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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program
Watersheds
Watersheds In Connecticut
Your watershed is a dynamic and unique place. It is a complex web of
natural resources - soil, water, air, plants and animals. Yet, everyday
activities can impact these resources, ultimately impacting our
well-being and economic livelihood.
Healthy watersheds are vital for a healthy environment and economy. Our
watersheds provide water for drinking, irrigation and industry. Many
people also enjoy lakes and streams for their beauty and for boating,
fishing and swimming. Wildlife also needs healthy watersheds for food
and shelter. What we do in the watershed has far reaching effects. These
effects are what we can see, the physical effects and what we think, our
attitude towards what is right and wrong.
Understanding the history and development of your watershed is important
because after thousands of years of stability, the watershed has
dramatically changed in the past century. In geological time this
century of change is a like a nanosecond.
Why has it changed so much in such a short time? A hundred years ago,
there were not that many people living in Connecticut, so there were
fewer homes and more marshes, prairies and forests. Today lots of people
reside here and need a place to live and there are less natural places.
What will this area be like fifty years from now? Most likely more
people will live in Connecticut and they will need homes. So we need to
plan for more people to live here and make choices about the future of
our community. Most of the questions and answers are not right and
wrong, but involve tradeoffs.
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