CHAPTERTHREE:
WATER RESOURCES
SURFACE WATER
The surface waters of Branford (Figure
4; Surface Waters) are generally oriented in a north-south
direction and are the result of drainage ways associated
with the last glacial period that ended about 18,000
years ago. These water courses of Branford can be classified
by the type of water including freshwater inland systems
such as flowing streams, rivers, ponds and intermittent
watercourses, and coastal systems such as tidal fresh,
brackish and salt watercourses.
Non-tidal Inland Freshwater
The freshwater resources of Branford include a variety
of streams, lakes, ponds and rivers ranging in size
from small vernal pools and feeder streams to Lake Saltonstall
and the Branford River. Intermittent watercourses are
those that have a defined channel and exhibit some form
of surface flows such as alluvial sediments (sands and
muds carried by water) or wrack (plant debris or floatables
that come to rest in tree branches or rocks). Water
flow in these areas occurs only during rain events.
These are scattered throughout the landscape and are
often incorporated into lawns and open fields.
About three quarters of the Town of Branford is served
by two drainage basins: the Branford River and the Farm
River. The remaining approximately 25% of the Town is
drained by a series of smaller individual basins that
drain directly into Long Island Sound and are most common
in the eastern portion of Town. Of the basins in the
Town, the Branford River is the largest single basin
and accounts for about 45% of the Town's area. The Farm
River is the second largest basin and accounts for about
25% of the Town's area.
Branford River Basin
The Branford River is part of the South Central Eastern
Regional Complex of the South Central Connecticut Coastal
Basin. The main stem of the Branford River extends about
10.5 miles in length and the watershed drains an area
of approximately 15,750 acres or just under 25 square
miles. The River begins just south of Lake Gaillard
in North Branford and ends at the Branford Harbor in
Branford before emptying into Long Island Sound. The
river drops in elevation from a high of 600 ft at its
headwaters at Crooked Brook to sea level at the Sound.
The river can be divided into two main sections: a freshwater
non-tidal portion that encompasses about 17 square miles
(10,800 acres) and a tidal portion that accounts for
the remaining 8 square miles of area (5,100 acres).
The entire watershed is located in New Haven County
with much of the area (>90%) within the Towns of North
Branford and Branford with the remainder in Guilford.
The last 4.3 river miles are tidally influenced and
include both brackish and saline portions.
Approximately 40% of the watershed is developed with
residential, light industrial, and commercial uses.
The remaining 60% of the watershed contains over 8,000
acres of mature secondary post agricultural forests
and wetlands and another 2,000 acres in agriculture
and parkland.
Sub-watersheds/Basins
The Branford River watershed contains five primary tributaries:
Munger Brook, Notch Hill Brook, Queach Brook, Mill Creek
and Sybil Creek, the latter three of which are primarily
located within the Town's boundary. The Connecticut
State Department of Environmental Protection considers
the end of the Branford River Watershed to be located
at the Penn Central Railroad crossing just upstream
from the Route 146 bridge on Montowese Street. South
of this point the River is considered coastal and is
tidally influenced. Between the Penn Central Railroad
and I-95 the river is brackish and tidal while above
I-95 (at Ward's Dam) the River is freshwater and non-tidal.
The freshwater non-tidal portion of the Branford River
within the Town can be divided into three sub-watersheds:
the Upper Branford River sub-watershed, the Pisgah/Queach
Brook sub-watershed, and the Ward's Mill Pond sub-watershed.
The tidal portion of the river includes two smaller
freshwater sub-watersheds: the Mill Creek and Sybil
Creek systems.
The Pisgah/Queach Brook sub-watershed is one of the
most important systems, because it includes the Branford
Supply Ponds and some of the most pristine habitats
in Town (Pisgah Brook). This sub-watershed also contains
Pine Gutter Brook, an area that, although it still maintains
good water quality, is experiencing significant erosion
due to loose soils, steep slopes, and poor planning.
This erosion has caused a major sedimentation event
in the Supply Ponds and threatens water quality throughout
the system. Attempts to manage this resource are being
implemented; however, until the landscape reaches equilibrium,
erosion will continue to be a problem throughout the
Supply Ponds and lower Queach Brook.
