Project Description
To compensate for injuries to natural resources in the Housatonic River caused by the release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the General Electric (GE) Pittsfield Plant in Massachusetts, the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's (CT DEEP) Wetland Habitat and Mosquito Management (WHAMM) program was awarded funding for a multiyear project to restore wetlands along the lower Housatonic River that have been degraded by the invasive grass, Phragmites (also known as the common reed). Before the work began, WHAMM program staff sent letters to all property owners along the river in Stratford and Milford to inform them of the project and obtain permission to remove the invasive species on their land. Pretreatment bird and vegetation surveys were also conducted to collect baseline data.
Phragmites were mowed during the winter and herbicides were applied between July and September every year. During the first two years, 500 acres of marsh were mowed and treated with herbicide each year. By the third year, the acreage of marsh that needed to be mowed and treated had decreased to about 200 acres. During the final year, less than 50 acres were mowed and treated. Bird and vegetation surveys continued throughout the duration of the project to monitor the native plants growing in the treated areas and the birds using the restored marsh habitat, including clapper rails and Virginia rails.
Parties Implementing Restoration
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service