In 2005 the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 05-142 (CGS Section 26-141a and b) which required the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to work with the Department of Public Health and stakeholders to update standards for maintaining minimum flows in rivers and streams. The act required these standards to balance river and stream ecology, wildlife and recreation while providing for public health, flood control, industry, public utilities, water supply, public safety, agriculture and other lawful uses of water.
Extensive effort by DEEP and numerous stakeholder work groups culminated in adoption of the Stream Flow Standards and Regulations on December 12, 2011. The process of classifying the streams and rivers of the State began with the Southeast Coastal, Pawcatuck and Thames Major basins and the stream flow classifications were finalized on October 7, 2014. Stream flow classifications for the South Central Coastal River Basin were finalized on September 6, 2016. Stream flow classifications for the Connecticut River Basin were finalized on February 6, 2018.
On June 12th, 2018 DEEP released proposed stream flow classifications for the remainder of the state which includes most of the NVCOG region. Proposed classifications can be explored in this Interactive Webmap developed by DEEP.
Public comments will be accepted until September 30th 2018, and interested parties are encouraged to review the proposed classifications and provide feedback.
Additional information can be found at the CT DEEP Stream Flow Standards and Regulations Webpage.
