Connecticut River first U.S. “blueway”

The Connecticut River and watershed is the first National Blueway, as designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, left, along the Connecticut River with Rock Salt of the U.S. Army”™s civil works division.

In Hartford Thursday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signed an order establishing a National Blueways System, accompanied by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. John Larson and other officials.

This year, the Department of the Interior has announced both an America”™s Great Outdoors Rivers initiative and a National Water Trails System to facilitate outdoor recreation, especially around urban areas.