Research Pursuits and Reports

The Baker Cover Watershed is a small 4.2 square mile expanse of developed and undeveloped landscape located within the jurisdictions of the City and Town of Groton. Although small, it plays an important role in preserving the water quality of Baker Cove and Fisher’s Island Sound. The Baker Cove Watershed is comprised of three smaller watersheds:

• Birch Plain Creek
• Jupiter Point
• “Watershed B”

Planning at the watershed level can help to maintain high water quality, thus preserving wildlife, shellfish and aquatic habitats. It also helps to ensure recreational and scenic resources are preserved, both on land and water. In 2011, the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District, in collaboration with other organizations, completed the Baker Cove Track Down Survey and Abbreviated Watershed-Base Plan. This plan outlines the features of the Baker Cove Watershed, its significance and strategies for protecting and enhancing water quality. This document is available for download below.

ECCD was awarded a Clean Water Act §319 Nonpoint Source Program grant by CT DEEP to carry out implementation strategies listed in the Baker Cove Abbreviated Watershed-Based Plan. From June 2017 to September 2019, the focus of this project was a regional effort to evaluate and address a large population of non-migratory Canada Geese that utilize Baker Cove and the surrounding area and contribute to the bacteria load in Baker Cove. An outcome of the Project is a management matrix  of strategies to control non-migratory Canada Geese at select sites within a 5-6 mile radius around Baker Cove.

In order to ensure the success of the Baker Cove Abbreviated Watershed-based Plan, it was recommended that the stakeholders form a watershed management team and meet periodically to review the progress of the implementation strategies outlined in the Plan. The Baker Cove Watershed Committee (BaCWaC) was created in September 2019 as an outcome of the Baker Cove Non-migratory Canada Geese Project. To learn more and get involved with the committee to work on action items, go to ECCD’s webpage here & click on the Watershed Committees tab.

More information is available below:

1) Do Not Feed the Waterfowl

2) Canada Geese Fact Sheet

3) Management Matrix

In the Fall of 2018, the Cities of Groton, CT and New London, CT – under the umbrella of the Thames River Innovation Places – hired Ninigret Partners to prepare a redevelopment analysis for two study areas: the Thames Street/Bridge Street area of Groton and the Hodges Square neighborhood in New London.

This study is a high-level, policy-oriented document intended to guide future action in the two study areas. Recommendations provide conceptual-level strategies for strengthening the sense of place and vitality of each area, and outline real estate and physical improvement recommendations that would serve as a guide for future investment. The study has identified several strategies that have low barriers to entry – meaning they can be acted upon quickly, with low cost and relative ease. However, many of these strategies will require more in-depth study to understand exactly how they might be implemented.

Documents:

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•  Thames Street Final Report 082719 (29.3 MiB)  
•  Thames Street Final Report 082719 Low Res (11.5 MiB)  

In 2005 the City purchased two parcels of land on Thames Street, one parcel providing direct public access to the Thames River. The waterfront parcel consists of an existing dock and finger piers and the second is located directly across the street and adjoins Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. Redevelopment of the property in some form could lead to promoting sustainable commercial redevelopment on Thames Street. Helping to catalyze this is the fact the sites are within very short walking distances to the Thames River Heritage Park Water Taxi and the Thames Street commercial district.

While no specific future use has been finalized for the landward parcel, the waterfront parcel is becoming transformed as passive recreation and provides much needed public waterfront access. In 2017 the City completed the installation of a new bulkhead and street side retaining wall, improving the site for safe public access to the waterfront. In the same year, the City received a Small Harbor Improvement Project Program (SHIPP) Grant to design and engineer the first phase of a larger project to bring transient boat docks to the area. When construction is funded, the first phase will construct a new dock facility and kayak launch central to the site and at the location of the existing pier remains, as well as a public restroom facility. Future funding will continue to be sought to implement phase one and additional phases.

As the ‘historic’ commercial center of Groton, Thames Street plays an important role in our coastal heritage.  As the City works to revitalize and reinvent Thames Street, it is important to remember past efforts to plan for the corridor’s future.

Related Documents:

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•  One Way – Comparison Presentation (0.4 MiB)  
•  One-Way Feasibility Study – 070108 (2.5 MiB)  
•  Thames Street Beutification Program 1990 (0.9 MiB)  
•  Thames Street Revitalization Advisory Committee 1989 (1.9 MiB)  
•  Thames Street Study 1982 (4.8 MiB)