Pressing the Sound's Barriers

The Long Island Sound is a living laboratory for studying the impacts of population pressures on an estuarine ecosystem. Lodged between New York City and Boston, the Connecticut coastline is an active battleground for those involved on all sides on wetland issues. Residential, commercial, and industrial development often encroaches on upland areas and often results in the outright displacement of wetlands. The effects of the intense population concentration found along the Connecticut coast are exacerbated by the insidious biological and chemical treatment systems, stormwater discharges, and nonpoint source pollution. Although the state has had relative success in stemming the permitted loss of tidal wetlands, the persistant pressure for access to the shoreline will require comprehensive planning, increased coordination of environmental programs, regulatory vigilance, and creative program financing to avoid the ultimate deterioration of the state's wetland resources throughout the Long Island Sound estuary.