In the 19th and 20th Centuries, the Naugatuck River served as an industrial route, slicing through the State of Connecticut. What remains are abandoned brass and copper mills and numerous Superfund sites that have killed all life within the river. Flowing through the "Brass City" of Waterbury, the valley is nearly invisible and inaccessible to the surrounding communities, and includes virtually no publicly-owned land. In the face of these challenges, the City engaged a nine month feasibility study to identify the river valley's potential use as a recreational greenway corridor, leading to a plan widely supported by advocates, the community, the City, the Congressional delegation and numerous property owners along the proposed route.
The Waterbury, CT Naugatuck River Greenway Plan was celebrated recently with a reception at the Mattatuck Museum, attended by a cross section of community leaders, landowners, the media, elected officials and citizens. They now have a vision of the Greenway in their future. The final plan can be viewed
here.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar named the Naugatuck River Greenway as one of the 100 most promising projects designed to protect special places and increase access to the outdoors. More >
