The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), American Whitewater, and other recreation partners say they will hold two public events “to tell hydropower companies you want better access to the Connecticut River.”
According to a news release, a pair of “portage parades” will focus on upgrades to portage routes for paddlers around the Bellows Falls and Turners Falls, Mass., dams as examples of recreation investments that would benefit local communities.
The events will start with a brief gathering outdoors for participants to learn more about the issues, followed by a parade along the existing 1.5-mile portage route in Bellows Falls and a proposed alternative route in Turners Falls.
Participants are encouraged to bring signs and noisemakers to the Turners Falls portage parade on Saturday, July 10 and the Bellows Falls portage parade on Saturday, July 17.
Additional details and links to register can be found at ctriver.org/events.
“This is your opportunity to speak up for the river and call for investments that match the recreation needs of the 21st century,” said CRC River Steward Kathy Urffer.
“These hydro companies are using the public's river, and we need to highlight recreation investments they should be making as part of new operating licenses that will be finalized soon and will remain in place for the next 50 years,” she added.
Hydroelectric facilities like the Turners Falls and Bellows Falls Dams create obstacles to river recreation. Hydro companies are required to accommodate for recreation as part of their operating licenses.
Great River Hydro owns the Wilder, Bellows Falls, and Vernon Dams in Vermont and New Hampshire. FirstLight Power owns Turners Falls Dam and Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage in Massachusetts. Together, these five hydro facilities impact more than 175 miles of the Connecticut River.
In December, both companies applied for renewed operating licenses for these five facilities that, once issued, will be in place and dictate the terms of how these hydro facilities will operate for the next 30 to 50 years.
“It's critical that we all speak up now in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to influence these operating licenses,” says Urffer.