Grants Fund First Ecological Master Plan for Ash Creek Tidal Estuary

The Ash Creek Conservation Assn. is developing an Ecological Master Plan for the Ash Creek Tidal Estuary. This will result in a narrative, map and drawings that the organization will use to educate the public and provide scientific data for future watershed projects. Funding for this project comes through three sources. The Fairfield County Community Foundation has provided a $5,000 grant. The Watershed Assistance Small Grants Program is conducted in association with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The small grants program is administered by Rivers Alliance of Connecticut. They have also provided a $5,000 grant for the project. In-kind donations have also been provided by two ecological consultants: Steve Danzer of Steven Danzer Ph.D. & Associates LLC, a professional wetlands scientist and Bryan Quinn, a specialist in ecological habitat restoration.

Milan Bull, senior director of science and conservation for the Connecticut Audubon Society supports the project stating that, “The Ash Creek tidal estuary is an important, key component in the string of stopover habitats for migrant shorebirds (and other bird species) that begins as far north as Baffin Island in northern Canada and may end as far south as Argentina. As many of these important stopover habitats are degraded by development and pollution, it is rare to find a healthy estuarine environment, complete with the prerequisite mud flats and salt marshes such as currently exists at Ash Creek. Even rarer are the local, grassroots environmental organizations willing to spend the time and effort to protect these critical resources.”

The Ash Creek tidal estuary plays a significant role in the support and sustenance of a rich variety of bird, plant and marine life, contributes to flood control and acts as a filter for pollution and waste. Ash Creek is part of the Rooster River watershed and consists of the tidal portion of the Rooster River. The Rooster River becomes Ash Creek in the vicinity of the Brewster Street Bridge, and flows down to St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea where it enters the Sound. Ash Creek is considered a tidal estuary since it is a large tidal water body that connects to the Sound. Its shallowness and proximity to high-density residential areas makes it an important, but fragile ecosystem requiring ongoing monitoring and protection.

Ash Creek has been suffering human impacts for a long time. An earlier grassroots environmental organization formed in 1967 effectively stopped fill activity by shoreline owners, and removed 28 tons of trash from Ash Creek. That earlier organization was active for 20 years (until 1987). During the 16-year period when there was no grassroots organization to protect Ash Creek illegal fill and other development, activity was poorly monitored. Trash once again began to litter the shoreline and poorly planned developments began to take their toll. In 2003, the Ash Creek Conservation Assn. (ACCA) was formed by local residents to protect the tidal estuary.

For the current project, ACCA has assembled an advisory committee consisting of the primary municipal and state stakeholders: Tom Steinke, director of the town of Fairfield’s Conservation Department; Steve Hladun, project coordinator for the city of Bridgeport’s Parks Department and State Representative Auden Grogins for the state of Connecticut. Mayor Finch called this project, “a great first step of an important initiative: to bring additional environmental stewardship and an awareness component to the benefit of the city of Bridgeport.” 

Source: Ash Creek Conservation Assn.