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User:Bendgardiner/Still River (Housatonic River tributary)

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Course and Watershed (Lead)

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Current section: The Still River headwaters emanate from Farrington's Pond (41.4043°N 73.5379°W) at the New York border with Danbury, Connecticut. It meanders through Sanfords Pond (41.3943°N 73.5362°W) and Lake Kenosia (41.384°N 73.503°W) before entering a concrete aqueduct near downtown Danbury. It then turns north, becoming a more conventional river as it cuts through Brookfield and southern New Milford before joining with the Housatonic (41.5457°N 73.4085°W). The river has a drainage area of 85 square miles, and a mean flow of 377 cubic feet per second[1][2].

Added: The Still River has a brief but impactful history that has influenced its condition today. The farming industry in Danbury led to extreme pollution in the river[3]. Beginning around the 1860s, the river again experienced significant mercury pollution from the hatting industry that continued for several years[2]. This pollution had both ecological and anthropogenic effects on the surrounding environment, eventually leading to a need for remediation and cleanup.

History (new section)

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Even before the hatting industry began in the late 1700s, the Still River[3] was known as a dead river. This was due to pollution from farms in the area surrounding Danbury, CT. Farmers used the river as a cite to get rid of waste and other toxic debris. Historical documents from Danbury and surrounding towns cited the river as a sewage dump around the 1880s, and the water was unusable for both agricultural and industrial use[3]. It wasn't until a court case ruling in 1895, along with the Clean Water Act in 1972 that the city of Danbury was required to take responsibility for the sate of the river[4][5]. In 1993, Danbury constructed a new sewage treatment plant to help improve water quality. In 2014, the Still River Partners was created with the hopes of rebuilding the watershed, and as of 2019, this group is still responsible for maintaining and improving the river. The Still River Alliance held their most recent Still River Appreciation Day on September 21st, 2013[6].

Pollution (needs updating)

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Current section (with minor citation and grammar edits): Mercury nitrate was discharged to the river by the hatting industry from circa 1860 through the first half of the 1900s. The hat factories used the chemical in the felt making process to remove animal fur from pelts[2][7]. During this time, levels of mercury were found to be 5-10 ppm with extremes up to 100 ppm. These levels were about 500 times higher than background levels[2][7][8]. Although the hatting industry was the main cause of mercury pollution, there were other industries that contributed as well. The P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company was a fur removal company sited on the Still River.

Added (structure and flow): During the peak of the hatting industry, mercury pollution transported via the river's current into the Housatonic River, and into the Long Island Sound[8].

The mercury pollution was detrimental to the river's life and the surrounding ecosystems, and didn't start to fully rebound until the construction of the sewage treatment plant. Many species of fish can now be found, and kayak ramps have been installed downriver from Danbury. ADDED: [9]

Edits and Additions: The Still River Watershed is 36% developed land and 14% impervious cover [10]. The largely developed area around the Still River Watershed can lead to varying point sources of pollution, irregular drainage, and flooding. As of September 2019 the Still River Watershed Management Plan outlined multiple best management practices for public sites that can be updated[4].

Exposure Effects from pollution (new section)

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Ecological Effects

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Mercury nitrate levels can differ significantly between legacy pollution sites and other locations. The highest concentration of Mercury in surface sediments of legacy sites was 1990.00 ± 460.13 ng/g dw while the highest concentration in other locations reached 48.39 ng/g dw. The highest concentration of Mercury in the Water of legacy sites was 4.31 ± 1.98 ng/L[10]. Elevated levels of Mercury in fish tissues have been seen in varying locations throughout the river, not only legacy sites. The Eastern Blacknose Dace has been studied in the river because of its limited migratory behavior. The elevated levels of mercury in non-legacy areas can show that other pollutant sources are inputing mercury into the river[10]. The varying mercury levels can also be caused by the presence of certain mercury converting bacteria[11]. The movement of the most mercury in the Still River is caused mainly by flooding and storms which is likely to disturb legacy sediments[8]. The fish exposed to mercury in this region can experience issues related to reproduction, development, and behavior[10].

Anthropogenic Effects

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The anthropogenic effects of mercury nitrate from the Still River remain relatively undocumented, however it is known that some effects were caused by the consumption of fish[12]. Physical effects on humans from mercury poisoning can be both long term and short term, ranging from muscle weakness, to memory and kidney problems. Other anthropogenic effects that resulted from mercury nitrate pollution exposure included nonphysical impacts such as a decrease in the economy. With such high levels of pollution, it was impossible for farmers to work mills or provide water to their animals[3]. Currently, the anthropogenic effects stemming from the river pollution have substantially subsided.

Cleanup and Remediation (needs updating)

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Current section: At least three organizations have an interest in preserving the Still River and its watershed. Spearheaded by Danbury's Health Department, the Still River Alliance was organized in 1995 as a consortium of three different groups. The Alliance developed a website which has not been updated for several years. Due to budget cuts, the driving force behind the Alliance, Jack Kozuchowski, retired and the Still River Alliance seems to have floundered since then. Mr. Kozuchowski is currently an environmental consultant.[citation needed] Coordinated by the Housatonic Valley Association and with funding from Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, key stakeholders and municipalities formed the Still River Partners group and launched an EPA approved watershed planning process to improve the water quality of the Still River which is still active today.

