Watershed Initiative Works To Stop 'Everyday Pollution'

A group of volunteers near Candlewood Lake have launched an educational campaign to reduce what the group calls “everyday” pollution. WNPR’s Nancy Cohen reports

Jim McAlister says he’s lucky. He has a cabin with a beautiful view of Candlewood Lake. That's motivated him to chair The Candlewood Watershed Initiative, a volunteer group of residents and environmental professionals who are encouraging the public to be more careful about activities that can contaminate the Candlewood watershed.

"It’s the kinds of things that most of us  do as a matter of course, as a matter of daily habit without  thinking about it, be it related to fertilizers  or pesticides or permitting fluids to drain from our  cars. It’s the everyday actions that can cause irreparable harm to the watershed."

This weekend volunteers with the Initiative are attaching signs to catch basins in New Fairfield advising people not to dump anything down these drains, because they lead directly to streams and lakes. 

For more information on the Candlewood Watershed Initiative contact CWI4OurLakesSake@aol.com.

For WNPR, I’m Nancy Cohen.