Jonah Center Advocacy Paved Way for Improved Parking Lot

In May 2008, President Barry Chernoff and Executive Director John Hall testified before Middletown’s Inland Wetlands Commission, urging improvements to the proposed parking lot construction at Palmer Field. Specific recommendations included reduction of pavement area, retention of storm water run off, and a vegetated buffer to mitigate the parking lot’s negative impact on the adjacent Coginchaug River which had already suffered from recent development projects. The parking lot project is now complete, with the results of the Jonah Center’s intervention clearly shown in the photos to the left.

Top photo: Original plan included 4.0 acres of asphalt paving, extending very close to the bank of the Coginchaug River. Run off from pavement is very harmful to aquatic life.

Middle photo: Middletown’s Inland Wetlands Commission ordered a revised plan, reducing the area of pavement to 1.3 acres and including a 40 foot vegetated buffer between the parking area and the river, sub-surface storm water retention basin, pervious gravel parking of 1.7 acres for overflow parking on rare occasions when needed. The revised plan also yielded a $100,000 cost reduction for the city.

Bottom photo: A view of the vegetated buffer, which includes 70 trees and shrubs, and the gravel parking area at right. The Coginchaug River is just down the hill to the left,

Paddling up the Connecticut and Mattabessett

The Jonah Center sponsored river paddle launched from Harbor Park Saturday morning despite the dire warnings of later-in-the-day thunderstorms (which as of this writing have not yet arrived).

About twenty brave souls who know enough not to trust a weatherman or woman, canoed and kayaked North to Wilcox Island where Kate Miller, a local naturalist and a member of the Conservation Commission, talked about the island and the bird species which call it home. The shriek of a pair of peregrine falcons affirmed her statements.

From Wilcox Island the boaters headed to the mouth of the Mattabessett and once they floated under the highway and railroad bridges, it appeared that the small regatta had left civilization behind. If it wasn't for the occasional floating plastic bottle, one could imagine floating in uncharted territory.

The vast watershed North of Middletown's center city is teeming with aquatic and avian life. We saw egrets, herons, kingbirds, red wing blackbirds and osprey. Miller also explained that the estuary is home to all kinds of fish and shellfish.

With black clouds mounting, John Hall, of the Jonah Center, suggested an early departure from the river, and the boats, laden with river garbage and detritus, headed back to Harbor Park.

A Sunday in August on the Coginchaug River

All the rain this last week, brought the Connecticut River to near flood stage. In the spring you are just about guaranteed a chance to paddle the river and her tributaries; the Mattabesset and Coginchaug at or above flood stage, but this is somewhat unusual for the month of August, so we took advantage of this on Sunday heading out from Harbor Park, Our goal was to paddle the Coginchaug to Veterans Park.

A month earlier paddling with an outing organized by the Jonah Center for Earth an Art, www.thejonahcenter.org/ the Coginchaug had just a trickle of water and we found that two sections of downed trees made it impossible to reach Veterans park, more than a half mile further upstream.

Paddling on these tributaries, at different times of the year, and with high and low water, offers unique views of the
natural landscape and her inhabitants. 

Today we saw three of the seasonal camps, now abandoned because of the high water. A month ago, it was clear folks where living there, but almost everything is gone now. We
noted the remnants’ of camps among the “floating meadows” lodged among the bulrush and wildrice. Still there was a bird feeder swaying against a breeze, in one of the abandoned camps. Living on the banks of the river in the summer, has an appeal be it by choice, or by the fact of being homeless. I'm not going to begrudge anyone who does so, except to say that living on the river bank, or in our city along the river carries an obligation of doing one's part to keep the river clean, and healthy.

George’s outdoor basement, just behind the old Remington Rand Factory building, and the power plant the city evicted him from, looked to just miss being underwater. Has anyone heard how George is doing on his trip south to Key West. Conservacity blog was last news I’ve heard. http://conservacity.blogspot.com/2008/06/dugout-paddlers-off-for-florida.html


 On our return home we found his vacant houseboat being explored by the power-boaters, who had just speed by us at open throttle, throwing up a huge, mighty wash. We were not so polite in reminding them, with anger in our voice that they were well above the 6mph speed limit for the length of the waterways that is posted with signage as you enter the Mattabesset. Their response, not surprisingly was that they did not know. Not that I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, though I would ask, why the sign is not bigger, and note that, of the many waterways I’ve been on, this speed limit sign is the smallest one I’ve ever seen, and does not do much to get your attention. Paddling back to the docks in Harbor Park I was able to speak to officers of Middletown's harbor patrol unit, and they indicated that they would head towards the Meriden Boatclub, where we later observed them docking.

I'm always surprised that we do not see more non-motorized users on the river.
It is nice to be just about the only paddlers out on this stretch of river on a
Sunday afternoon,  I'm not complaining, but at the same time it feels selfish
to keep the knowledge of this destination under wraps. Middletown and Cromwell residents have an on the water recreational playground in our respective backyards, and it is a shame so few take advantage of it. If you choose to paddle, remember to bring your bug spray, sun screen, and life jackets. If you can, take home more than you set off with, by picking up some lightweight floating trash, and do a part in helping to keep our backyard treasure just that.

You can find a map of the Mattabesset and Coginchaug River here: www.mrwa-ct.org/canoe.htm
You can find the Mattabesset canoe/Kayak trail on line here: file:///Users/elizabet/Desktop/MattabessetCanoe.pdf

More  photos of the Rivers are available on my flicker site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/93775143@N00/collections/72157606585136931/