The Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials has released a draft “Naugatuck River Greenway Assessment” for a 5-mile stretch of the River between Stillwater Pond in Torrington and the Route 8 crossing in Litchfield.
The LHCEO, in cooperation with the City of Torrington and the Towns of Harwinton and Litchfield, initiated the preparation of the Assessment to:
1) better understand the natural and cultural resources of the River
2) identify water quality improvement needs
3) explore opportunities for improving public access, enjoyment, and passive recreational use of the River.
A second phase of the Assessment, to focus on the Naugatuck River from the Rte 118 crossing in Litchfield south to the Thomaston Dam, will be initiated this fall.
The LHCEO’s Assessment consists of a natural resources inventory of the River corridor prepared by the King’s Mark Environmental Review Team, a preliminary plan for stabilizing erosion sites along the River by the Northwest Conservation District, the identification of historic features along the River by the Torrington Historical Society, and a conceptual trail plan along the River prepared by a local Greenway Assessment Team. The study was made possible by a grant from the CT Department of Environmental Protection.
The Naugatuck River has been designated by the DEP as a Trophy Trout Stream, and the DEP, land trusts, or municipalities own over one third of the study corridor’s river frontage. These properties offer significant potential for additional open space enhancements such as riverwalks, pocket parks, and landscaping improvements.
Seventeen specific recommendations are outlined in the report to improve public access and enjoyment of the River. These include creating a walking trail along the eastern border of Stillwater Pond, constructing a “pocket park” on municipal riverfront property just south of the Route 4 crossing, improving the trail network in the vicinity of Brass Mill Pond, creating a landscaped riverwalk in downtown Torrington with downtown revitalization efforts, enhancing the existing trail network in the vicinity of the John Toro Recreational Area, and constructing historic markers at key locations along the river to enhance appreciation of the river’s history.
Copies of the full draft report are available for review at the LHCEO office in Goshen, Torrington City Hall, Harwinton Town Hall, and Litchfield Town Hall. To download a PDF copy of the report that highlights the seventeen recommendations in the report, please click here.
Contact: Rick Lynn, LHCEO Planning Director, 491-9884
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