical Resources
NEA Soils
Partnerships
Contact Us
|
   |
|
|
Conservation Security Program 2008Connecticut River Watershed
The watershed was designated the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge by an Act of Congress in 1991 and later became designated as a National Heritage River by President Clinton in 1998. It is the first of its kind that encompasses an entire watershed ecosystem. Many endangered species call the Connecticut Watershed home, including the American Bald Eagle, Shortnose Sturgeon, Peregrine Falcon,
Puritan Tiger Beetle, Dwarf Wedge, and Yellow Lamp Mussel. The watershed's tidal wetlands have been deemed "Wetlands of International Importance especially as waterfowl habitat" under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty named after the Iranian city where it was adopted in 1971. The Nature Conservancy named it one of their "Last Great Places" in 1993. Described 40 years ago as "the best landscaped sewer in the Nation," the River today is swimmable and fishable (Class B), and in some areas drinkable (Class A), due to the Federal Clean Water Act and the resulting investment of more than $600 million in wastewater treatment. The watershed is home to a rich diversity of species: 59 species of mammals, 250 birds, 22 reptiles, 23 amphibians, 142 fish, 1,500 invertebrates, and 3,000 plants. Ten federally listed endangered or threatened species occur within the watershed. The Connecticut River Valley possesses some of the richest farmland in the Northeast. Its deep, well drained soils are a product of glacial Lake Hitchcock, which flooded much of the Valley during the last period of glaciation, and annual floods. The section of the Connecticut River watershed selected for this proposal includes the Lower Ashuelot River drainage in New Hampshire, downstream to the confluence of the Westfield River in southern Massachusetts. It contains a small section of Vermont, portions of the 12 digit watersheds, 010802010404 Watershed MapThe following documents require
Adobe Acrobat
Reader. Physical Description of WatershedThe watershed covers parts of 3 counties in Massachusetts and 3 in New Hampshire (Merrimack County has only 5 acres in the watershed).
Massachusetts data from MassGIS, NH data from GRANIT, **acreage divided between ‘other openland and water/wetlands/shrub Program Contacts - Connecticut River WatershedBarbara Miller Rita Thibodeau Dwane Coffey Jim Spielman |
|
|
|
The
Connecticut River Watershed is the largest river ecosystem in New England,
encompassing approximately 11,000 square miles and spanning over four New
England states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut. 
Back to Top