The tidal portion of the river includes all river points
south of Ward's Mill Pond Dam. This portion of the Branford
River is the most developed within the watershed. Between
Ward's Dam and Route 1, the river is tidal and the waters
are freshwater to slightly brackish. Between Route 1
and the Branford High School, the area supports brackish
tidal marshes before giving way to saline tidal marshes
south of the Penn Central rail lines. Two main tributaries,
Mill Creek and Sybil Creek, drain into this portion
of the River. Mill Creek is a highly urbanized drainage
system that contains about 25% impervious surface within
its boundaries. This is quite extensive for a small
sub-watershed such as this and has, consequently, caused
significant flooding within the sub-watershed basin.
Sybil Creek is a small tidally restricted tributary
located in the lower Harbor. About two thirds of the
tributary is located above tide gates at Route 146 and
the upper reaches include both active and inactive landfills.
Its confluence with the harbor is near the outfall pipe
for the Town of Branford's Sewage Treatment Plant.
Due to the presence of tides and its proximity to downtown,
this portion of the Branford River system has the least
favorable water quality and is generally rated between
B and AA. The sewage treatment plant has its outfall
in the middle of the river and further contributes to
decreased water quality in this stretch of the river.
An upgrade to the sewage treatment plant is currently
underway and should help improve some of the water quality
in the River.
Farm River Basin
The Farm River watershed drains the entire western portion
of the Town and shares a drainage basin with East Haven
and North Branford. The drainage divide between the
Farm River and the Branford River is delineated by the
high angle Jurassic fault (Totoket Mountain Ridge -
see Geology Chapter). The
Farm River system in Branford can be divided into two
major sub-watersheds: the freshwater Lake Saltonstall
and its surrounding lands and a lower tidal portion.
Much of the land surrounding Lake Saltonstall is protected
by Regional Water Authority (RWA) landholdings. Boating
and some recreational uses are permitted on Lake Saltonstall
and residential development does occur between RWA lands
and Brushy Plain Road.
South of I-95, the Farm River flows through some dense
residential areas before becoming tidal south of Route
100. Poor planning and insufficient floodplain areas
have caused some flooding problems in the system during
the last few years. The Town of East Haven has attempted
to try to dam some of the upstream areas; however, the
State has not been receptive to these plans. Towards
the mouth of the system, the Farm River supports some
salt marsh habitats and small drainage ways.
Individual Basins in the Eastern Portion Of
Town
The eastern portion of Branford is drained by a series
of smaller drainage basins that separately drain into
Long Island Sound (Table 2: Streams). These smaller
streams and drainage ways are generally found in only
moderately developed portions of Town and their water
quality is typically an A rating. Within this portion
of Town are the Stony Creek quarries and Tilcon Company
holdings. Due to the gentle slope in topography, many
of these streams contain large swamps and freshwater
marshes. The tides in these systems vary depending on
the topography of the land and land-use considerations
and many of these smaller streams are restricted at
the mouth and regulated by tide gates or sluice gates
(i.e., Jarvis Creek). Even though tides have been restricted
in the areas, they do continue to support relative large
tracts of coastal marsh habitat.
Tidal Waters
The coastal resources are typically defined by the presence
of tides (both historically and presently). Tidal range
in Branford Harbor is 5.9 ft (almost 1.8 m) and relative
sea level rise (submergence) is about 0.12 inches/year
(3 mm/year). Salinities in these systems can vary from
fresh (<0.5 parts per thousand) to brackish (0.5 to
ca. 18ppt) to salt water (ca. 18+ ppt), depending on
flows and upland runoff. Through the years, the tidal
flows in many of these systems have been interrupted
due to development, roads, railroads, and flooding concerns.
The habitats located upstream of these tidal restrictions
are typically in some form of degradation and many are
supporting freshwater and brackish conditions where
saline waters once dominated. Even in those systems
that have not been tidally restricted alterations to
tidal hydrology due to ditching, dredging, and storm
water discharge have instigated vegetation and habitat
changes as well. Thus, with the exception of some small
isolated areas directly open to Long Island Sound, all
of the tidal systems within Branford have been significantly
impacted by human activity.
