The Norwalk River Watershed Association, incorporated in 1996, is a membership organization whose mission is to improve both the water quality and the quality of life within the watershed by fostering research, education, cooperation, and action on the part of individuals, community groups, businesses, and governmental agencies in the seven watershed towns.

Become a Norwalk River Watershed Association Member-Download Form. General members are invited to free programs and activities.  They also receive NRWA's newsletter "In the Mainstream," which lists activities and updates members on pertinent problems, progress, projects, and programs within the watershed.  Membership rates start at $25.  Please make your tax-deductable donation payable to NRWA, Inc., and send to the address below.

Norwalk River Watershed Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 197
Georgetown, CT 06829
877-NRWA-INFO

Email: info@norwalkriver.org

More About Us:

From Our Annual Meeting on May 6th, 2009- See the recent article in the Norwalk Hour: Area rivers under yearly review.

Also, you can now view the presentations from the annual meeting, featuring our year in review photo slideshow, water quality updates from Dick Harris at Earthplace for the Norwalk River, and an overview of student projects in the watershed from Dave Havens at St. Luke's School.

Recent NRWA News

Grants - A series of helpful grants made a number of important projects possible.

• Fairfield County Community Foundation grant of $10,000 in 2007 helped to fund the position of NRWA's part-time Executive Director.

• The Jeniam Foundation in 2007 gave a $5,000 grant to enable the Executive Director to add more hours each week for fundraising efforts.

• Connecticut DEP awarded a grant that made the printing and distribution of the brochure "How to Manage and Maintain Your Property" possible to Norwalk and Wilton residents this past June.

• Recently The Sounds Conservancy gave a grant of $250 to help NRWA revise its website - a summer project we hope to complete by September 2008.

Ongoing efforts during the past six months included work on the following projects:

• Funding for additional testing by Harbor Watch/River Watch to identify upstream sources of pollution in Ridgefield;

• Posting of the EPA 319 Grant data for water testing along the Norwalk River by Harbor Watch/River Watch at the site;

• More habitat restoration by removing invasive plants at the River Study Site and at Aldrich Park in Ridgefield;

• Poison Ivy control at the Geogetown Park site, deed wording, and plans for future work;

• Expansion of the River Ranger program;

• Organization of the spring show "Invasive Botanicals: Beauty and Beast," original art work by members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators;

• Continued negotiations to expand and improve the Norwalk River Valley Trail System; and

• Programs and hikes to educate the public about the watershed, its features, problems, and opportunies for action.

The Georgetown Eco-History Tour has become an annual event. Led by Brent Colley, the tour attracts huge crowds and includes stops all over Georgetown. Georgetown History slide shows are also presented by Brent Colley each year.

Heavily subscribed hikes prove that there is a great interest in the expanding trail system and that the trails are an effective way to get people's attention and to educate them about the proper ways to take care of the watershed and about the necessity for each person to do his or her part.

In addition to these ongoing outdoor projects NRWA signed on as an intervener on the Northeast Utilities proposal to expand its electical lines from Bethel to Norwalk in order to elicit more enviormentally sound plans and technology to provide additional service. The Sitting Council is still considering comments before making a decision on quantity, structures, and routes. NRWA has also given another grant to Harbor Watch/River Watch to expand its water-testing sites in Ridgefield farther upstream on Cooper Brook and on the Norwalk River near the Route 7 sewage treatment plant to monitor water quality and to pinpoint sources of sporadic pollution.