Patchogue+River

**Drainage Basin: South Central Coast** =1. About this Watershed= There are two tidal rivers, the Patchogue and Menunketesuck River, both are located in Westbrook, Ct. The Patchogue River starts at the northeastern end of Duck Island Roads and flows for three miles through Westbrook 4]. A good part of this river is located in back yards and in homes. The headwaters are located behind in Westbrook Middle School.
 * Patchogue River** toc



According to the state of Connecticut the Patchogue are classified as Class A from their sources to tidewater. Class A water is suitable for drinking and / or bathing and all other uses. The tidewaters are classified as SA. SA waters are suitable for all sea including shellfish harvesting for direct human consumption.4]

1a. Map of watershed
== Map from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 4] = = =2. Geology= Add text and links here.  =3. Hydrology= Add text and links here.  =4. History= The Patchogue Rive was nicknamed Milltown because of the many mills -- gristmills, sawmills, paper, wool, cotton mills. They operated on Patchogue waterways from as early as 1750. During the Prohibition era of the '20s, the river handy was a port for bootleggers. The notorious New York City gangster Dutch Schultz set up a headquarters in Patchogue, giving lucrative employment to farm boys who helped unload and hide the illegal kegs. In 1869 the Long Island Rail Road arrived, for a while Patchgoue was the end of the South Shore line. The rail road brought thousands of visitors from the city during the summer. 2]

= = =5. Human Use & Impact= In 1917, the first federal project was completed; it was located at Duck Island, approximately one mile south of Westbrook. It consisted of three riprap; one north from Duck Island, 1,100 feet long; one west from the island 267 feet long; and one south from Stone Island, 3,750 feet long and sixteen foot deep anchorage behind the break waters at Duck Island.The second federal project was completed in 1957; it included an access channel eight feet deep extending from deep water in the Long Island Sound to the head of U.S. Route 1 Highway Bridge. The channel is 75 feet long and approximately 5,200 feet long. Furthermore, the project included an anchorage and maneuvering are eight feet deep and 75 feet wide and 500 feet long opposite the town wharf and a sand-tight stone jetty extending 600 feet southerly into Duck Island Roads. In 1982 there were existing conditions. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, since the construction in project in 1956, the marine facilities on the Patchogue and the Menunketesuck Rivers have been growing constantly. The main problem was the current access into Long Island Sound, it was not designed to accommodate the number of boats using it; there are long delays to those entering or leaving Westbrook. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers came up with four plans. __**Plan B-**__ Widen the existing Federal channel from 75 to 125 feet from deep water in Long Island Sound to joining together the Patchogue and Menunketesuck Rivers, approximately 1,800 feet. The channel would be constructed to the existing depth of eight feet at mean low water. The channel would be widened on the west side of the existing channel. __**Plan C-**__ Widen the existing Federal channel from 75 to 150 feet from deep water in the Long Island Sound to joining together the Patchogue and Menunketesuck Rivers, approximately 1,800 feet. The channel would be constructed would be constructed to the existing depth of eight feet at mean low water. The channel would be widened on the west side of the existing channel. __**Plan D-**__Widen the existing Federal channel from 75 to 100 feet from deep water in Long Island Sound to the highway bridge at U.S. Route 1. __**Plan** **B**__ was chosen based on the engineering, economic and environmental criteria. 4] 4]
 * __Plan A__-**Widen the existing Federal channel from 75 to 100 feet from feet water in the Long Island Sound to Joining together the Patchgoue and the Menunketesuck Rivers, approximately 1,800 feet. The channel would be constructed to the existing depth of eight feet at mean low water. The channel would be widened on the west side of the existing channel.

