Action Alert: Help Us Advocate for a Regulated Rainbow Dam!
FRWA has long advocated that Rainbow Dam should be regulated by FERC, and now that position may become a reality with your help! FRWA, Save the Sound, and American Rivers are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to regulate the Rainbow Dam in Windsor, Connecticut, a hydroelectric dam that has caused long-standing harm to the river’s health See the joint press release here. However, FERC must first make a formal finding that it has jurisdiction over the dam. We strongly urge you to join us in providing a public comment to strengthen this claim and to be a voice for the River at this crucial time.
The Rainbow Dam blocks 96% of the Farmington River watershed to migratory fish like American shad, river herring, American eel, and sea lamprey. Its operations have contributed to toxic algae blooms, disrupted natural river flows, impaired recreation, and damaged habitat. In 2024, the Farmington River was named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers due in large part to the impacts of this dam.
Despite operating as a hydroelectric dam on a navigable river, the Rainbow Dam is not currently regulated by FERC. That means it has not been required to meet the same standards as other Connecticut dams including standards for fish passage, water quality, river flows, or safe portage for paddlers.
What you can do to help:
In November 2025, Save the Sound, American Rivers, and FRWA formally requested FERC for an updated jurisdictional determination for the Rainbow Dam View Request Here. FERC has now begun investigating and they are asking for public input.
Public comments are due by February 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Anyone can submit comments electronically
How to Leave a Comment:
1. Go to: https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx
2. Create an account using "eRegister"
3. Using "eFile" select these settings and press next
4. Enter the docket number UL26-1-000, select it, and press next
5. Upload a pdf or word document containing your comment, in the description box type: Comments of (Your Name) re the jurisdictional determination re the Rainbow Dam Hydroelectric Project UL26-1-000
6. Follow the remaining prompts until you reach submit
Comments focused on whether the Rainbow Dam falls under FERC’s jurisdiction are especially helpful. FERC considers factors such as:
-Whether the Rainbow Dam is located on a navigable water of the United States. To make this determination, FERC will consider whether the Farmington River was historically used to transport goods or people, or whether people can paddle or have paddled down the Farmington River in a canoe, kayak, or other boat.
-Whether there has been construction on the Rainbow Dam since1935 that has increased its water storage or generating capacity.
“There is ample evidence that the Farmington River is navigable. Historically, this river was used as a ‘water highway’ to transport ship masts from Connecticut to New York and the West Indies,” said Jessica Roberts of Save the Sound. “Now, companies such as Metacomet Tours regularly offer guided canoe and kayak trips down the Farmington River, and in May 2025, Save the Sound, American Rivers, and the Farmington River Watershed Association conducted our own ‘float test,’ where staff paddled canoes and kayaks from the base of the Rainbow Dam to the Connecticut River. All this clearly shows that the Farmington River, at least from the base of the Rainbow Dam to the Connecticut River, is navigable. We urge FERC to take this evidence into consideration in making an updated jurisdictional determination.”
“The Rainbow Dam is over a century old and like many dams across the country, over time, its facility has degraded. We need the company to bring its facility into compliance with applicable state and federal laws, including providing safe, timely, and effective fish passage, providing necessary recreational amenities, and abiding by state flow standards,” said Andrew Fisk, Northeast Regional Director for American Rivers.
“The Rainbow Dam should be regulated by FERC, just like other hydroelectric dams on the Farmington River and in the State of Connecticut,” said Aimee Petras, Executive Director of the Farmington River Watershed Association.
Your voice matters
FERC decisions are strengthened by public input. Submitting a comment helps demonstrate that people care deeply about the Farmington River and expect hydroelectric dams to meet modern environmental and safety standards.
Together we can advocate for accountability and a future where the Farmington River thrives for fish, wildlife, and peoplealike.