THIS MAP SHOWS THE INITIAL POTENTIAL SITE INVENTORY
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management is proposing to designate a Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (CT NERR) for a large segment of southeast Connecticut’s coast, including both land and water. Connecticut is the only state on the eastern seaboard that does not have a national reserve. GCA strongly supports the creation of a NERR on the Connecticut coast. It will bring enormous benefits to the environment in the form of additional research and research funds to study the issues related to our coast as well as establish an important framework to coordinate the related existing research, strengthen education about these important ecological areas, and share information on issues related to the reserve area.
What is an estuary? An estuary is an ecological term for a bay or a partially enclosed area where a river meets the sea and fresh and saltwater mix, often creating considerable diversity of species. Long Island Sound is an estuary. Estuaries often include marsh areas, which are important sponges for reducing the impact of storms. In short, healthy estuaries are critical for protecting species diversity and mitigating the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.
The proposal: The CT NERR boundaries would run from Barn Island to just west of the Connecticut River. Of the total 52,160 acres, 1,955 are landward, and much of that is in Groton. Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve, Haley Farm State Park, Pine Island Archeological Preserve, and UCONN Avery Point are all focal points of the proposed Reserve. The proposed seaward areas comprise all Groton’s estuaries including Bakers Cove, Birch Plain Creek, Poquonnock River estuary, Mumford Cove and Palmer Cove.
The lead agency managing the reserve will be UCONN with a strong partner in the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment (DEEP).
For more in-depth information on the CT NERR, click here and then go to pages 13-20 to read the Executive Summary.