After a brief respite, it rained again on Sunday, July 25, and the Housatonic River, which had been dropping, leveled off and began to rise again.
Monday morning, July 26, the United States Geological Survey measured the river at 1,890 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Falls Village. The historical median flow is a little over 300 cfs.
The river peaked at over 7,000 cfs on July 20-21.
The river remained discolored on Monday.
The high flow and lack of visibility combine to make the river extremely dangerous to recreational users.
It hasn’t been much better on the Farmington River, where the situation is complicated by excess water in the two reservoirs that feed the West Branch.
That water had to go somewhere — and it was released into the river.
The flow from the dam in Riverton was cut back on Friday, July 23, from over 2,000 cfs to about 500 cfs (historical median is between 200-300 cfs).
That means the stretch of the West Branch of the Farmington between Riverton (and the junction with the Still River) and the dam was fishable over the weekend.
The Still RIver had dropped significantly and by Monday morning, July 26, was adding between 100-200 cfs to the overall flow of approximately 700 cfs.
That’s a high but manageable flow for recreational users. But it does not mean that precautions should be abandoned or silly risks taken. Two weeks ago two teenage boys drowned in the swollen Farmington.
It isn’t only river levels that are high. Lakes, creeks and ponds also have much more water in them than usual. Although these water bodies may seem placid on the surface, they are all still very dangerous.
In particular, parents of young children should be alert to the fact that the water is deeper than normal in children’s swimming areas. Where a child might have been safe in a normal year walking out a particular distance in the water, this year the water is likely to be much deeper than normal. Parents should keep a close eye as the water levels continue to rise and fall on a daily level.
And as always, the Housatonic might seem like a small river but it is mightier than it looks. Even in a normal year there are drownings in Falls Village and/or Kent; there has already been one fatality this year.
Connecticut will kick off 2026 with nearly two dozen new laws that are slated to wholly or partially take effect on Jan 1.
The laws touch a range of areas in the state, from farming to pharmaceuticals to housing to the justice system.
Connecticut laws are passed by the General Assembly during the legislative session each year — this year’s ran from Jan. 8 to June 4 — or in a special session. They typically take effect on Jan. 1, July 1 or Oct. 1.
Here’s a look at some of the laws that will be implemented on day one of the new year.
Most of H.B. 8002, a sweeping, contentious housing bill, will take effect on Jan. 1.
The bill’s major goal is to make it easier to build more housing in Connecticut. It requires towns to create housing growth plans with goals on how many units they’ll plan and zone for, changes minimum off-street parking requirements and incentivizes towns to take steps to allow more housing, among other measures.
It also expands the number of fair rent commissions — a government body that can hear complaints about rent increases and make decisions on whether to change that rental increase number — and bans “hostile architecture,” or the use of things like armrests in the middle of benches or spikes to make it harder for people experiencing homelessness to lie down.
The bill was a modified version of H.B. 5002, which Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed during the 2025 legislative session, saying he wanted to get local leaders on board with the measure. Behind the scenes, he and advisors fretted over the political implications of signing the measure as they received thousands of calls from opponents and Lamont considered a third-term run next year.
Lawmakers passed H.B. 8002 during a two-day special session from Nov. 13-14, and Lamont signed it into law on Nov. 26.
Condo complexes can no longer enforce provisions in their bylaws that “prohibit or unreasonably restrict” owners of single-family detached units from putting solar panels on their roofs under a new bill that also creates a solar panel approval process for condo unit owners and their associations to follow.
Existing condo associations can opt out of these requirements if at least 75% of their board of directors votes to do so. However, that vote would need to occur by Jan. 1, 2028.
Connecticut already restricts planned community associations from prohibiting solar panels. The new law is essentially an expansion to include condos as well.
Learner’s permit holders must take an eight-hour course prior to getting their driver’s license under existing law, and Connecticut currently allows students to take it both in-person and through distance learning. Beginning Jan. 1, anyone taking the class remotely must keep their camera on, and driving schools can now charge up to $200 for it (the previous limit was $150).
Under that same law, as of Jan. 1 many applicants for a driver’s license or learner’s permit — as well as drivers convicted of violating highway worker safety laws — must complete a program administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles on highway work zone and roadside vehicle safety awareness.
All 16- and 17-year-old driver’s license applicants who get a learner’s permit beginning Jan. 1, 2026 must take the program, as well as adult driver’s license applicants who meet certain requirements (like having not previously held a Connecticut license or not currently holding a valid license issued by another state, territory or country).
On Jan. 1, Connecticut’s minimum wage will increase by $0.59, from $16.35 per hour to $16.94 per hour.
That increase comes from a law signed by Gov. Ned Lamont in 2019 that, as of 2023, pegs the state’s minimum wage to the federal employment cost index.
Connecticut currently has the fourth highest state minimum wage, behind $16.66 in Washington and $16.50 in California and most of New York. Massachusetts and Rhode Island require a minimum wage of $15.
The Connecticut DMV will begin issuing commemorative license plates that recognize “The Borinqueneers,” the U.S. Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment made up largely of Puerto Rican servicemembers who served with distinction in the Korean War.
The plates will cost $60. They will be designed in consultation with the Hispanic-American Veterans of Connecticut Inc., and that group will receive $45 from the sale of each plate for bilingual services and assistance to the state’s veterans and current servicemembers.
HVRHS’s Victoria Brooks navigates traffic on her way to the hoop. She scored a game-high 17 points against Nonnewaug Tuesday, Dec. 16.
FALLS VILLAGE — Berkshire League basketball returned to Housatonic Valley Regional High School Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Nonnewaug High School’s girls varsity team beat Housatonic 52-42 in the first game of the regular season.
The atmosphere was intense in Ed Tyburski Gym with frequent fouls, traps and steals on the court. Fans of both sides heightened the energy for the return of varsity basketball.
HVRHS started with a lead in the first quarter. The score balanced out by halftime and then Nonnewaug caught fire with 20 points in the third quarter. Despite a strong effort by HVRHS in the last quarter, the Chiefs held on to win.
Housatonic’s Victoria Brooks scored a game-high 17 points and Olivia Brooks scored 14. Carmela Egan scored 8 points with 14 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists. Maddy Johnson had 10 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists and 2 points, and Aubrey Funk scored 1 point.
Nonnewaug was led by Gemma Hedrei with 13 points. Chloe Whipple and Jayda Gladding each scored 11 points. Sarah Nichols scored 9, Bryce Gilbert scored 5, Gia Savarese scored 2 and Jazlyn Delprincipe scored 1.
CORNWALL — At the Dec. 9 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, the commission had a pre-application discussion with Karl Saliter, owner of Karl on Wheels, who plans to operate his moving business at 26 Kent Road South, which is an existing retail space.
Saliter said he will use the existing retail section of the building as a mixed retail space and office, and the rear of the building for temporary storage during moving operations.
There will be no external “personal” storage proposed for the property.
The commission decided that Saliter should go ahead with a site plan application under the regulations for “retail stores and trades.”
P&Z also set a public hearing on a proposed text amendment on dimensional requirements for properties in the West Cornwall General Business (GB) zone. It will be held Jan. 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Cornwall Library.