GROUND WATER
Although the information on ground water resources in
the Town is somewhat limited, it is evident that the
ground water is generally good quality for much of the
Town (Figure
5; Ground Water). The aquifers associated with the
Branford River and the Farm River appears to be maintaining
good water quality throughout (generally Class A ratings).
In Branford, the largest area of recharge is Lake Saltonstall
and to a lesser extent the Supply Ponds, and Lindsley
Pond. Much of the recharge for the region is actually
associated with Lake Gaillard in North Branford (which
is also the main source of surface waters in the Branford
River and to a lesser extent, Lake Saltonstall and the
Farm River system).
Although groundwater quality is good, there are some
areas in Town where leachates have polluted the underground
aquifers. The most prominent example of a problem area
is the aquifer associated with Sybil Creek and the old
Branford landfill (see Chapter
7 - Problems). The landfill, which was closed years
ago, is still leaching some volatile organics into the
groundwater and has formed a plume that is running generally
in a westerly direction (following the drainage way
of Sybil Creek). These plumes have been monitored since
the mid-1980s by Fuss and O'Neill Inc. and are generally
not considered hazardous to environmental health of
the area. Concern about the leachate did force residents
in the area to abandon well water and switch to city
water during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
WETLANDS
The wetlands of Branford cover a large range of habitats
and size (Figure 6: Wetlands).
Almost every wetland type found in Connecticut can be
found in Branford in one form or another. These wetlands
include small pocket marshes dominated by grasses, large
red maple swamps, a remnant cedar swamp, and a variety
of tidal marsh systems. The wetlands themselves range
from somewhat pristine to highly disturbed and vary
in their state of preservation.
Although the State of Connecticut delineates its wetlands
based on soils, the wetlands noted here will be based
on vegetation (for additional information on vegetation
see Chapter 4 - Biological Communities)
and habitat characteristics more commonly used in the
rest of the country. The term swamp refers to areas
dominated by woody plants, bog refers to areas with
shrubs and mosses, shrub/scrub refers to low bushes
and marshes refer to areas dominated by herbaceous vegetation,
primarily grasses.
Swamps are scattered throughout the Town and vary in
size from small pockets to large expansive systems.
The vast majority of swamps are associated with the
smaller rivers and streams that dot the landscape and
are common along a number of the smaller streams located
in the eastern section of Town. Although there can be
a mix of a number of varieties of tree species (i.e.,
white oak, pin oak, willow), these systems are typically
dominated by red maple. One of the prime examples of
a red maple/mixed hardwood swamp can be found along
Towner Swamp Road. The only example of a cedar swamp
is a swamp remnant located in the eastern portion of
Town. Coniferous wetlands are also not very common;
however, an example of a hemlock/pine wetland can be
see in and among the ravines in North Farms Park off
of Route 139 in North Branford.
There are very few bogs in Town and when they do appear
they are typically very small in area and typically
mixed in with maples and oaks. An example of this type
wetland can be seen along Pisgah Brook where the utility
right-of-way has maintained an open canopy. The shrub/scrub
wetlands can also be found in this area and dominates
much of the lowlands associated with the right-of-way.
In addition to the shrubs typical of these wetlands,
the plant community is often interrupted by a variety
of introduced and invasive species (i.e., multiflora
rose, Japanese honeysuckle). One of the best examples
of a shrub/scrub wetland in Town can be seen along Quarry
Road off of Leetes Island Road.
Marshes are one of the most dominant types of wetland
in Town. They include the inland freshwater marsh and
the more common coastal marsh and coastal marsh remnant.
When inland freshwater marshes do exist they are generally
found interspersed among breaks in the canopies of swamps
and shrub/scrub wetlands. One of the nicest examples
of a freshwater sedge marsh can be found off of Eastwood
Road (off Route 146).
The largest single type of marsh is the coastal tidal
marsh. These systems vary between tidal freshwater to
brackish to salt marsh and are generally found south
of Route 1. Tidal freshwater marshes are located at
the head of tide where freshwater flows are sufficient
to keep salinities very low but still allow tidal action.
