The Niantic River Watershed Committee is continuing to move forward with efforts to address water-quality problems in the river, convening its first Board of Directors to oversee monitoring and public education projects.

The board, which began meeting in the fall and elected officers last month, comprises two members each from East Lyme, Salem, Montville and Waterford - the four towns in the river's 31-square-mile watershed - plus alternates and representatives of the East Lyme and Waterford shellfish and harbor management commissions. The board members were appointed by their respective boards of selectmen or town councils.

All the main positions are filled, except for one of the two Montville representatives and some of the alternate seats. Officers are: Chris Tomichek of Waterford, chairwoman; Marvin Schutt of East Lyme, vice chairman; Ruth Savalle of Salem, secretary; and Dave Turner of Montville, treasurer.

The group's next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 2 at 914 Route 85, Waterford.

Judy Rondeau, natural resource specialist and Niantic River watershed coordinator with the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District, said the board has also adopted bylaws for the committee. They include this mission statement: "to restore and preserve the Niantic River watershed through inter-municipal cooperation and the sound development of land use practices that mitigate pollution of the watershed, and that support all uses including shellfishing, fishing, swimming, habitat and drinking water supplies."

Monitoring activities are set to begin within the next month, Rondeau said. Volunteers have been trained and equipped to start testing nine sites along Latimer Brook, one of the main tributaries of the Niantic River, six times a year. Latimer Brook was selected because it has been identified as the main source of excessive nitrogen in the river.

The monitors will record water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH and nitrogen levels and will complement work done by groups such as the U.S. Geological Survey, Dominion and the University of Connecticut, Rondeau said. The results of the monitoring will direct actions of the committee to improve the quality of the water flowing into the river that could include planting of natural buffers around streambanks, new stormwater filtering equipment and education and outreach to residents of the watershed, she said.

The overall purpose of the committee is to address water-quality problems in the river, including nutrient and bacteria contamination. It is classified by the state as an "impaired waterway."

The state began focusing on the watershed in 2005 as part of efforts to address pollution from roads, parking lots, farms, yards and other sources that carries contaminants, sediments and bacteria in the river, which flows into Long Island Sound.

In addition to the officers, other members of the board are: John Jasper, East Lyme; Don Danila, East Lyme (alternate); Don Landers, East Lyme Harbor Management/Shellfish Commission; Elbert Burr, Salem; Douglas Lawson, Waterford; Rick Kanter, Waterford/East Lyme Shellfish Commission; and Peter Harris, Waterford/East Lyme Shellfish Commission (alternate).

j.benson@theday.com