Jun 11 2011
CT: Will state take/accept Killingly rights?
This isn’t a case of a larger government grabbing water rights. It’s a case of whether the government can be persuaded to accept them.
The water rights in question, near the town of Killingly, cover the Alvia Chase Reservoir, Eddy Pray Reservoir, Bog Meadow Reservoir, Middle Reservoir and Old Killingly Pond, all of which are undeveloped properties at present and used largely for recreation. They are held by the National Patent Development Corporation.
The corporation has indicated it is willing to turn them over to the state of Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection. That department last year expressed interest, but this year, as it examined its tight budgets and varied obligations, its interest in managing the rights has waned. The property includes dams, which could be costly to maintain.
Local backers of the transfer, who argue that the water may be better protected under state control, have started a petition to urge the state to accept the rights.
