HADDAM, Conn. — The Connecticut B.A.S.S. Nation (CBN) announced the news with before and after photos and just six words: “The ugly orange barrier is gone.”
In what Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. conservation director, calls “a victory for angler access,” a barrier that was erected for no apparent reason on the Connecticut River two years ago was removed.
Alan Aronow, a reporter for the Haddam Bulletin newspaper, credited public pressure from the fishing community, boaters and concerned citizens for its removal.
In 2013, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. placed that barrier across the mouth of a one-mile canal on the Connecticut River, blocking access to some of river’s best fishing. It claimed the blockade was part of security precautions mandated by federal licensing requirements, even though the nuclear plant was decommissioned years before. As anglers and other river users grumbled about the sudden loss of access and the marring of the scenic beauty of the river, Aronow decided to investigate.
His findings prompted the CBN to distribute a flyer that insisted the federal government did not require or authorize the closing of the canal. An online petition to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) pressured the agency to revoke the after-the-fact permit for the barrier.
“Investigative reporters unearthed a lot of material to show that the barrier was installed unnecessarily and blocked access to a public trust waterway,” Aronow explained.
Ultimately, Andy Fisk, executive director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, and Haddam’s First Selectman Melissa Schlag aggressively negotiated with DEEP and the power company to remove the barrier.
“Bottom line, if it weren’t for the online petition and strong response by fishing community, I think the barrier would still there,” Aronow said.
