Our Local Watershed Assessment Tool and other studies show that a major factor in watershed health is the state of its streamside, or riparian, corridors. There are ways that your community can use land use regulation to protection these important areas, and also ways that riparian landowners can protect and restore them. Below are links to resources that may help to you protect and/or restore riparian areas.
The state of Connecticut watersheds and their riparian corridors
Local Watershed Assessment Tool: The Story Map
CLEAR’s latest assessment of watershed health, statewide, using new high resolution land cover data.
Protecting riparian corridors through land use regulation
The Case for Riparian Corridor Protections: Zoning Strategies to Reduce Pollution of Inland Waters and Resultant Hypoxia of Long Island Sound
Restoring riparian corridors
A Planting Guide for Riparian Sites Along the Connecticut Coast
Coastal Landscaping Guide for Long Island Sound
A website with information and tools on replanting coastal riparian areas.
Coastal Planting Guides for Long Island Sound
Why Plant
This guide reviews the importance of riparian planting for protecting water quality and aquatic habitats.
Site Preparation
This guide reviews the site preparation necessary for proper riparian planting for both lawn grass and mixed vegetation.
Plant Care
This guide reviews the proper planting techniques to ensure a high survival rate, growth and quick establishment, expected performance and tolerance of adverse conditions.
Riparian Corridor Plants
This document provides a list of plants native to Connecticut for riparian corridor planting.