Comprehensive Water and Related Land Resources Investigation Connecticut River Basin. Volume VII. Appendix K. Plan Formulation. Appendix L. Navigation.

The general objective is the formulation of a basin plan that will serve as a flexible guide for the orderly development and optimum utilization of the water and related land resources of the basin. The basin plan places emphasis on those actions found necessary to meet water resources needs for the 1980 time frame, and identifies potential measures to meet needs through the year 2020. Since the early use of the Connecticut River by Indian tribes the river has become a major artery for western New England. The 1980 basin plan of improvement recommendes deepening the channel below Hartford to 16 feet at mean low water and widening the channel to 250 feet at an estimated cost of 4,200,000. The study also reviewed the need for commercial navigation improvements above Hartford and determined that the present methods of pipeline and truck delivery appear to be the most economical means for meeting the need for petroleum products above Hartford at the present time. Boating activity between Long Island Sound and Hartford has doubled in the past fifteen years. The existing peak-day traffic of 7,000 boats between Old Saybrook and Hartford is expected to increase to 20,000 boats by the year 2020. It is anticipated that construction of additional marinas and provision of boating facilities at existing State parks along the river would meet most of this demand.