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79-548: The Hemlock Reservoir is a reservoir in Fairfield, Connecticut , United States. Its completion was marked by the creation of the Hemlock Reservoir Dam, which was completed in 1914, and provides water to Fairfield, Bridgeport , and several other nearby towns. In 2020, Aquarion Water Co. , owner of the reservoir and dam, submitted an application to transfer up to 14.2 million gallons per day of water from

158-631: A Juvenile Review Board (JRB) for certain juvenile cases outlined by the Fairfield Police Department. Fairfield is represented in the Connecticut General Assembly by one Republican , Sen. Tony Hwang , and three Democrats , Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey , Rep. Jennifer Leeper , and Rep. Sarah Keitt . The Fairfield Police Department was created in 1926, approximately 287 years after the town

237-894: A mainstay of striped bass and other pelagic fish . The ban of netting of bunker - which were over-fished in the late 1990s - has significantly improved the quality and volume of the striped bass population in Long Island Sound. Underwater cables transmit electricity under Long Island Sound, most notably a new and controversial Cross Sound Cable that runs from New Haven in western Connecticut, to Shoreham in central Long Island, and an older one from Rye in Westchester County to Oyster Bay on Long Island. Scientists debate whether submarine power cables are safe for marine ecosystems, but installations like large-scale armoing around cables helps to protect overall ecological impact and provides ecosystem regeneration. Over

316-563: A nontidal, freshwater lake to a tidal, saline arm of the sea. Numerous rivers empty into the Sound, including: Connecticut New York Rhode Island The whole watershed population is about 8.93 million as of the 2010 census. Due to extent of the Connecticut River, many riverside cities and towns are included in the Long Island Sound watershed. The largest towns and cities from south to north, west to east are: Seaweeds in

395-582: A recessional moraine . Other islands, including the Thimble Islands , are for the most part exposed bedrock with a thin amount of drift, often not continuous. Other shoals and islands off the Connecticut coast are a mixture of these two extremes. The glacier also created several sandy outwash deltas off the coast, including one off Bridgeport, Connecticut , and another off New Haven, Connecticut . Fishers Island, New York , appears to be related to

474-404: A type of goose. During the 1930s, the Long Island Sound was struck by an outbreak of a mold infection known as " eelgrass wasting disease ". As a result, most of the eelgrass that grew in the sound was killed off, and as an extension, populations of wildlife in the area that depended upon the eelgrass either as food or as a habitat went into a sharp decline. During the succeeding decades, areas along

553-418: A wealth of recreational opportunities, many of which stem from Fairfield's enviable location on the Long Island Sound. The town government consists of the three-member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town Meeting (RTM), a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, a Town Planning and Zoning Commission (TPZ), and many other politically appointed commissions, boards, and committees. The current First Selectman

632-511: Is Bill Gerber ( D ). As of November 27, 2023 Democrat controlled 2–1 Democratic Supermajority 31–9 Democrat Controlled 5–4 *Special Election held in 2021 to replace the seat left vacant by Ed Bateson on 5/17/21 Democrat Controlled 5–4 The town has no criminal or civil court system, and all trials are handled by the Bridgeport Superior Court system. However, the town does also offer access to

711-506: Is a shift in the types of plankton that make up their community in Long Island Sound. Over the last several decades, excess nitrogen may have adversely affected diatoms —microscopic, single-celled algae at the base of the food chain, which make shells ('frustules') of opaline silica. When diatoms are less productive, they are replaced by other phytoplankton such as dinoflagellates or blue-green algae , which grow well in waters with high nitrogen levels, but do not need silica . Such changes in

790-474: Is dependent upon sunlight, and the water of the Long island Sound can be very murky. Eelgrass roots help stabilize muddy sediments and can trap moving sand, helping prevent erosion. The leaves, that can range in size from less than 1 m to 2 m long, slow currents, providing calm environments for many species of mollusks and other invertebrates. Eelgrass is also an important food source for waterfowl, especially brant ,

