albradenphoto's blog

I’m excited to have my photo book on the Connecticut River listed on the Connecticut River Watershed Council’s website. This book features 136 full page photos of the Connecticut River, from the Fourth Lake in Northern New Hampshire to the lighthouse at Saybrook Jetty which marks the river’s entrance into Long Island Sound. Photos along the way highlight issues of ecology, transportation, recreation, industry, farming and needed conservation improvements along the river. These images lead into an afterword, generously contributed by Chelsea Reiff Gwyther, Executive Director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council. I appreciate her help on this project and the relationship we’ve enjoyed for over a the years.

CRWC Homepage 11-22-09 featuring book.

Their book, The Connecticut River Boating Guide, Source to Sea was always in my backpack as I explored the river. It offers the best information, in 10 to 15 mile segments, with way-points, landmarks, water conditions and places to visit along the way.

Their Tidewaters of the Connecticut River, (out of print by findable on Amazon), helped me to points of interest in the important estuaries of the lower Connecticut. And the Robert Perron photo of Griswold Point on page 1, shows it wrapping around the base of Great Island in stark contrast to my current photo showing the results of the winter storm of 2002 where a significant portion was washed away.

Another important CRWC book is Freshwater Mussels and the Connecticut River Watershed by Ethan Nedeau, which views many parts of the watershed through the perspective of these sensitive river dwellers. It is an eyeopening look at the river’s ecology.

During the year, CRWC’s newsletters and annual report provide an up-to-date focus on key issues in conserving this vital resource of New England for ourselves and future generations. Join up with CRWC and be part of the solution. And enjoy the Connecticut River as you do. See: www.ctriver.org

With that background, it’s a pleasure to join their bookstore. Profits of books sold through CRWC will go to support their work in protecting and promoting the river.

Book listing on CRWC website.

In a quick review of The Connecticut River, a photographic journey through the heart of New England, the Boston Globe found ‘an ugly river.’

Much to their credit, the Globe zeroed in directly on the largest remaining source of that ugliness – the combined sewage overflows from Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke, MA – that continue to dump a billion gallons of sewage into the Connecticut River each year. These towns – and the state of Massachusetts – continue to be in a state of denial about this major violation of the Clean Water Act to the extent that the Connecticut River Watershed Council is working hard to build their own water testing laboratories so the Connecticut River is central Massachusetts can be continuously monitored – real time, with citizen support and sampling – and the results publicized. Their hope is to make the public aware of these continued violations and create support for the necessary for the improvements in infrastructure to solve these storm runoff problems.

For info, see: www.ctriver.org/programs/advocacy/clean_rivers/index.html.

As the Globe mentioned, public outcry – and a Federal lawsuit – did finally result in the clean up of Boston Harbor. I hope the people in Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke – as well as those on Beacon Hill – will hear this message and respond in solving the problem.

Sales have been good on my Connecticut River book which contains 136 full page photos. It just hit the top ranking for a ‘Connecticut River’ search, displacing the Connecticut River Boating Guide by the Connecticut River Watershed Council.

Of course, in the long run, the CRWC will be back at the top. It is the best resource for exploring the Connecticut River and was constantly in my back pack while photographing the river. Many of my Connecticut River photos are in the guide too. And we’ll be selling my book of Connecticut River photos soon on the CRWC website.

After 29 years as the leading outdoor and environmental writer for the Hartford Courant, Steve Grant has retired to the freelance world and set up his own website and journal. Here, in the Nov. 4, 2009 posting, he gives a good review of two books on the Connecticut River.

He compares two views of the Connecticut River, mine with The Connecticut River, a photographic journey through the heart of New England and David Morine’s Two Coots in a Canoe: An Unusual Story of Friendship.

It makes an interesting comparison, see http://thestevegrantwebsite.com/journal

Richard Ewald at the Connecticut River Watershed Council also found both books interesting and plans to list them both for sale soon on the updated CRWC website: www.ctriver.org. With his recommendation, I’ve ordered Morine’s book and look forward to reading it.

Of course, on the subject of Connecticut River books, the CRWC’s own The Connecticut River Boating Guide, is the bible of Connecticut River explorers, with detailed descriptions of landmarks and points of interest broken down into roughly 15 mile segments. This book was always with me as I traveled the river and I am happy to have contributed many photos to the new and expanded Third Edition.