Housatonic Valley Association

Protecting Your Backyard

In Massachusetts
Water Quality Testing
in the schools

In Connecticut
The Litchfield Hills
Greenprint Project

In New York
Stream Teams
on the Tenmile River

Our Mission

The Housatonic Valley Association, founded in 1941, works to conserve the natural character and environmental health of our communities by protecting and restoring the lands and waters of the Housatonic Watershed for this and future generations.

The Board of Directors and staff of the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) protects land and water throughout the entire 2,000-square-mile, tri-state Housatonic River valley.

We Want You! volunteer and internship opportunities

HVA depends on the help of hundreds of volunteers to work on the many land and water protection projects in the 2000-square-mile Housatonic Valley. We are also fortunate to work with high-school and college interns on many environmental and community service programs.
You can volunteer to help out in the field, in our office or at our many special events throughout the year. If you have skills or interests that are not listed below, call Membership/Volunteer Coordinator Paula Bush at 800-TEAM-HVA or e-mail: volunteer@hvatoday.org. We'll find a great job for you!

HVA MEMBERSHIP


People who care about the environment support HVA. If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining our mission to protect the watershed, contact us, or print out the form below and mail it to HVA with your check or credit card (Mastercard or Visa only) information. To donate by phone please contact Membership/Volunteer Coordinator Paula Bush at 860-672-6678 or pbush@hvatoday.org.

For more on giving through your employer, visit Giving in the Workplace.

For planned giving, call Community Affairs Director Liba H. Furhman at 860-672-6678 or lfurhman@hvatoday.org.

HVA Events

Throughout the year, HVA holds many events . . . from hikes and canoe trips to special events such as the annual golf tournament, annual auction and annual meeting.

HVA Publications

Housatonic Current
Autumn 2005

HVA 2004
Annual Report

Streamside Buffers

Groundwater
& You

Stream Team Reports

Teachers Resource Guide
to Environmental
Educational Resources Storm Drain
Brochure "The Housatonic Greenway in Massachusetts: A Progress Report"

Lakes Lillinonah
& Zoar
West Branch
East Branch
Lee/Lenox
Stockbridge
Great Barrington
Sheffield

2001 East Branch Water Quality Report 2002 West Branch/
Southwest Branch Water Quality Report
2001-2003 East Branch
Water Quality Report

2003 West Branch/
Southwest Branch
Water Quality Report

Dalton/Hinsdale
Riverside Greenway Trail

Contact

Housatonic Valley Association

Connecticut and New York
860-672-6678 or 1-800-TEAMHVA
Fax: 860-672-0162
E-mail:
ct@hvatoday.org

P.O. Box 28, 150 Kent Road
Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754

Massachusetts
413-394-9796
FAX: 413-394-9818
E-mail:
ma@hvatoday.org

P.O. Box 251, 1383 Route 102
South Lee, MA 01260

Water Protection

HVA protects rivers and streams throughout the entire Housatonic River Watershed from the river's source in Massachusetts to Long Island Sound through a series of programs that include: Water Quality Monitoring, Flow Monitoring, Stream Teams, Storm Drain Awareness and Streamside Buffers.

The Housatonic River Watershed

The Housatonic River flows 149 miles from its four sources in western Massachusetts. Following a south to southeasterly direction, the river passes through western portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut before reaching its destination at Long Island Sound at Milford Point. The Housatonic River has a total fall of 1430 feet (959 feet from the confluence of the East and West Branches). Its major tributaries are the Williams, Green and Konkapot Rivers in Massachusetts, the Tenmile River in New York, and the Shepaug, Pomperaug, Naugatuck and Still Rivers in Connecticut.
The river's watershed, or the land area which drains into the river, encompasses 1,948 square miles and is characterized by rugged terrain giving way to rolling hills and flat stretches of marshland in the south.

While problems do exist in defined stretches, overall the river is characterized by high water quality. The river's flows are sufficient to support Class I, II, III and IV rapids.

With more than 100,000 acres of public recreation land throughout the watershed, opportunities for swimming, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, sculling, boating, hiking, camping and cross-country skiing abound. The Appalachian Trail runs along the river for five miles between Kent and Cornwall Bridge, the longest stretch of river walk between Georgia and Maine. Farther north the trail again parallels the river for about one-mile in Sheffield, MA.

Mapping Town Resources

The challenge of balancing growth with environmental protection can be overwhelming for land use boards and commissions. Many a frustrated conservationist, town commissioner, or developer can tell stories which could have had happier endings if better information had been available more quickly. This is where HVA can help your town. HVA offers a fee-based service program which can provide GIS and land planning services to landowners, municipalities and other organizations.

Using its Geographic Information System (GIS) and land-planning skills, HVA assists local communities and organizations in guiding growth and development in the watershed. The speed and vast information database of the GIS drastically reduces the time needed to research, plan, and map the environmental effects and consequences of various land uses and decisions.



In Massachusetts, call HVA at 413-394-9796, stop by the office at 1383 Rt. 102, South Lee, MA, or email: ma@hvatoday.org.
In Connecticut and New York, call HVA at 860-672-6678, stop by the office at 150 Kent Road, Cornwall Bridge, CT, or e-mail: volunteers@hvatoday.org.