Natural Resources in Connecticut

Natural Resources of Connecticut                    By- Rose M. Sulik

In Connecticut, there are three significant natural resources. They include water, plants, and animals. Water is the most valuable natural resource which is renewable. A human needs water because every function in it uses water and without it, you would not survive. Your body, in fact, is made up of 80% of water. Animals and birds need water the same reason humans do. Plants need water too because H2o generates nutrients that the soil needs for the plant to grow. Fish also need water because they don't have lungs. They use their gills to take oxygen from the water. Water is a necessity for the life of every living creature. Water can be utilized for energy that can produce electricity and run machinery. Water wheels are used for the purpose of making energy. In Connecticut, there is a water wheel. It is called the Eli Terry Jr. Water Wheel, and is in Terryville, CT. This water wheel has been around since 1851. Water would go around the wheel making it spin, and it would provide energy/electricity for the town. Even though this water wheel doesn’t work today, it is part of history. Water has also provided a way to cool electric powers for generations. It is a primary source of energy to many fuel industries, and it waters many local farms to keep the crops growing. Water is a source of food. There are fish and other river and ocean food that humans, birds, and other fish eat. Water is also a source of recreation. It provides fishers, swimmers, boaters, and sightseers with something to do with their free time. Water is even used for many sacraments such as holy water and baptism. There are also laws in Connecticut that protect rivers and streams from getting sewage and chemical wastes dumped into them. At the start of the 1700’s, the Naugatuck Valley River in Connecticut was polluted. The Valley became a magnet for industrial development, and the main river became the industrial water supply and disposal of wastes. A report by the state Sewage Commission dated in 1899 expressed that the Naugatuck River had achieved the breaking point of allowable contamination because of the release of modern squanders and city sewage. In 1967 a clean water act was passed beginning Connecticut’s current water pollution control program. Another valuable resource is plants. Plants are renewable. In our forest, some of the trees include red maple, birch, red oak, and white pine trees. These trees are used for lumber to make wood floors and furnitures such as a bookcase or cabinet. Shrubs like mountain laurel and winterberry holly grow too in the forests in Connecticut. Winterberry holly is also used for decorations. Black/Blueberry, balsam fir, and clover are used for food. Chamomile is used for tea, and Japanese knotweed is utilized for both food and medicine. In Connecticut, plants also help to purify the air we breathe, like the Boston fern and how it contributes to removing the formaldehyde in the air. Plants are used to make bouquets and perfume, especially roses. Our forests shelter animals like deer, salamanders, songbirds, wild turkey, squirrels, and bear. There are also several inland and wetland laws and regulations that protect flora and fauna in the state of Connecticut. Maintaining required setbacks for excavation and building in the state of CT is an example. Endangered (e), threatened (t), and special concerned (sc) plants are protected from the laws. Balsam fir (e), short meadow foxtail (t), needle grass (sc) and shadowing lady’s slippers (e) are some of them. Animals are another valuable resource, and they are renewable. Individual animal’s skin can be turned into leather to make shoes or coats, and sheep wool can be transformed into yarn to create a sweater or hat. Some animals are tamed to be a pet for humans. Horses, dogs, cats, and certain birds are examples. Other animals are trained for entertainment. A few examples of the types of entertainments would be a dog show, circus, or zoo. Lots of animals are trained to help people too. A seeing-eye dog, therapy dog/pony, or police dog are some examples. Animals are also a source of food to other wildlife, and to humans. People eat deer, chicken, turkey, lobster, different types of fish, etc., and animals eat other animals depending on their diet. Common types of animals in the state of Connecticut would include dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, bears, raccoons, skunks, cats, deer, and squirrels. There are laws in Connecticut that protect animals and endangered species from hunters. There are also rules for hunting seasons that protect the animals that are going to have babies and regulations for fishing limits. It is clearly stated that in Connecticut, water, plants, and animals are three of the most significant natural resources.