Regional Focus Areas

The CSREES New England Water Quality Program focuses research, education, and Extension efforts in the following areas:

Agricultural Nutrient and Pest Management
Increases in organic production, particularly in the dairy industry, have created new opportunities for reducing the risks of pesticide contamination and new challenges for nutrient management. New England programs draw upon educational and applied research successes to address water quality issues related to agricultural systems.

Animal Waste Management
Effective education and applied research programs are critical to assist farmers in achieving the goal of economically efficient livestock production and water quality protection. University Extension and its partners have assisted farmers making the transition to new management systems with information on nutrient management, nutrient testing programs, and applied research.

New England NEMO
New England NEMO programs use a combination of geo-spatial technologies, educational programs, demonstrations, and hands-on training to allow local decision makers and citizens to obtain the most up-to-date information for informed decision-making and watershed management to improve and protect water quality throughout New England.

New England Private Well Initiative
The New England Private Well Initiative is a multi-state, inter-agency initiative that helps to educate private well owners of potential man-made and naturally-occurring contaminant risks to their wells and how to protect against these risks.

River and Stream Restoration
River and Stream Restoration projects improve the sustainable management of running waters by developing a research base and management tools and by offering sustained outreach, training and technical assistance.

Sustainable Landscaping
New England programs are improving the ability of homeowners to manage sustainable landscapes thereby reducing nutrient and pesticide pollution to ground and surface water. These programs promote "smart" landscaping techniques to reduce surface runoff, minimize leaching of agrichemicals, and reduce nutrient contamination to water resources.

Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
These long-lived New England programs monitor a host of water resources – lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries, wetlands, and private drinking water wells. They have a unique capacity to educate and motivate citizens for water quality and watershed protection. These programs also develop and assess monitoring methods and research how to use volunteer data to model or make informed decisions.

New England Onsite Wastewater Training Center
The New England Onsite Wastewater Training Program (NEOWT) brings alternative wastewater treatment systems to the attention of communities, professionals and regulators throughout the region. Once implemented, these systems can improve and protect water quality.  The program includes an onsite wastewater training center—one of eight regional centers in the nation.

Green Valley Institute
The Green Valley Institute, working in partnership with the Quinebaug-Shetucket National Heritage Corridor, conducts research and education to enable local residents and municipal officials to preserve the Corridor’s rural areas in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts that are under development pressure.  The Green Valley Institute is operated under the leadership of the Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts and the Nature Conservancy.