4a.The River Today
On February 6, 2008 a town meeting was held in Westbrook, Ct. to discuss the Patchogue River. Many people believe that it is only a boater’s problem and it is not a community issue. According to First Selectman Noel Bishop “‘this community benefits in so many ways from the boating industry’”. 7]The filling sand in the river, at the average low tide, it is only six feet deep in some sections rather than eight feet, according to Jim Hunicke Commission Chairman of Westbrook Harbor Management. This is a problem because some boats require the eight foot dept to get into the marinas. Last summer about 100 boats that ran aground “creating an unpleasant experience” 7]. If the residents approve the dredging it will be completed by April 1, 2008. The Patchogue River will have parts dredged thanks to the Harbor management Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The work will be done by Maryland-based DredgeMD. This project will add another 1.5 feet of depth at the outer point of the river. The deadline for will be May 10, 2008 8]. Maryland-based DredgeMD was selected for the project in April 2008; however, they did not finish the work in the allotted time. They were replaced by Connecticut Dredge.“According to first Selectman Noel Bishop said Connecticut Dredge is dredging the mouth of the Patchogue River channel and will be finished by May 15, 2009. Connecticut Dredge was hired after town officials reversed a decision to forgo a “short-term” dredging project at the mouth of the channel, and wait for a larger U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project that would dredge the entire channel.” 3]Add text and links here. 

=6. Flora (Plants)= There are rare / endangered plants,Graves beach plum, Pognia and Spreading Globeflower. == 6] =7. Fauna (Animals)= Along the river there are clams {soft and hard shelled}, oysters and blue mussels. At the mouth, were it breaks into Duck Island Harbors there are fluke, black fish and scup, lobsters and crabs {blue, green, fiddler, and cancer}. 4]  =8. Lesson Plans & Field Studies= Add text and links here.  =9. Personal Stories= Add text and links here.  =10. Community Groups= Add text and links here.  =11. Recreation= The main recreation use of this is river is for marinas. It is hard to get into the marinas unless you have a boat or have a pass into them. There are many some restaurants located along the river. According to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection are fourteen marines that are Ct Certified Clean Marinas. Two of them are on the Patchgoue River; Ritt's Marine Center and Harry's Marine Repair.

'DEP awarded Ritt’s Marine Center the 12th Clean Marina Certification on September 9, 2008. Ritt’s Marine Center is located on the west side of the Patchogue River south of the “Singing Bridge” in Westbrook. This family-operated marina provides slips for up to 75 boats and offers sales and maintenance of vessels. There are areas clearly designated for trash collection, and for recycling of oil and both lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries. Ritt’s Marine Center uses biodegradable, environmentally friendly cleaning compounds for marine vessel maintenance. They also provide bags for proper pet waste disposal. With the addition of Ritt’s Marine Center to the Clean Marina Certification program, a growing number of marine facilities in Westbrook are helping to protect our resources'. 1] 5] ** Harry’s Marine Repair, Westbrook ** 'In July 2003, DEP honored Harry’s Marine Repair, a 76-slip facility located on the Patchogue River in Westbrook, as the first marina/full-service boatyard certified as a CT Clean Marina. Harry’s Marine Repair reuses used antifreeze to winterize the pumpout systems, requires that only dustless vacuum sanders be used for sanding boats, stores customers’ small gas tanks within the secondary containment area for the above-ground gasoline tank, and encourages customers to protect their boats with reusable covers in the winter by providing summer storage for the tarps, thereby reducing the solid waste associated with shrink wrap. The marina also collects and either reuses or recycles bottles and cans, used oil, used antifreeze, waste batteries, even scrap metal and spent zinc anodes. The marina has a custom-designed boat sewage pumpout and dump station available to the public, and provides bags for disposal of pet waste. Harry’s Marine Repair educates customers about their environmental practices by distributing clean boating flyers, and willingly takes customer suggestions on how to improve environmental practices'. 1]
 * Ritt's Marine Center, Westbrook **

 =12. Related Links=  =13. Notes/Sources= 1. http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2705&q=323524&depNav_GID=1635 2.[] 3.[] 4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England Division. (1982). //Patchogue River Westbrook, Connecticut// 5. [] 6. [] 7. [] 8. []