Contamination of the Quinnipiac River was once so great that it prompted the first pollution control measure in Connecticut and the eventual creation of the first sewage treatment plant in the State. It was also the subject of a lawsuit against the Upjohn Company concerning wastewater discharges from Upjohn's plant in North Haven. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement that created the Quinnipiac River Fund at The Foundation, making the River the first in the nation to have an endowment that generates income to protect it and its surrounding environment.
The Quninnipiac RIver Fund is one that made a recent grant to Catalyst Studios launched a photo-based awareness campaign about the consequences of poor stewardship of the River. The pictorial exhibit started at New Haven’s City Hall and will travel to towns that abut the lower part of the River, including North Haven, Wallingford, and Meriden. It ends in 2010 at the Capitol in Hartford, CT. For more information, visit www.considerthequinnipiac.com.