The Case for a Cleaner Sound

Long Island Sound is a beautiful natural resource used by countless residents and visitors every year.

Unfortunately, the Sound is also a huge environmental problem for Connecticut that urgently needs to be addressed by local, state, and federal representatives.

According to the Long Island Sound Study between the years of 1932 and 2014, the sea level has risen over nine and a half inches.

This may not seem like that much, but it has had a huge impact on the environment as well as the surrounding communities.

A few inches can make a world of difference in an area that has a tidal change of over 8 feet daily.

With the rise in ocean, level comes a higher risk of flooding; smaller storms will now cause more damage than in previous years.

One of the best ways to combat the rise in sea level is to dredge.

The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) describes dredging as removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors, and other water bodies.

Dredging will not only help lower the sea level of the Sound but it will also make the water cleaner as it removes contaminated sediment.

The Long Island Sound was formed a little over 8,000 years ago by the receding Wisconsin glacier, and since its formation, it has been filling up with sediment brought down through the watershed. This sedimentation has caused issues for the wildlife as well as the human population in the Sound through flooding and a large fluctuation in the daily tides.

The goal of organizations like LISI (Long Island Sound Institute) is to make Long Island Sound a cleaner and safer environment for all of its inhabitants, humans and animals alike. According to IADC (International Association of Dredging Companies) figures the average yearly damage in US dollars caused by floods almost doubled between 2000 and 2015 from twenty-two billion to forty-two billion. The best way to combat that is through the use of dredging.

LISI advocates for both dredging and the restoration and maintaining of salt marshes in the Long Island Sound watershed.

NOAA defines a salt marsh as a coastal wetland that is flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.

One of the biggest benefits of salt marshes is that they filter runoff and absorb much of the sediment and nutrients, vastly improving the water quality.

Salt marshes also reduce the risk of flooding by absorbing large amounts of rainwater.

The sediments that sit on the top of salt marshes can contain up to fifteen percent carbon dioxide and when they are destroyed or begin to erode that carbon is released into the atmosphere.

Salt marshes can provide a great habitat for many fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, including oysters. Salt marshes create the perfect conditions for oyster reefs, which are extremely beneficial to the environment as well as the community.

According to the NOAA, a single oyster filters up to 50 gallons of water a day, so an entire reef can filter thousands of gallons daily.

Oyster reefs also protect communities from floods caused by waves, the tide, and storms. Oysters create many jobs and add billions of dollars in value to our economy as well.

LISI’s plan starts with the acquisition of two islands in the Sound; Plum and Calf.

These two islands are currently nature preserves meaning they are government property off-limits to the general public.

LISI plans on buying them, converting them into national parks and setting up a yearly budget for the up keep.

LISI also plans on restoring the salt marshes to Calf island that has been lost to rising sea levels.

LISI would like to restore the islands to their original purpose; to be used as a community outreach program.

They plan on taking inner-city children from the Long Island Sound area and taking them to the islands and allowing them to experience the beauty of nature in their own backyards.