Seymour in line for funds for fish project

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Seymour in line for funds for fish project
By Melvin Mason
Staff writer

SEYMOUR -- A bypass area that will allow fish to swim upstream in the Naugatuck River is one of several marine projects that Gov. M. Jodi Rell wants to finance with stimulus funds.

Town and state officials want to build the bypass area at the Tingue Dam, located in the river below the Route 8 overpass. The dam, standing anywhere from 5 to 20 feet high, was built in 1763 and is currently unused.

Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the bypass will allow for several species of fish, including Atlantic salmon and shad, to swim further upstream to reach fresh water to spawn. The bypass will open up an additional 29 miles of passage to Thomaston, he said.

Stephen Gephard, supervising fisheries biologist with the DEP's Inland Fisheries Division, said fish such as salmon and shad that live in salt water usually spawn and begin their lives in fresh water in the Naugatuck River. The DEP has wanted the bypass for years, but it never had the money to finish it. Getting the surplus money will be important because it will open up 26 miles of fresh water.

"Historically, they went to Torrington. Now they can only go to Seymour," he said. The stimulus money is "extraordinary and it's a wonderful opportunity."

State officials have sought to build the channel around the dam for nearly a decade. Previous plans also included access for canoes and kayaks to traverse the river at the same spot.

State officials expect to spend $5.25 million for the bypass, with $3 million coming from federal stimulus dollars distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the rest through state funds. The state is asking for $12.6 in stimulus money for a variety of marine projects statewide.

"It opens up a whole new stretch for more fish to get up there and expand fish populations. There will be more opportunities for recreational fishing and it's good for the ecology of the river and the watershed." Schain said. "It's the perfect use of the stimulus money. It puts people to work and"¦makes a lasting improvement for the region along the river."

Schain said the Tingue Dam project could start by July 30 and be completed in about 18 months.

Other projects the state wants to complete include restoration of tidal wetlands along the lower Connecticut River in Chester, East Haddam, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook; a similar fish passage at the Rainbow Dam on the Farmington River in Windsor and the removal of the Springborn Dam on the Scantic River in Enfield.

"These four projects will create jobs for engineers, construction workers and others while allowing us to preserve, protect and improve our environment and natural resources," Rell said.

"Our goal with every stimulus project is to create jobs and make lasting improvements to our state, and that makes these four proposals ideal candidates for stimulus funding