Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Stressor Identification and Causal Assessment

There are times when water quality assessments lead to the conclusion that a water is not meeting state water quality goals, but the cause is not known. In order to determine the cause of impairment, additional monitoring may be needed.

Stressor identification involves defining and listing possible sources of pollution, evaluating existing data, designing a sampling program to bracket the sources if additional data are needed, characterizing the causes, and finally, identifying the most probable cause.


CyanobacteriaOil sheen on surface waterMineral discharge exiting a pipe

Phosphorus Impacts on Aquatic Life

Monitoring Program staff are at the forefront of determining the extent and nature of phosphorus impacts on rivers and streams in Connecticut.  Phosphorus is a nutrient that contributes to acceleration of aquatic plant growth in water bodies.  This excessive plant growth eventually causes harmful effects on water bodies, such as detrimental shifts in biological communities, fish kills, and reduction of dissolved oxygen and pH values.  For more information on the Monitoring Group's stressor identification and causal assessment work related to phosphorus, visit the Aquatic Life Impacts of Phosphorus Research webpage.

To Learn More Contact:

Mary Becker
Water Monitoring and Assessment Program
Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse
mary.becker@ct.gov
  
 

 

Content last updated May 24, 2022.