Edits and additions: Since the turnaround of the river's health, three organizations have prioritized preserving the Still River. Spearheaded by Danbury's Health Department, the Still River Alliance was organized in 1995, but has since floundered. The alliance consisted of three different groups; Public Agencies, advocacy groups, and land owners/corporate sponsors/private citizens[6]. Apart of the Housatonic Valley Association, The Still River Connections group offers clean up opportunities to high school students and local citizens[13]. Still Rivers Partners was created in 2014 and is still currently responsible for maintaining the watershed. The group launched an EPA approved watershed planning process to improve the water quality of the Still River which is still active today. Partnered with the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, this group is aiming to increase water quality while also bringing resilience plans for the future[4].

Remove: Current Section.

Development and Conservation (needs updating)

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Current section: The Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership is striving to develop a 38-mile (61 km) River Trail on the Still and Housatonic rivers for canoeing and kayaking. They periodically organize river clean-ups, using paid contractors and volunteers, to clear debris from the river. They also lobby for kayak put-in/out ramps. The beginning of the trail is located behind the Marriott Courtyard hotel, just off of Route 84 (Exit 8) in Danbury. Rapids interrupt the river trail in Brookfield (no portage is available), and three dams across the Housatonic require portages along the way to Long Island Sound.

The Still River Preserve in Brookfield covers about 80 acres (32 ha) adjacent to the river. The preserve is owned by Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust of New Milford, Connecticut.

The city of Danbury has a $4.85 million bonding package, approved in a February 2008 referendum, for use in building recreational projects on city-owned land. A list of potential projects was prepared. It includes completing the native plant hedgerow at Lake Kenosia (part of the Still River, west of the city) and doing a feasibility study to build a boardwalk and bird-watching site on about 20 acres (8.1 ha) the city owns in Mill Plain Swamp (Lake Kenosia discharges into the swamp, which drains into the Still River). A separate $6.6 million bonding package, approved in the same referendum, could be used to purchase Sanford's Pond and building a trail through it.[citation needed]

Edits and Additions: The Still River Greenway is a 2.25 mile conservation area along the river. It runs from the Brookfield Municipal Center to the Brookfield Town Center. Legacy sites impact mercury levels of the river, but non-point source pollution is the main driver of the system. The Still River Watershed consists of 35% developed land and 14% impervious cover[14].

Edits to bad citations and sources:

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- Update external link to Still River Alliance to https://stillriveralliance.wixsite.com/danbury/still-river-alliance

- Update link "Weantinoge Heritage" to https://ctland.org

- Add link to https://hvawatershed.wixsite.com/stillriverwatershed

- Update link "Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership" to https://hvatoday.org



  1. ^ Hobbs, W. H. (1901). Character of the Drainage. In ​Still Rivers of Western Connecticut (Vol. 13, pp. 17-26). Bulletin of the Geological Society of America.
  2. ^ a b c d Bronsther, Rachel; Welsh, Patrick. Mercury in Soils and Sediments. Wesleyan University. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Film to Raise Awareness of Still River History". Danbury, CT Patch. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  4. ^ a b c https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/water/watershed_management/wm_plans/still/stillriverdanburywbppdf.pdf
  5. ^ Hutson, Nanci G.; Writer, Staff (2011-01-18). "History of Danbury's sewer treatment and water systems makes for a remarkable tale". NewsTimes. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  6. ^ a b "STILL RIVER ALLIANCE". danbury. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  7. ^ a b Lerman-Sinkoff, Sarah (April 2014). "Transport and Fate of Historic Mercury Pollution from Danbury, CT through the Still and Housatonic Rivers". Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University. Bachelor of Arts thesis.
  8. ^ a b c Varekamp, J. C., Kreulen, B., Buchholtz ten Brink, M. R., & Mecray, E. L. (2002). Mercury contamination chronologies from Connecticut wetlands and Long Island Sound sediments. ​Environmental Geology​.
  9. ^ "Lake Kenosia Boat Launch - Lake Kenosia". Paddling.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  10. ^ a b c d Anatone, Kayla; Baumann, Zofia; Mason, Robert P.; Hansen, Gunnar; Chernoff, Barry (2020-11-01). "Century-old mercury pollution: Evaluating the impacts on local fish from the eastern United States". Chemosphere. 259: 127484. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127484. ISSN 0045-6535.
  11. ^ "Century-old mercury pollution is persistent in Connecticut's Still River". News-Medical.net. 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  12. ^ R. Falk, J. O. Snihs, L. Ekman, U. Greitz & B. Åberg (1970) Whole- Body Measurements on the Distribution of Mercury-203 in Humans After Oral Intake of Methylradiomercury Nitrate, Acta Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology, 9:1, 55-72, DOI: 10.3109/02841867009129090
  13. ^ "Still River Connections". Housatonic Valley Association. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  14. ^ "SRfactsheet" (PDF). HVA Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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