In September 2005, a combination of lower than normal rainfall along with peak water demand at the University of Connecticut (UConn) resulted in no flow in a 1/6 mile stretch of the Fenton River near the UConn campus.  The consequence of this included desiccation of fish and other stream inhabitants.  As a result, the UConn Office of Environmental Policy launched a water conservation awareness campaign and drafted a Water Supply Emergency Contingency Plan.  Click here to see a recent report on the Fenton River Macroinvertebrate Re-colonization Study.

While the upper parts of this watershed remain largely undeveloped and the water quality is meeting Clean Water Act standards as fishable and swimmable, the Natchaug River below the Mansfield/Windham town line is not meeting water quality goals for recreation due to the presence of bacteria in the water.  The source of these bacteria is listed as “unknown”.  The Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor Water Quality Monitoring Program will be training volunteers to conduct StreamWalk visual surveys in this part of the watershed to try to help solve this mystery in 2008.