Summer Gala

Despite our worries about Tropical Storm Debby, and the gray skies early in the day, the weather improved just in time for our nearly 500 guests. We had a wonderful event at our Summer Gala in August.

Thank you all for supporting the Watershed Alliance! The Gala always features great food, a gorgeous riverscape, open bar, live music and our silent auction.

Many thanks to Mark Luttmann and Cindy Wilson, co-chairs of the 2024 Summer Gala, for attending to every detail of planning and managing this important event!

Thanks also to Lisa Luttmann, who expertly managed the impressive silent auction, to Paul Pineault and his crew who made sure that the parking was smooth and orderly, and to Norma Pineault and her helpers for making the event and auction run so smoothly on the night of the Gala.

We appreciate all the volunteers who worked diligently on site and behind the scenes to help make the Gala a big success.

Summer Water Quality Monitoring Results

Over the past three years, the WRWA water quality results show changes in fecal coliform bacteria levels across various locations in the Westport River. 

Summary of the key trends and improvements observed from 2022 to 2024.

1. Overall Water Quality:

• 2022: This year saw high spikes in bacteria levels, particularly at the Head of Westport, where levels reached up to 10,000 colonies per 100 mL in late August. Other locations like Doctors Point and Hix Bridge also recorded elevated bacteria counts, though less extreme.
• 2023: High bacteria levels continued into 2023, with major spikes at Doctors Point (16,800 colonies) and Hix Bridge (15,200 colonies), particularly in August.
• 2024: While certain areas still saw elevated levels, the overall trend in 2024 shows a significant reduction in extreme bacteria spikes compared to previous years. The highest count recorded was 970 colonies per 100 mL at Doctors Point in late July.

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2. Impact of Rainfall:

Across all three years, there is a clear correlation between rainfall and increased bacteria levels. Heavy rain tends to result in spikes, particularly at the Head of Westport, Doctors Point, and Hix Bridge.

• In 2022, even moderate rainfall led to sharp increases, especially at the Head of Westport.
• By 2024, while rainfall still influenced bacteria counts, the spikes were less extreme, suggesting possible improvements in water management.

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3. Location-Specific Trends:

• Head of Westport: Consistently showed high bacteria levels, especially in 2022 and 2023. However, these levels reduced somewhat in 2024, though the area remains a concern.
• Doctors Point & Hix Bridge: Both locations had elevated bacteria counts in all three years, with improvement in 2024 but still above safe thresholds at times.
• Westport Point, Cadman’s Neck, and Charlton Wharf: These areas consistently maintained safer bacteria levels, with only occasional spikes.

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4. Improvement in 2024:

Compared to 2022 and 2023, the year 2024 saw improved water quality, with fewer extreme spikes and more stable bacteria levels overall. This suggests progress in environmental management and mitigation efforts, leading to safer conditions for swimming and recreation.

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The water quality in the Westport River is showing positive signs of improvement, particularly in 2024. However, locations like the Head of Westport, Doctors Point, and Hix Bridge still require ongoing monitoring, especially after periods of heavy rainfall. Continued efforts will be crucial to ensure the long-term health of the river and the safety of those using it for recreation and shellfish harvesting.

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Summer Open Days at the River Center: A Major Success!



This summer, the River Center series of 20 open house events attracted over 250 attendees, including almost 100 families, reflecting a strong and growing community interest in our programs. Compared to last year, we saw a 32% increase in the number of children attending and a 5% rise in adults.

Overall, the expanded schedule and increased engagement made this summer's series of free open days a tremendous success, further solidifying the River Center's role as a vital resource for environmental education in our community. We look forward to building on this success in the years to come!  

As we transition into the fall season, we're excited to announce our upcoming Fall-themed Open House events. Be sure to drop by and explore the exciting array of activities and crafts we have in store for you. We can't wait to see you at our next event!

Mark your calendars! The next Open Days in the River Center are:

Saturday, October 5 - Spooky Science

Saturday, November 2 - All About Autumn

Saturday, December 7 - Green Gifting: Upcycle Your Holidays

The Votes Are In!

Calendar Contest Winners

We had many excellent photos entered in this year's annual photo contest to choose the images for the 2025 Photo Calendar. As in past years, we gave our members and friends the opportunity to select the winning photos by viewing a slide presentation on our YouTube channel.

• Sunset Westport Point by Greg Stone

• Snowy Owl at Gooseberry by Carolyn Edwards

• Sunrise at Allens Pond by Greg Stone

• Moon over the Village by Joanne Humphrey

• Great Egret Landing by Carolyn Edwards

• Checking on the Chicks by Steve Connors

• Dawn at the Point by Amir Viskin

• Westport Gold by Mary Anne Thadeu

• Westport Point Sunset by David Cole

• Autumn Splendor by Rich Castenson

• Waiting for the Sun by Bill Kern

• Gooseberry Waves by Tom Short

Cover – Egret Rising by Amir Viskin

This year's calendar continues WRWA's history of acquiring beautiful and meaningful photos of our unique coastal area and displaying the images in our annual calendar, We also include the "Tide Lines" showing high and low tides for every day of the year.

Calendars will be available next month at the River Center, on our web page, and at Partners Village Store.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped out at our Electronics Recycling day last week. We had a very good turnout and brought in approximately 5,000 lbs. of old computer and electronic equipment. WRWA offers this service by IndieCycle to the community twice a year, in the spring and fall.