Harbor Watch / River Watch (HW/RW), one of the many programs of Earthplace-The Nature Discovery Center in Westport, CT, seeks to help protect and restore the biological integrity of the Long Island Sound and its watershed. The program accomplishes its mission by engaging volunteers to actively participate in the collection of water quality data in southwestern Fairfield County. Volunteers aid HW/RW staff in gathering data on dissolved oxygen, salinity, conductivity, indicator bacteria levels, and nutrient levels in estuaries and watersheds that flow into Long Island Sound. The HW/RW Program also studies the juvenile marine benthic (bottom dwelling) fin fish population in the Norwalk Harbor during the warm weather seasons. These data collected from these various efforts are used by state (CT DEP) and local agencies (Health and Conservation Departments) to institute Best Management Practices and to take orrective measures when needed to protect waterways from pollution.

The HW/RW Program has a state-certified water quality laboratory (CT Health Department) for indicator bacteria at Earthplace, and an auxiliary laboratory, which is supported by Norm Bloom & Son Oysters at the facility in East Norwalk. The auxiliary lab helps support and supplements the monitoring work done on storm drain inputs that flow into the Norwalk and Saugatuck estuaries. To find out more about the HW/RW Program click on the following link at the Earthplace website: http://www.earthplace.org/environment/water_quality.html. There you will be able to see a short video highlighting HW/RW activities and projects.