Housatonic River basin overview

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5395362

The Housatonic River basin drains 1,950 square miles of western Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Problems in the basin include projected public water supply deficits in 22 towns, and high phosphorus levels (causing excessive algae growth) in impoundments along the river's course caused by municipal and industrial discharges and other nonpoint sources. Other problems in the basin include contamination of the Housatonic River by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic chemicals which are concentrated in fish and bottom sediments at certain locations along the river. Extensive planning studies, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Housatonic Urban Study and PCB studies by the states and U.S. Geological Survey, are examining the problems and possible solutions. The overview stresses that cooperation among the three states and various federal, regional, and local agencies is crucial to solving the problems.

• Research Organization: New England River Basins Commission, Boston, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5395362
• Report Number(s): PB-82-107152
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CONNECTICUT
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION I
FEDERAL REGION II
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
MASSACHUSETTS
MATERIALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NEW YORK
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
PESTICIDES
PHOSPHORUS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
USA
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
WATER SUPPLY