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Water Quality

Land Use

Ecosystem

Stakeholders

Niantic River Watershed

Science

Draw bridge over the Niantic River Over the past 25 years, ecological monitoring studies conducted in the estuary have provided scientific evidence that the Niantic River ecosystem is changing in response to environmental pressures occurring on the water and in the watershed. For instance, eelgrass studies conducted over the last 16 years indicate this once dominant habitat has all but disappeared and efforts to restore eelgrass have had little success (Short 1988; DNC 2001; Keser et al. 2003; EPA – LISS 2003). Bay scallops that once provided a productive and profitable harvest are rare and have not fully recovered despite numerous restocking efforts (Marshall 1947, 1960; Short 1988). Similarly, spawning winter flounder populations in the Niantic River remain at historically low levels (Walker 2001). Numerous contributing factors are related to these negative trends. Impacts of land use activities occurring upstream in the watershed are one primary concern.

There is a wealth of existing data and information regarding the Niantic River, including one of the longest running continual fish sampling data sets in the Northeast (Tomichek and Roseman 2004). While available, this data has not been compiled or evaluated during planning and/or decision-making activities, relative to protecting the long term health of the river and its ecosystem. Similarly there are many agencies, institutions, and stakeholders who are active in a variety of efforts to protect and/or restore the environmental quality that make the river and its watershed a special place, but there is no framework, or long-term plan to help guide their efforts. Our goal will be to work with DEP and local community agencies (including the scientific community) to create a watershed protection plan that provides this framework.

Please return back to this page to learn more about the scientific research on the Niantic River and its watershed. As the project evolves there will be presentations of key research provided through this page.

Science Workshop July 28, 2005Science Workshop Presentation July 28, 2005