Pootatuck River Instream Flow Study
Pootatuck Land Company
Newtown, CT
The Potatuck Land Company (Land Company) has
privately managed a high quality harvestable trout fishery
in the Potatuck River in Newtown, Connecticut for over
100 years. The river in the study area flows through a
forested flood plain nested in hilly, wooded terrain,
however there is residential, commercial and institutional
development surrounding the river corridor. The town of
Newtown proposed to withdraw water from the Potatuck
River to supply new municipal and commercial
developments within the town. The Land Company was
concerned that withdrawal thresholds needed to be
established so that the proposed water withdrawal would
not impair the trout fishery. Kleinschmidt performed an
Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) study to
develop quantitative habitat-discharge relationships in the
river for brown, rainbow and brook trout.
Trout habitat suitability was quantitatively modeled using a Physical Habitat Simulation (PHABSIM) model. Monthly unregulated flow for the study area was estimated in order to determine the duration and frequency of flows that might affect habitat suitability under natural vs. altered hydrologic conditions. Model results compared favorably with independently- derived “Connecticut ABF” estimates developed at Yale University. The Land Company and Newtown collaboratively reviewed study results to determine the feasibility and operational limits for the proposed water withdrawal. The parties were able to negotiate a water withdrawal plan that met both the town’s needs and protected the trout resource.
For further information contact Brandon Kulik, Kleinschmidt, Pittsfield, Maine (207) 487-3328.