Resources to support conservation decisions at multiple scales

Connect the Connecticut outlines a network of priority areas in the Connecticut River watershed for sustaining fish, wildlife, environmental processes, and associated benefits, such as flood protection and recreation. But more than just a map, it offers a set of data and tools that individuals and communities can use to make informed decisions about conservation, planning, and development in the watershed. These resources provide a broader regional context for decisions at any scale, and include supporting data that can help address questions related to land use and management, such as:

  • Where do important ecosystems and species habitats occur and overlap?
  • Where will climate change and sea level rise place the most stress on the landscape?
  • Where is development most likely to occur in the coming decades?

Connect the Connecticut gives you the tools to answer these questions, and many more, as you evaluate conservation and planning opportunities where you live and work.

This is the best starting place for conservation in the Connecticut River watershed.

Ready to get started?

The Gallery of Science Products below provides an introduction to all of the data and tools, allowing you to browse by category and learn what each one has to offer.

Need help?

Contact us for technical assistance.

To get oriented: 

The Connect the Connecticut Report provides an overview of the landscape conservation design approach, and examples of how different types of users can apply the data and tools from this effort to inform conservation and land-use planning.

To start mapping:

The Connect the Connecticut Gallery on the Northeast Conservation Planning Atlas (Data Basin) provides a gateway to the free mapping platform where you can access the data, and make maps focusing on specific interests or areas of the watershed.

To dig deeper:

The Designing Sustainable Landscapes Documentation provides technical details about the creation of the landscape conservation design, including information about the modeling approach and all of the datasets used in the project.

Gallery of Science Products

The data and tools are grouped within the five main categories, and then by the subcategories “Terrestrial” and “Aquatic”.

Click on the tabs below to learn what’s in each of the five categories of science products, or simply scroll down to view the entire gallery. We provide a detailed description of each science product, and links to where you can access and download the data.

Core Area Network

Partners’ collective prioritization of high priority (core) areas, connections between them, and methods such as tiering that demonstrate why the entire landscape is necessary to achieve shared goals and objectives based on species and ecosystems.

Supporting Data

Assessments and data used to create the core area network. These assessments provide insight into the importance of and basis for core areas, and may be used separately for continuous representation of key information across the landscape and to to complement the core area network.

Future Change Tools

Tools that provide context for making more strategic decisions in anticipation of future changes related to climate and land use.

Restoration Tools

Tools that can inform efforts to reconnect and enhance connectivity in streams and rivers, as well as between blocks of terrestrial habitat that are separated by roads.

Base Data

Additional GIS layers that can be used as base layers or overlays to facilitate viewing and interpreting the landscape design products.

Core Area Network

Partners’ collective prioritization, based on both species and ecosystems, of high priority (core) areas, connections between them, and tiering or other methods that show that the entire landscape is necessary to achieve goals and objectives.

Terrestrial Core Area Network

Terrestrial core-connector network

Tier 1 core areas and the connectors between them

Terrestrial core tiers

Tier 1 cores, Tier 2 cores, and supporting landscape

Grassland cores

Cores for grassland species, represented by Eastern Meadowlark, corresponding to Tiers 1 and 2
Aquatic Core Area Network

Lake and pond (lentic) cores

Core areas for lakes and ponds in the watershed

River and stream (lotic) cores

Core areas for rivers and streams in the watershed.

Supporting Data

Data and information used to create the terrestrial core area network, inclusive of the core areas and the connectors.

Supporting Terrestrial Data

Terrestrial ecosystem-based core area selection index

Basis for creating terrestrial ecosystem-based cores

Weighted index of ecological integrity

Basis for creating terrestrial ecosystem-based cores

The Nature Conservancy Terrestrial resiliency

Relative landscape diversity and local connectedness with a long-term biodiversity focus

Regional conductance

Few to ten km scale measure of ability of plants and animals to move or disperse through a specific location

Local conductance

One to few km scale measure of ability of plants and animals to move or disperse through a specific location

American woodcock landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for American woodcock, a representative species

Black bear landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for black bear, a representative species

Blackburnian warbler landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Blackburnian warbler, a representative species

Blackpoll warbler landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Blackpoll warbler, a representative species

Eastern meadowlark landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Eastern meadowlark, a representative species

Louisiana waterthrush landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Louisiana waterthrush, a representative species

Marsh wren landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Marsh wren, a representative species

Moose landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Moose, a representative species

Northern waterthrush landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Northern waterthrush, a representative species

Prairie warbler landscape capabililty

Relative habitat quality for Prairie warbler, a representative species

Ruffed grouse landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Ruffed grouse, a representative species

Wood duck landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Wood duck, a representative species

Wood thrush landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Wood thrush, a representative species

Wood turtle landscape capability

Relative habitat quality for Wood turtle, a representative species.

USGS stream temperature tolerance

Relative sensitivity of stream temperatures to rising air temperatures.
Supporting Aquatic Data

Aquatic ecosystem-based core area selection index

Index used as the basis for creating aquatic cores (rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds).

Aquatic index of ecological integrity

Composite index measuring relative intactness and resiliency to environmental change for aquatic systems

USGS stream temperature tolerance

Relative sensitivity of stream temperatures to rising air temperatures.

Brook trout current probability of occurrence

Current habitat and climate suitability for brook trout

Anadromous fish index

River habitat for anadromous fish

Restoration

These resources can inform efforts to reconnect and enhance connectivity in streams and rivers as well as between blocks of terrestrial habitat that are separated by roads.

Restoration Tools – Terrestrial

Terrestrial road passage structure impacts

Rank of potential terrestrial road passage structure sites for wildlife
Restoration Tools- Aquatic

Culvert upgrade impacts

Rank of potential culvert upgrade sites

Dam removal effects

Rank of potential dam removal sites

Aquatic buffers

Buffers (zones of influence) around the aquatic cores

Future Change

These tools provide context for making strategic decisions that take into account future change related to climate and land use.

Future Change Data – Terrestrial

Probability of development

Likelihood of development by 2080

Regional vulnerability of conductance

Intersection of likelihood of development and areas important for connectivity between terrestrial cores

Local vulnerability of conductance

Intersection of likelihood of development and areas important for connectivity

Climate stress

Ecological system-specific measure of impact of climate change on a given system by 2080

Sea level rise

Likelihood of a site being permanently inundated by sea level rise by 2080
Future Change Data – Aquatic

Sea level rise

Likelihood of a site being permanently inundated by sea level rise by 2080

Aquatic core vulnerability to development

Index measuring areas important to aquatic cores that are likely to be developed

Brook trout climate response

Index of likelihood of brook trout occurrence from now to 2080

Base Data

Additional GIS layers that can be used as base layers or overlays to facilitate viewing and interpreting the landscape design products.

Base Data – Terrestrial

Ecological systems map

Land cover map used for this project

TNC geophysical setting

The Nature Conservancy’s geophysical settings map

The Nature Conservancy Secured lands

Lands within the watershed with some form of permanent protection from future development.

Hillshade

Hillshade layer for adding texture to solid color maps

Roads

Roads by class
Base Data – Aquatic

Ecological systems map

Land cover map used for this project

HUC 6 Watershed Boundaries

USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Code) 6 subwatersheds. There are two within the CT River watershed.

HUC 8 watershed boundaries

USGS HUC (Hydrologic Unit Code)-8 subwatersheds. There are 13 within CT River watershed.

Stream class

Streams by ecological system classification.
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