Here, you will find links to websites, printable documents, publications, and educational opportunities. You will also find information about the Connecticut Envirothon, and how you can be involved in this program. Please reach out if you have any questions regarding any of the resources.
Education
Congratulations to our 2021 champions, Marvelwood School in Kent, CT!!
Check out the YouTube results video to see all the station results.
The Connecticut Envirothon is a natural resource based education program that began in 1992 through the state’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts. This high school level program promotes environmental awareness, knowledge, and stewardship through education and team competition.
Throughout the year, Envirothon teams work with a teacher/advisor on curriculum materials in the study areas of Soils, Aquatics, Wildlife, Forestry and Current Environmental Issues. Then in May, teams meet for a day-long, fun-filled field competition. Teams work together on practical, environmental problem solving and hands-on challenges. In addition, each team prepares a short oral presentation on a real life environmental problem and presents it to a panel of experts. The winning Envirothon team earns the chance to represent our state at the Canon Envirothon, a weeklong summertime event. The Connecticut team competes for scholarships and other prizes against about 60 other teams from the USA and Canada. Visit the Connecticut Envirothon website to learn about how to “Take the Natural Challenge.”
Below are links to general resources and organizations that focus on non-point source pollution management.
Resources:
- 2018 EPA List of Impaired Waterbodies
- EPA Soak Up the Rain
- EPA Soak Up The Rain Webinar Archive
- General CT Watershed Maps
- Non-point Education for Municipal Officials Program
- CT DEEP Long Island Sound Resource Center
- Long Island Sound Study
- 2002 CT Sediment and Erosion Control Guidelines
- 2004 CT Storm Water Manual
Organizations:
Save The Sound
Committed to justice in environmental action, and constantly looking for ways to ensure both internal operations and programming support a diverse and equitable world.
Soundkeeper
Preserving Long Island Sound.
SoundWaters
Protecting Long Island Sound through education.
Harbor Watch / River Watch
A water quality monitoring effort that is actively engaged in the scientific monitoring of local estuaries and watersheds in lower Fairfield County. Earthplace lies geographically within the ecologically important Long Island Sound (LIS) watershed.
Phase II Required Control Measures
Stormwater Phase II is a part of the NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) process administered by EPA. The Stormwater Phase II Rule seeks to reduce or eliminate pollutants from entering surface waters from any Municipal Separate Stormwater Systems (“MS4s”). The Phase II Rule addresses MS4’s and urbanized areas less than 100,000 in population and construction sites between 1 and 5 acres.
Minimum Control Measures (links to EPA Stormwater Phase II Final Rule Fact Sheet Series)
Public Education and Outreach*
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination*
Post Construction Runoff Control*
Public Participation/Involvement*
The Southwest Conservation District’s region includes 13 municipalities bordering Long Island Sound—the western half of Connecticut’s coastline. To serve coastal conservation needs in these communities here are a few useful websites.
FEMA Flood Maps
FEMA maps with new flood zones went into effect on July 8, 2013 for New Haven and Fairfield County coastal towns
If you find the FEMA website or map confusing, try contacting your town hall for more information on the new maps as they have paper copies.
Click HERE to find your Current FEMA Issued Flood Map
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
Learn about new flood insurance options and rates—very important if your property is in a flood zone. This is another reason to check the Current FEMA Flood Maps as insurance rates are based on your proximity to the flood zones.
Click HERE to go to the NFIP Floodsmart website
Emergency Watershed Protection Program-Flood Plain Easements
In addition to FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing funding for Emergency Watershed Protection Program-Floodplain Easement (EWP-FPE) to help prevent damages from significant storm events in Connecticut and other states affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Click HERE for more information.