Pequonnock River Draft Watershed Management Plan

Pequonnock River Initiative July 26, 2011

Todays Agenda
Background Summarize Draft Plan Begin Comment Period Q&A After Presentation

Why Water Quality Matters

Human Life and Healthy Communities Need Clean Water Great Communities Develop Sustainable Water Resources Focal Point for Urban/Suburban Community Collaboration Regional Economic Prosperity

Watershed Management
Flexible framework for addressing water quality issues within a defined watershed or drainage area
Stakeholder involvement Management actions supported by science Multiple political jurisdictions Prioritize limited financial resources EPA and CTDEP watershed approach

Why Develop a Watershed Plan?

Watershed activities affect water quality Address water quality impairments Develop and implement a comprehensive, science-based management plan Improve chances of future funding and successful implementation

Statewide Trend Towards Watershed Planning

Pequonnock Watershed
29 square-mile area 60 stream-miles Areas of 5 towns 10 subwatersheds
Shelton 3.5% Bridgeport 16.5% New tow n 0.4%
Upper West Branch Pequonnock Upper Pequonnock

Lower West Branch Pequonnock

Upper Booth Hill Brook

Lower Booth Hill Brook Middle Pequonnock Tributaries

Middle Pequonnock River

Trumbull 49.0%
Island Brook

Thrushwood Lake

Monroe 30.6%

Lower Pequonnock River

Issues Facing the Pequonnock River

Water Quality in 80% of the river and in Bridgeport Harbor does not meet State standards for recreation or habitat
Historical urban land use Bacteria and other pollutants Combined Sewer Overflows Stormwater runoff

Other Issues Facing the Pequonnock River

Flooding Degraded habitat Altered stream corridor River disconnected from the public Development pressure

Draft Watershed Management Plan

Plan development process Goals and objectives Recommended actions Site-specific project concepts Pollutant load reductions Responsible entities, timeframes, products Funding sources
DRAFT

Action Plan Goals

3. Habitat Protection and Restoration 4. Sustainable Land Use & Open Space

2. Water Quality

1. Capacity Building

Watershed Action Plan

5. Education & Stewardship

Implement Plan to Improve / Preserve Conditions

Recommended Actions
Over 100 specific actions Timeframe
Ongoing
Year 2 Year 5 Year 10

ShortTerm Next 1-2 Years

Mid-Term 2-5 Years

Long-Term 5-10 Years

Requires a coordinated effort by many groups PRI, watershed organization, municipalities, businesses, land owners

Capacity Building
Goal: Build a foundation for successful implementation of the watershed management plan Objective 1: Establish a watershed organization Objective 2: Identify and secure funding Objective 3: Promote regional collaboration Objective 4: Continue watershed field assessments

Capacity Building - Highlights

Municipal adoption of plan MOA, inter-municipal agreement, compact Form a watershed organization
Partnership or coalition Greater Bridgeport Regional Planning Agency

Prepare and submit grant applications Develop web site and social media tools

Water Quality
Goal: Improve the water quality of the Pequonnock River, its tributaries, and Bridgeport Harbor Objective 1: Continue monitoring programs Objective 2: Use LID/GI to address stormwater & CSOs Objective 3: Comply with existing permits Objective 4: Protect and restore riparian buffers Objective 5: Reduce septic system impacts Objective 6: Reduce impacts from nuisance waterfowl Objective 7: Identify and remove illicit discharges Objective 8: Reduce pollution from hotspots

Water Quality Monitoring Program

Establish ongoing monitoring program Continue monitoring at Harbor Watch/River Watch and CT DEEP stations Expand monitoring to other reaches Consider RBV monitoring Involve volunteers, students, local universities Seek dedicated funding

Stormwater Management
Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure Implement stormwater retrofits Require LID for new development and redevelopment

LID and Green Infrastructure

Vegetated Swales

Parking Lot Bioretention

Green Streets

Permeable Pavement

Stormwater Planters

Curbside Bioretention

Rain Harvesting

Blue Roofs

Green Roofs

Green Infrastructure for CSO Control

CSO LTCP augment grey with green Build on Citys existing initiatives
Green Streets Urban forestry and City parks B-Green rain barrel program CFE Green Scan Project Regulatory updates to promote GI and LID

Protect and Restore Stream Buffers

Implement priority stream buffer restoration projects Adopt local stream buffer requirements
Upper West Branch

Williams Road, Trumbull

Upper Pequonnock River

Upper West Branch

Habitat Protection and Restoration

Goal: Protect and improve terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic habitat in the watershed to maintain and increase the watersheds diversity of plant and animal species
Objective 1: Protect and restore in-stream and riparian habitat Objective 2: Protect and restore forests and urban tree canopy Objective 3: Control invasive species Objective 4: Reduce illegal dumping locations

