River Restoration Nears Final Hurdle

In April 2007, a storm damaged the banks of the Noroton River so badly that trees floated down the river like leaves. There was so much debris washed up by the storm that an island of material formed where the river opens up into Raymond’s Pond. A 200-foot section of the river’s embankment was sheared clean off, eroding land uncomfortably close to a homeowner’s septic system.

More than two years later, after a seemingly endless permit process and more than $400,000 spent, the restoration process is coming to a close. The Noroton River, located on the west side of New Canaan, close to the Talmadge Hill Train Station, may now be unrecognizable to some.

The embankment next to the river used to have a 15-foot drop; it is now less than 10 feet. More noticeably, the part of the river nearest Raymond’s Pond has been rerouted about 15 feet from where it was originally located, with a gradual slope running from its previous location to its new one.

The new layout works to guarantee the purity of the river’s water. The septic system that was once in danger of being eroded and leaking sewage into the river is now virtually impenetrable.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) first plotted the river’s new channel in a flood study back in the 1970’s. The river originally flowed through the plotted route before earlier erosion redirected it. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) mandated the relocation of the river after the 2007 storm.

The DEP contributed one quarter of the $422,000 needed for the construction. The rest was covered by federal funds from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The design costs were footed by nearby homeowners.

The DEP had to sign off on plans for the restoration project along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers before it got underway.

“My concern was getting started on time,” said Artie Clark, head of AC&S Excavating which was contracted for the job, though he noted that he’s used to having to wait. “Things have to go from one department to the next, it’s not anybody’s fault. It’s just the way things happen,” he said.

Approval was also needed from New Canaan’s Inland Wetlands and Public Works Departments, and the state Engineering Department.

“(New Canaan) was really good to work for and really pushed to keep things moving,” Clark said.

The state DEP gave final approval on July 10, 2009 and AC&S began construction about three days later.

Kathleen Holland, Director of Inland Wetlands and Watercourses for New Canaan, oversaw the entire restoration process along with Michael Pastore, Director of Public Works. Holland attributed the long wait between the project's inception and its implementation to the dizzying stack of permits and approvals that had to be secured. She says the most difficult requirements to meet were the Army Corps' criteria. So when an Army employee expressed satisfaction with the project while visiting the site after construction was underway Holland was understandably excited. “If you’re pleasing the Army Corps of Engineers you know you’ve done something right,” she said.

For the amount of planning time leading up to it, the actual project construction was a comparative blink. The majority of the work took about six weeks, from July 13 to the end of August. Holland praised the swiftness of Artie Clark and his team from AC&S, saying, “I didn’t think he had a ton of crew there, he worked efficiently. Artie followed everything to a tee.”

Holland is confident that the project will be complete by the September 30 deadline. The construction portion is finished, and now landscapers are putting the final touches on the area surrounding the river.

“I’m very relieved that this project is at this point at this stage in the game. I think in the long run it was worth it,” Holland said. But she’s aware that the project still has one more hurdle to cross, “We still have the NRCS final inspection."