River of Words

Kelly Stettner of Springfield is hoping that her handwritten words will inspire state lawmakers to take positive steps to improve the health and recreational enjoyment of the Connecticut River.

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2016-05-12 / Front Page River of Words Group hopes to inspire positive change for Connecticut River dams through art project By Allan Stein allans@eagletimes.com Kelly Stetner of Springfield puts her thoughts about the Connecticut River down on slips of construction paper as part of a “River of Words” community art project sponsored by the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) and Art for Water. — ALLAN STEIN Kelly Stetner of Springfield puts her thoughts about the Connecticut River down on slips of construction paper as part of a “River of Words” community art project sponsored by the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) and Art for Water. — ALLAN STEIN WINDSOR — Kelly Stettner of Springfield is hoping that her handwritten words will inspire state lawmakers to take positive steps to improve the health and recreational enjoyment of the Connecticut River. Stettner, a member of the Black River Action Team (BRAT) in Springfield, and 15 other local conservation-minded people have written “stories” to draw attention to five hydroelectric facilities in New England and the impact they all have on the watershed. On Tuesday, the group put their thoughts down on slips of construction paper as part of a “River of Words” community art project sponsored by the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) and Art for Water. The program was held at the Windsor Town Welcome Center. Art for Water, headed by artist Christine Destremps, is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. The five hydropower facilities are currently in the five-year process of relicensing by the federal Energy Regulatory Commission. CRWC Executive Director Andrew Fisk said the goal of the art project is to influence the relicensing process but in a positive way. “The state and federal government is in the process of making decisions about how these dams will operate over the next 30 [to] 40 years. You have a unique opportunity to influence how 20 miles of Connecticut River will be managed, restored, and improved,” Fisk said. Fisk gave a presentation on the history of the watershed and five hydropower facilities that generate renewable energy to drive the regional economy. At the same time, these facilities negatively affect how migratory fish move up and down the river and cause erosion of farmland and private property, he said. “The public owns our rivers and we have a powerful voice in shaping their future and our energy policy. We want people to tell us what they want for their river,” Fisk said. The watershed flows 410 miles from the Quebec-New Hampshire border to Long Island Sound at Old, Lyme, Connecticut. It is New England’s longest river through four states — New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Thirteen hydropower facilities use the river to produce renewable energy that provides 13 percent of the regional energy supply, Fisk said. “It is very important that people understand that we are making decisions on energy. [The watershed] is an incredibly important piece of the whole northeast energy grid. This will create the licensing conditions that will create the conditions that benefit the public,” he said. What did Stettner have to say in her story? “A balance must be achieved between effective power production, recreational opportunities, a properly functioning river ecosystem, private property values, and economic development,” she said. Fisk said the community art project will incorporate 1,000 individual stories to form a “stream of conscience” about what needs to be done to improve the watershed. The art project will be put on display at state houses in Vermont, New Hampshire, and possibly Massachusetts, by 2017. “If we simplify the [message], the time is now to be engaging with decision makers. What you have to say is important and it will help to shape the future of the Connecticut River,” Fisk said.