Fisheries and Stream Restoration

Protect and restore aquatic and stream corridor habitat
Remove stream barriers (Pequonnock River Apron Fishway project, Bunnells Pond Dam eel pass modifications) Implement priority stream erosion and restoration projects

Source: Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program

Improve Fish Passage

LPR-07 River Apron Fishway

Small dam on UBH-01

Drop at road crossing

Homemade Barrier

Restore Eroded Streams

UBH-03 UPR-05

UBH-04 UBH-01

Protect and Restore Forests and Tree Canopy

Consider developing local tree protection ordinances
Hartford Tree Ordinance NYC Million Trees Initiative

Implement reforestation/tree canopy demonstration projects Bridgeport Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Analysis

Sustainable Land Use and Open Space

Goal: Promote sustainable growth and appropriate development in the watershed while preserving and improving the watersheds natural resources, providing public access to open space, and addressing current and future flooding problems
Objective 1: Promote sustainable growth and economic development Objective 2: Address flooding issues Objective 3. Protect and acquire open space Objective 4. Continue development of a greenway network Objective 5. Increase public access to the river corridor

Strengthen Land Use Regulations

Stream Buffers Stormwater Management Tree Protection Groundwater and Drinking Water Supplies Open Space Consider formation of Regional WPCA
Reduce or eliminate septic systems Potential mechanism for regional stormwater utility

Link Green Spaces and Increase Access to River

Complete Pequonnock Valley Regional Bikeway
Context-sensitive LID and conservation design

Increase public access to river

Source: USDA, 2008

Knowlton Park, Bridgeport

Site-specific Retrofit and Restoration Concepts

Retrofit Screening Approach

Retrofit Types
Green Infrastructure Low Impact Development Buffer Restoration Stream Restoration

Selection Factors
Proximity to streams Public land ownership High visibility, demonstration value Applicability to other areas of watershed

Address pollutants through treating and infiltrating stormwater Focus - Bacteria

Wolfe Park, Monroe

Wolfe Park, Monroe

Wolfe Park, Monroe

Wolfe Park, Monroe

Wolfe Park, Monroe

Wolfe Park, Monroe

Trumbull Library

Centrally-located Landscaped grounds with dense tree canopy Site shared with Town Hall More dedicated parking desired, but expansion would impact tree canopy Town representatives working to strike a balance between parking, trees, stormwater, and cost

Trumbull Library

Trumbull Library Parking Expansion

Source: Donald Watson, FAIA Architect

Trumbull Library Tree Box Filter

Source: Hydro International, Inc.

Old Mine Park, Trumbull

Small impoundment on the Pequonnock River Once a popular swimming hole Poor riparian buffer Recent dredging performed without appropriate BMPs (perimeter controls installed later)

Old Mine Park, Trumbull

Old Mine Park, Trumbull

Old Mine Park, Trumbull

Beardsley Park and Zoo

Connecticuts only zoo High-profile location with variety of retrofit candidates
Parking areas Buildings Access/park roads Narrow buffer along Bunnells Pond

Existing rain garden constructed as part of a NEMO workshop

TRAFFIC ISLAND RETROFIT

Beardsley Zoo Traffic Island Retrofit

Beardsley Zoo Traffic Island Retrofit

Bridgeport City Hall

High-profile location in dense neighborhood downtown 70% effective impervious cover in surrounding subwatershed High demand and daily turnover in parking

Bridgeport City Hall

Bridgeport City Hall

Green Street / Complete Street

Green Street / Complete Street

Site-Specific Concept Costs

Concept
Wofle Park Stepney Elementary School Bart Shopping Center Beardsley Park Beardsley Zoo Bridgeport City Hall Complete Street Trumbull Library Knowlton Street Park Old Mine Park

Estimated Cost
$411,000 $453,000 $485,000 $766,000 $186,000 $305,000 $251,000 $392,000 $434,000 $283,000 $288,000 $318,000 $340,000 $536,000 $131,000 $213,000 $175,000 $274,000 $304,000 $198,000

Range
$618,000 $681,000 $730,000 $1,149,000 $280,000 $459,000 $377,000 $589,000 $652,000 $426,000

Watershed Management Plan Next Steps

Comment Period Public Release of Final Plan Begin / continue implementing the Plan August 16 September

Comments on Draft Plan

Draft Plan Available for Download:
http://www.bridgeportct.gov/HowdoI/Pages/ReportsPublications.aspx (Reports and Publications page)

Submit Comments To:

Chris Cryder Save the Sound 203.787.0646 ext. 127 ccryder@savethesound.org Erik Mas, P.E. Fuss & ONeill, Inc. 800.286.2469 ext. 4433 emas@fando.com

DRAF T

Comments Requested By:

August 16, 2011