Friends Of The Housatonic River

Entry fee: $20 - Open to the public

Choose your T-Shirt size with purchase before Sept 16th

Prizes: 1st = $400, 2nd = $200, 3rd = $100 and 6 other prizes

LIVE updates, monitor VHF 68

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Drinks after noon

Download and post the flyer

Rules and Regulations 2009

Purchase below or at Ayer's Landing Marina.

All proceeds support FOTHR - Sponsors needed, please contact us at fothr.org@gmail.com

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 On June 13th Boat Show Direct.net will host our 4th tournament of 2009 in Stratford, Connecticut. Below are details of the tournament. You can also go to www.fishasa.com , for an entry fee discount by pre-registering on-line prior to Wednesday, June 10th. Read more

Objective:  To restore the natural beauty of the Housatonic River by removing as much litter and debris as possible from its miles of shoreline. 

Date: May 2^nd 2009  Rain or Shine

Time:  8am-4 pm

Locations:  Sunnyside Boat Ramp, Shelton

                   Birdseye Boat Ramp, Stratford

                   Milford/Devon Boat Ramp, Devon 

*All participants will receive a FREE commemorative T-shirt and be entered in a   drawing to win gift certificates and prizes. 
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From the StratfordStar.com, Leon Sylvestor of FOTHR.org was quoted about the proposed hike in fishing fees and new $30 salt water license fee.

“Overall, it’s not the increase in the fee, because there hasn’t been an increase in a while,” said Leon Sylvester, director of the Friends of the Housatonic River and fishing columnist for this newspaper. “It’s the concern that none of that money will go back into supporting what we do.”

Sylvester said most fishermen want to see the additional revenue channeled into the DEP, not only to bolster Connecticut fisheries but also to improve regulation enforcement, and to improve and maintain the health of the Long Island Sound and other state waterways.

“I think you’d see fishermen willing to pay $60 if all the money was going into the DEP,” he said.

 Read the full story here.

DEP alleges The Chromium Process Company has SEVERELY failed to compile with the pollution release standards into the Housatonic River from their West Canal Street building.

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2586&Q=430072&depNav_GID=1511

POST COMMENTS HERE http://www.topix.com/forum/city/shelton-ct/TVLEEDDQ14EAV1RED

FERC has heard our calling, and reversed it call, now there is a rehearing

http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/comm-meet/2008/112008/H-3.pdf

If the concern with this property (canal) is really about the fish ladder and not about money in some companies pocket (read between those words and come to your own speculation), The Friends of the Housatonic River (FOTHR.org) can offer very simple potential solution to all of this.

Without a doubt there should be a fish ladder but it does not need to be $2 to 2.5 million dollars, we think it can be done for a very small faction of that amount.

We believe we know and understand the workings much more about our river and what it needs than the DEP. (After all, we stopped DEP from allowing dumping up river with contaminated soil from down river). Having what we propose below will work as good as or better than a multi-million plan and provide a well rounded resource too.

Our plan would allow the historical value of this area to be preserved and updated in that same cost. Our plan would also increase the popularity of this area due to the fact everyone would be able to view this fish ladder, appreciate nature and history all in one package.

With a simple alteration to the EXISTING HISTORICAL LOCK, a fish ladder http://www.lakeoroville.water.ca.gov/about/stats/images/fish-ladder.jpg can be built to give FISH access to the canal and ultimately easy access through the dam. This is not rocket science like some others make it sound, fish are not the picky.

Imagine the fishing that this ladder would allow in the canal too?

We see this area having VERY HIGH wildlife potential right in our own downtown!

Lets stick to what the point really is. Read more

There is good information regarding the Shelton canal and the upcoming historic river walk (current public access) that we stand to lose. Please look over this link and voice your opinions!

Many more photos

From an article in the Connecticut Post . By KATE RAMUNNI

The public area around the Shelton Canal Co. property has a new addition -- a towering chain-link fence that blocks access to the popular fishing spot.

The barricade has taken city officials by surprise. They say they didn't get enough notice that the area would be restricted to the public, and therefore had no say in the process that led to its closure.

The Shelton Canal is owned by McCallum Enterprise, which operates the power plant there. Last year, McCallum officials announced plans to fill in the canal and sell the property for development, so it can build a $2 million fish ladder the company is required to install by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The Derby-Shelton dam, also known as the Ousatonic Dam, was completed in 1870 to provide water power to factories in downtown Shelton and Derby. The canals directed water behind the dam into the factories' turbines. The turbines were connected to factory machinery through a series of shafts, pulleys, and belts.

McCallum's plans called for a 24-unit condominium development on the filled-in canal site and adjoining land at the end of Canal Street. But if the zone is changed to R-1, as proposed by the city, then only a couple of single-family homes could be built there.