SEE SPRING RAIN BARREL SALE INFO AT BOTTOM! ORDER BY Sunday May 5!  ~ Baker Cove is a small estuary of Fisher Island Sound located between Groton Town & City, and loosely bounded by Groton-New London airport to the east, and Jupiter Point to the west. Baker Cove is listed as ‘impaired’ due to high bacteria counts. This is likely caused by excess fecal coliform bacteria from waterfowl, pet, and/or human waste (via sewer or septic) reaching the cove via stormwater run-off and Birch Plain Creek or other tributaries. Other contaminants may include leaky vehicles, lawn fertilizer, pesticides or sediment (which is eroded soil).

The Baker Cove Watershed Committee, or "Bacwac" for short (pronounced Back-whack), is a volunteer task-force featuring business, municipal, non-profit, and institutional leaders, and residents and business-- which endeavors to improve water quality in and around Baker Cove. The group is led by the non-profit Eastern CT Conservation District (ECCD) which first wrote the grant to create the Cove's DEEP-approved Watershed-Based-Plan. ECCD continues to sponsor and facilitate the group's efforts. 

Activities include education and promotion of water-friendly infrastructure-- or Low Impact Development (LID)-- throughout the Baker Cove drainage basin (peach shaded area on map).  Increased use of * RAIN GARDENS, * RAIN BARRELS, and * RIPERIAN BUFFERS  -- and ending Fats, Rags, Oils, & Grease ('FROG') being put down drains -- are all ways residents can be a part of larger pollution source control, and stormwater collection and infiltration efforts to improve water quality. In 2024, the Committee will also see the start of a volunteer sampling program to monitor water quality, led by UCONN Natl. Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) and UCONN Professor Zofia Baumann, and which, over time, will offer valuable insight to help decision-making. 

The group meets 6x a year via Zoom, and distributes a Baker Cove map & brochure with guidance on pollution control. Look for it in Town and City offices or call Public Works. Volunteers are welcome; for  tabling/public education, plantings, planning, and community engagement. You can also HELP by taking a brief survey on your phone https://forms.gle/wQKSPhgf6nK4DqzK6 or use the QR code here. Your replies will help guide our decisions. Check out the Baker Cove Watershed Committee official ECCD content page  for more information. Questions? Contact Groton Town Public Works Stormwater Coord. Michelle Maitland 860-494-4544 mmaitland@groton-ct.gov.

For a limited time BUY A RAIN BARREL AT COST & do your part to lessen flooding 
GO TO https://www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community  SELECT: CT > Groton -- and shop this deal… 3 styles & 3 colors are available, or unpainted
ORDER BY SUN. MAY 5 (midnight): $96 - $101 (incl. hardware & mosquito screen) PICK-UP: Sat. May 18, 9-11 am @ Municipal Bldg, 295 Meridian St, Groton City 
QUESTIONS? The Great American Rain Barrel site offers extensive Q&A and videos but these articles may be of added interest:
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