ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES RECORDED IN THE IN THE DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY OF THE LOWER CONNECTICUT RIVER

摘要

INTRODUCTION: CONNECTICUT RIVER The Connecticut River (Figs. 1A-C) is the longest river in New England, extending almost 700 km (410 miles) from the Quebec border at an elevation of 814 m (2,670 ft.) to Long Island Sound (LIS) at sea level. Its Abenaki name, Quinnetukut, means long tidal river. The word Connecticut is a transliteration of the Abenaki name. This River drains an area of 2.9 x 10~4 km~2 (7.2 xl06 acre, 1.1 x 10~4 mi~2) of urban, rural, and wild land, delivering 70% of the fresh water that enters LIS. The lower 58 km (36 miles), south of Middletown, CT and extending to LIS is the least disturbed tideland area of any large river in the Northeast. This important tideland area was recognized by both the Nature Conservancy (1993) and the Ramsar Convention (1994) as a tideland of international significance. In 1998, President Clinton designated the Connecticut (CT) River as one of 14 American Heritage Rivers because of its historic and cultural significance to the nation.