Although rare, they do exist at the heads of a number
of tidal streams (some can be seen along the Branford
River and Queach Brook where they cross Route 1). Brackish
marshes are more common than their freshwater counterparts
and many of them can be seen along the Branford River
between Route 1 and the high school.
By far, the most common type of tidal wetland is the
salt marsh and the salt marsh remnant. These can be
seen along almost every river and stream that empties
directly into the Branford Harbor or LIS and is best
exemplified by the system off Route 146 behind Lenny's
Restaurant (see below). Other fine examples include
the lower Farm River and the systems associated with
Jarvis Creek in the Stony Creek section of Town.
A good example of a typical Branford tidal system can
be seen at Sybil Creek. The marshes and channels west
of Route 146 (downstream) have not been restricted.
However, the mouth of the system has been dredged for
boat activity and the marshes within the system have
been ditched for mosquito control. Today, these marshes
are eroding and showing signs of increased flooding
(ground is hummocky and marshes are beginning to fragment
into open pannes). Above (east) Route 146, it is a different
story. Route 146 acts as a barrier to tides and limits
flooding due to a series of one-way flapper tide gates
(these gates were first installed during the 1920s to
allow rainwater out of the system while keeping tidal
waters west of Route 146). Today much of the system
above Route 146 is dominated by reedgrass (in the past
these marshes resembled the marshes and channels we
see today west of Route 146). The changes seen in Sybil
Creek are common throughout the State.
Programs to restore these restricted systems are currently
being pursued by the State DEP. Many require engineering
solutions to fix the problems and all will have the
goal of reintroducing some amount of tidal flow to the
area. One place where nature has restored some of the
marshes is east of Montowese Street and south of the
Amtrak railroad near Tabor Lutheran Church and Sansone
Farm. Originally, the marsh in this area was dominated
by salt marsh grass. A tide gate was fitted on the Montowese
Street Bridge sometime during the late 1940s. Soon after,
reedgrass began expanding out onto the marsh as salinities
fell behind the gate. During the early 1970s, a storm
blew the gates off its hinges and full tidal flushing
was once again introduced into the area. During the
last 30 years, salt marsh grasses have recolonized in
many areas where reedgrass once stood.
Recently the inland wetland regulations in Town were
rewritten to further protect non-tidal freshwater wetlands
and adopt a "no net loss" policy for the Town. For further
information about wetland regulations contact the Inland
Wetland and Watercourse Agency for inland wetlands and
the Town Planning Department for coastal systems.
WATER QUALITY
There are a number of factors that may be considered
in assessing water quality in Town (Figure
4, Figure
5) including dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen
demand (BOD), nutrient loading (nitrates, ammonia, phosphates),
bacterial counts (coliforms) and heavy metal concentrations
(mercury, iron). The concentration of any of these can
vary within a watershed due to flushing rates, point
vs. non-point pollution sources, and land-use activities
within the watershed. Any classification of these categories
are generalized and do not assess any one point on the
river. Therefore caution must be used in interpreting
water quality standards; a very high rating does not
necessarily mean that there are no problem areas within
the designated zone.
According to the State of Connecticut's "Water Quality
Standards" (DEP 1992), much of the surface waters of
Branford fall into the category of "good" quality water.
For example, the entire length of the Branford River
is suitable for swimming and fishing. The Water Quality
Classifications for the major surface waters of Branford
are shown in Table 3.
Class AA is the highest quality water designation and
can be used as drinking water supply. Class A applies
to waters that are of sufficient quality that they can
be used for drinking water supply in the future; Class
B refers to water quality as fishable and swimmable
but not drinkable; Class C & D are problem waters not
included in the watershed. An "S" designation denotes
coastal or marine surface waters and multiple designations
(i.e., B/A) refer to the present water quality and the
water quality goal for the area, respectively. Groundwater
quality also follows the same designations. GAA is the
highest water quality and is a direct potable supply.
GA is also potable and is intended for future use and
may require some additional filtering. GB is not potable
and cannot be used for consumption.
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