UPDATE 6/4/25: HB7174 has passed! Thank you to those that contacted their representatives!
This year’s Connecticut legislative session ends tomorrow, June 4th, and there is a bill which needs your support. a landmark bill that would take a major step in establishing statewide protections for riparian buffers—the natural vegetated areas alongside rivers and streams that play a critical role in keeping water clean, controlling flooding, and sustaining coldwater habitats for wild trout.
Connecticut is currently the only state in New England without statutory protections for riparian buffers.
For anglers, conservationists, and local communities, this is a commonsense step toward healthier rivers, safer neighborhoods, and better long-term stewardship of the Farmington River and other treasured waterways.
Why It Matters for the Farmington River
Coldwater fisheries depend on clean, cool water. Native riparian buffers naturally regulate stream temperature, reduce erosion, filter pollutants, and provide essential habitat. Without these protections, development and land disturbance too close to our rivers will continue to degrade the very ecosystems we fight to preserve.