1. Ash Creek/Rooster River
Watershed
An overview presented by the
Ash Creek Conservation Association
L. Kraig Steffen, Ph. D.
2. My Background
Ph.D in Organic Chemistry
Actively involved in Science Education
Lifelong interest in Ecology and
Environmental Science
NOT an expert on Watersheds! I’m
sharing this as a concerned citizen
3. What is a Watershed?
Simply put, it is a geographic region
drained by a particular creek, stream, or
river.
Usually defined by the largest river that
drains into a body of salt water.
4. A simple thought experiment..
When a drop of rain falls where does it go on
its journey back to the sea? The Pacific? The
Atlantic? Gulf of Mexico? Long Island Sound?
Where would its “neighbor” go?
Now, consider 4 million neighbors!
The geographic region defined by the
collective drainage of these raindrops defines
a watershed.
Size varies widely, the Mississippi drains
millions of square miles, our local watershed
about 15 square miles
6. Does all the water return to
the sea?
Eventually, yes…
However, it may seep into the ground
and become part of an aquifer. The
water in aquifers may stay underground
for days.. Or years.. Or even centuries
The water may also evaporate back into
the atmosphere
8. Who Cares??
We all should…
We need fresh water to drink
We need fresh water for growing food
We need fresh water for the plants and
animals that are part of our
environment
9. The Value of a River
Rivers drain away excess water, ie flood
control
Rivers provide fresh water habitat
Rivers provide a source of water for the rich
Riparian biomes surrounding them.
“Riparian” means essentially near a river.
Riparian zones are often the most diverse
habitats in a given region, a linear “oasis” if
you will.
Rivers are important for commerce and
leisure activities
10. Riparian and Salt Marsh Habitat
Great variety of plants and animals
Aesthetically pleasing
Ecologically critical as a source of food and it
functions as an important waste control
system - natural biofiltering
Salt marsh habitat is critical for biofiltering
and as a home to a diverse collection of
plants and animals
11. The Rooster River
Small, only about 10 miles long, entire
watershed is only 15.3 square miles
Ash Creek, our local salt marsh estuary, is the
outlet of the Rooster River
Tidal flux goes up to just past the Mount
Grove cemetery
So .. Lets look at a map!
12. Aerial Map of Rooster River/Ash Creek
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
36. What Affects our Watershed?
Natural factors like total rainfall and geography
Climate: hot and wet? cold and dry?
Tidal flux
Agriculture and Landscaping use
Urbanization
Industrial Pollution
37. “They Paved Paradise and Put
up a Parking Lot”
One major effect of urbanization is
simply the covering of the ground with
less permeable harder surfaces
Creates much faster moving runoff
Keeps water from seeping into the soil
Exacerbates erosion
Depletes the underground water supply
38. Pollution
Point Pollution: A well defined release point
for pollutants. Sewage Treatment plant,
Factory, Research Facility
Non Point Pollution: agricultural spraying,
landscape maintenance, vehicle emissions,
dry deposition from remote sources
Myriad of harmful effects on our local
watershed - exposure to toxic materials, algal
blooms, long term degradation of the habitat
39. Pollution Information…
The internet has made it much easier to
find information
The internet has made it harder to
validate information!
Look for reliable, long standing sources
but keep an open mind
www.scorecard.org
41. A Plethora of Problems
Storm Runoff from west side STP
Industrial wastes from current,
historical manufacturing
Non point pollution
42. Heavy Metal/POP Pollution
Geographical Distribution and Potential
for Adverse Biological Effects of Selected
Trace Elements and Organic Compounds
in Streambed Sediment in the
Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames
River Basins, 1992-94
USGS Water Resources Investigations
Reportハ97-4169By Robert F. Breault and
Sandra L. Harris
43. TMDL
Total Maximum Daily Load
Measures bacteria in water
Expressed as Percentage decrease
needed to meet maximum
recommended levels
Rooster river is on the 2004 list for not
meeting water quality standards
44. What Can I DO??
(a lot actually!)
Work to encourage honest and
thorough pollution reporting
Support Remediation Efforts
Hold Politicians Accountable
45. What Can I do?
At Home?
Replace high maintenance lawns with native vegetation and
mulch
Compost your lawn and garden waste, e.g. leaves, grass
Use porous materials for driveways & sidewalks
Sweep driveways, sidewalks & roads rather than using a hose
Avoid use of pesticides
Pick up after pets
Use, store, and dispose of chemicals properly (in Bridgeport
residents can bring their toxic chemicals to the transfer station
on Asylum street once a year)
Use a car wash instead of washing car at home
Prevent storm drain dumping
47. Acknowledgements
The 2004 grant for this presentation comes
through the Watershed Assistance Small
Grants program, conducted in association
with the Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection under Section 319
of the Clean Water Act. The small grants
program is administered by Rivers Alliance of
Connecticut.