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Eastford Conservation Natural Resource Inventory Map Data Layer Descriptions (as of March, 2004): Soils, Agriculture, Surface Water, Ground Water, Co-Existing Resources, Open Space, Land Use/Land Cover, Natural Diversity Database, Historical & Cultural Resources, Wetlands and Watercourses. See Maps.
To assist in development of resource maps over time in Eastford, please report any vernal pool locations to the Commission.
Natural Resources Inventory Map Data Layer Descriptions
1. Soils - jump to map
Soil types within Eastford as defined by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. Descriptions of texture, depth, drainage and other features of each soil type may be found at http://www.ct.nrcs.usda.gov:
- Prime farm soils of statewide importance: Connecticut’s most fertile, stone-free soils. As a “hilltown” dominated by stony glacial till soils, Eastford has relatively few of these soils, making them disproportionately important. SOURCE: Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
- Locally important farm soils: Soils with the same fertility but somewhat stonier. These soils also grow timber and forest products well. SOURCE: USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
- Wetlands: Sites specifically protected by state law because of their many important ecological functions, e.g. absorbing and storing floodwaters, cleaning water, wildlife habitat, etc. SOURCE: USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
2. Primary Agricultural Resource Area - jump to Map
Geologic history has created a roughly 7,000 acre area in the geographic center of Eastford within which the majority of both prime farm soils and actively farmed land exists. Nearly half (47%) of the soils in this area are prime or locally important farm soils, as opposed to 9% in the rest of town. This area also includes our two village centers (Eastford Center and Phoenixville). Maintaining active commercial agriculture in this area makes economic sense for our town, will protect our best soils for the future and will help retain our valued rural character. SOURCE: Eastford Conservation & Historic Preservation
3. Surface Water Resources - jump to map
- Hydrography: The rivers, streams, lakes and ponds located in Eastford. SOURCE: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
- Known wild trout areas: Streams where year-round populations of native wild trout are known to exist. Indicators of high quality cold water aquatic habitat. SOURCE: Connecticut Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
- Basins and sub-basins (watersheds): The total land area draining into a given water body or system. SOURCE: DEP.
4. Ground Water Resources - jump to map
Stratified drift deposits: Course grained alluvial deposits of sands and gravels with the potential to supply significant amounts of clean water for future residential or commercial use. The deeper the deposit, the greater the water yield is likely to be. SOURCE: U.S. Geologic Survey; Green Valley Institute.
5. Important Natural Resource Areas Based on Co-Occuring Resources - jump to map
While all undeveloped lands have some natural resource value, those with multiple resources of importance on the same site can be particularly valuable. This map ranks all lands in Eastford from least to greatest in terms of the number of these resources that are found there: forest, farmland, prime farm soils, wetlands, undeveloped riparian areas, stratified drift deposits, adjacency to known wild trout habitats, adjacency to permanently protected or significant open space, existence of a natural diversity database site, and/or located within a significant watershed, an unfragmented open space block or corridor, and/or the primary agricultural resource area.
6. Permanently Protected and Significant Open Space - jump to map
Properties that are permanently protected from develop and/or otherwise significant as open space because of their large size, ownership or other attributes. Includes state forest, Yale Forest, municipal lands and private lands on which the development rights have been sold or donated. SOURCE: DEP and the Green Valley Institute.
7. Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) - jump to map
A 2003 map derived from satellite photography showing what is currently on the land and/or how it is used (forest, agriculture, developed, etc). SOURCE: University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research. Thirty meter resolution limits specificity.
8. Natural Diversity Database Sites - jump to map
These are areas where a confirmed sighting of a plant or animal species that is rare, endangered or of special concern occurred within the past 30 years. SOURCE: DEP. To protect the species the DEP will only release ¼-mile radius circles, somewhere within which the sighting occurred.
9. Historical and Cultural Resources - jump to map
10. Wetlands and Watercourses - jump to map
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