How Watersheds Impact Harbors       Watersheds are areas of land that drain into local wetlands and brooks.  As rain falls or snow melts, small trickles form streams and rivers that empty into the harbor.   Water carries different particles as it moves, such as leaves or eroded soil and various sediments, including pollutants.   Point sources of pollution come from one source, such as a factory pipe.  Non-point pollution comes from many sources.   Unfortunately, things people do on land, even miles from the coast, can pollute the harbor.   Water can carry pesticides, antifreeze, motor oil, paints, or other hazardous materials.  Fertilizing lawns, feeding geese, and not picking up after pets can result in the flow of excess nitrogen or phosphorus.   Every action matters in a watershed.  Hundreds of parcels with small streams feeding into the harbor mean every homeowner's land management is critical.    How can you tell if your brook is healthy? Water color.  During low flow, clear water is one indicator.  A muddy color occurs naturally during rains.  Tea-colored water results from the brown tannin of decaying leaves.  Rainbow colors indicate oil contamination. Foam.  Natural foam on the water has an earthy or fishy smell while man-caused foam from soaps may have a slight perfume. Algae Color.  Algae thrive on nutrients from commercial fertilizers, manure and leaf waste, so lots of algae mean excess nutrients.  Scattered spots of light or dark green indicate a healthy stream.  Matted or hairy algae mean poor quality.  Brown algae indicate sediment deposits. Stream sediment.  If a streambed has gravel or cobbles, less than 25 percent should be filled with sediment.  More than 50 percent of the spaces filled means the stream is marginal for supporting fish. Sedimentation affects the entire food chain of macroinvertebrates, algae, and microbes on a streambed, the primary foods of minnows.  Excess sedimentation directly impacts fish mortality and disease, indirectly affecting their reproduction, growth, behavior, and food supply.   Studies show that heavy sedimentation results in more burrowing organisms in a streambed and decreased flies available to feed fish. Plants take up and use nutrients for growth.  Some extract environmental toxins.  Planting native vegetation along the edge of streams and creating no-build areas or “setbacks” helps slow runoff while removing sediments, nutrients, and some contaminants. The challenges in Stonington harbor are far from unique.  Concern about dramatic reductions of river herring, bay scallops, and eel grass have caused communities along Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts to recommend 100-foot no-build setbacks on wetlands and 100 to 200-foot setbacks along streams.  A brilliant example of collaboration when watersheds cross political boundaries is The Chagrin River Watershed Partners in Ohio, which brought together 34 local governments and serves as a model for storm water and stream restoration projects.   Upcoming CUSH meetings will explore what can be done locally. What You Can Do Residents:      Never dump yard debris, other wastes, or fill in wetlands, and report people who do.      Create 25- to 100-foot buffers of native vegetation near wetlands and streams.      Stop using lawn fertilizers (including organic ones) near wetlands. Stop using pesticides, switching to organic products. Support open space acquisition to protect watersheds, through Avalonia, Nature Conservancy, and Stonington Land Trust. Town Government:      Enforce state wetlands laws and prosecute violators.      Encourage Cluster Zoning, protecting environmentally sensitive areas. ####