FFRE Hosts Farm River Water Symposium

All are invited on Wednesday, March 19 when Friends of the Farm River & Estuary (FFRE) hosts an expert panel sharing data and reflections on their years of monitoring and studying the Farm River. The experts will opine on what the river, through sound science, is telling us about best strategies to clean up and restore the river from North Branford down to the Sound. The event will be held from 3 to 6 pm at the Edward Smith North Branford Public Library located at 3 Old Post Road in North Branford. We will have an hour of mingling and networking over pizza and refreshments. This is a free public event open to all.

Anyone who is curious about rivers, or who cares about safe fishing, boating and wildlife enjoyment should attend. 

“FFRE is thrilled to bring together this group of experts who have been studying the river for years”, commented Curt Johnson, president of FFRE. “We need sound science to drive restoration action on the river”, Johnson added. The panel will include experts from:

• The United States Geologic Survey (USGS) has been studying the impacts of nutrients on the river with support from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment (DEEP).
• Save the Sound, to discuss the ecological health of the salty mouth of the Farm River compared to bays, harbors and river mouths all around the Sound.  FFRE has been collaborating with Save the Sound on this monitoring studyfor seven years;
• Researchers working with the East Shore Health District is undertaking science detective work tracking down the source of bacteria pollution found at local beaches and the Farm River;
• The South-Central Regional Water Authority has been monitoring water quality above Lake Saltonstall for more than a decade.
• The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) will give us a glimpse of what their preliminary model is telling us about flood dynamics in the lower river, and what this suggests about the feasibility of removing the “choke point” at the abandoned tide gate.

Each panelist has been asked to present a 10 minute “Ted Talk” type presentation, followed by a roundtable discussion. The last hour will be for networking over pizza. All reinvited to attend.