Greenway Designation Pursued For West River

The West River Watershed Coalition wants its namesake to be designated a state greenway — and members are trying to get all the cities in the watershed on board before it makes its case to the state.

At recent meetings of the Board of Alders City Services and Environmental Policy Committee and the City Plan Commission, New Haven moved a step closer toward authorizing Mayor Toni Harp to sign the West River Watershed Compact that would be a formal agreement of cooperation. The coalition also wants the city’s support in asking the state to designate the West River a regional greenway. Both the committee and the commission gave favorable reports in support of signing such a compact. The proposal is now in the hands of the full board for approval.

The coalition is making similar appeals to officials in Bethany, Hamden, Woodbridge, and West Haven. They are all a part of the West River Watershed, which is the land through which all water in the region drains through to the New Haven Harbor. The West River Watershed is 34 square miles; it stretches 25 miles from Lake Bethany to the New Haven Harbor, according to information provided by the coalition. For years now environmentalists have pursued improvement projects along the West River, from revamping the Edgewood Park duck pond and installing self-regulating tide gates to removing the Pond Lily dam.

Martha Smith, a member of the West River Watershed Coalition (pictured addressing alders), said the coalition is seeking the compact and the designation for the river as a greenway as one more symbol that the members of the coalition work together. It also might help the watershed secure state grant funding for projects related to clean water, access, economic development and transportation, she said.

“It depends on the type of greenway, but for our greenway along the West River it will be helpful applying for watershed and community grants,” she said in a follow-up email. ​“In many of these grant proposal requirements, there is a desire to see that project efforts are being performed in partnership with other organizations. Funders want to know that a project has broad support and when it’s evident that there has been enough of the broad organizing presence to obtain the greenway designation, it gives stronger credence that partners are working together.”

Smith, along with coalition members Stacy Spell (pictured center in the top photo next to Smith) of the West River Neighborhoods Services Corporation and Joel Tolman (pictured left of Spell) of Common Ground High School, represented the coalition at the City Services and Environmental Policy Committee meeting.

The coalition is in the early stages of developing a watershed management plan. The plan is focused on issues of water quality, which can be caused by including combined sewer overflows, pet and animal waste, and even leaky septic systems.

Spell said the coalition has brought together ​“organizations and individuals that might not normally work together” and given them an opportunity to ​“speak with one voice.” Spell said the coalition has also been instrumental in educating the public, including children about the history and the ecology of a natural resource in their neighborhood.

“They see the river every day, but never had a chance to be out there on it,” he said of the children. ​“It changes their mindset toward the river.”

The impact on children caught the attention of Morris Cove Alder Sal DeCola said, ​“That is a great thing, particularly for our inner city children.”

Westville Alder Adam Marchand, who has been active with the coalition, said the greenway designation was a good step in the work that the coalition is already doing. He said he spends a lot of time with his children by the river, which runs through Edgewood Park. He said he is often amazed at the biodiversity near the river.

A greenway is a ​“corridor of open space” that, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, meets the following criteria:

• May protect natural resources, preserve scenic landscapes and historical resources or offer opportunities for recreation or non-motorized transportation;
• May connect existing protected areas and provide access to the outdoors;
• May be located along a defining natural feature, such as a waterway, along a man-made corridor, including an unused right of way, traditional trail routes or historic barge canals; or
• May be a green space along a highway or around a village.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection recognizes 74 greenways according to its 2014 map.

Smith said once all the watershed towns and utilities approve and sign the West River Watershed Compact, the coalition will submit it with our nomination form to the CT Greenways Council. The nomination form is due in February and then the Greenways Council will make their decision in May 2015.