869-537: Is inhabited by both marine fish and anadromous fish (oceanic or estuarine species that spawn in freshwater streams and rivers, see fish migration ). The most common marine fish in the Sound include porgy , butterfish, winter flounder , summer flounder , windowpane flounder , fourspot flounder , northern and striped sea robin , little skate , menhaden, Atlantic silversides, black seabass , blackfish (tautog), cunner , bluefish , and smooth dogfish . Frequently Atlantic bonito and false albacore , both members of

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948-902: Is on the shore of the Long Island Sound . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 31.3 square miles (81 km ), of which 30.0 square miles (78 km ) is land and 3.4 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi), or 4.15%, is water. Rivers flowing through Fairfield include Mill River , Rooster River , Ash Creek , Sasco Brook, and Aspetuck River . Fairfield consists of many neighborhoods. The best known are wealthy Southport , where General Electric Chief Executive Officer Jack Welch lived for many years, and Greenfield Hill , with its large green areas, famous dogwood trees, and picturesque green with its white-spired Congregational church. Other neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill,

1027-400: Is one of the few vascular plants found in the marine environment. Despite its name, it is actually not a species of underwater grass; instead, it is a plant that bears a physical resemblance to grass. It can tolerate a wide range of water salinity. It grows on muddy to sandy sediments (even among rocks), mostly below low tide, often forming large meadows. it grows best in shallow water because it

1106-516: The American Revolutionary War began in the 1770s, Fairfielders were caught in the crisis as much as, if not more than, the rest of their neighbors in Connecticut. In a predominantly Tory section of the colony, the people of Fairfield were early supporters of the cause for independence. Throughout the war, a constant battle was being fought across the Long Island Sound as Loyalists from British -controlled Long Island raided

1185-793: The American toad , and the hognose snake (which feeds on Fowler's toads). There are six broad categories of bird habitats near Long Island Sound: (1) open water areas, including bays, coves, rivers and the Sound itself; (2) tidal marshes; (3) mudflats; (4) sandy beaches; (5) offshore islands; and (6) mainland uplands, including woodlands and fields. Some birds are summer residents or winter residents, while others are spring and fall transients. Year round residents include herring gull , great black-backed gull , common tern and double-crested cormorant . Coastal migrants (also called "transients") include shorebirds such as plovers , turnstones , sandpipers , willet and yellowlegs . Summer residents include

1264-542: The Atlantic oyster drill , the northern moon snail , Atlantic moon snail , the channeled and knobbed whelks . Crustaceans include crabs , shrimp and lobsters . In the Sound there are the green crab (a non-native species first reported in Boston around 1900, but a common crab found on the shore, where it feeds on eastern oysters and soft-shell clams ), blue crab , red crab , Jonah crab in deepwater areas, and

1343-545: The Atlantic rock crab , which settles in large numbers along rocky shores, especially around Millstone Point, Niantic Bay and Fishers Island Sound. Other crabs found include the lady crab , spider crabs , and fiddler crabs ; hermit crabs and mole crabs are also found. By the late 1980s, the Japanese shore crab , an invasive species, was the most commonly found crab in the sound. The sand shrimp Crangon septemspinosa and two species of grass shrimp are plentiful along

1422-590: The Bronx in New York City . The climate of Long Island Sound is warm temperate or Cfa in the Köppen climate classification . Summers are hot and humid often with convective showers and strong sunshine, while the cooler months feature cold temperatures and a mix of rain and occasional snow. About 18,000 years ago, Connecticut, Long Island Sound, and much of Long Island were covered by a thick sheet of ice, part of

1501-480: The Cross Sound Ferry (between Orient Point and New London ). The ferries that cross Long Island Sound carry automobiles, trucks and buses, as well as foot passengers. Long Island Sound has historically had rich recreational and commercial fishing , including oysters , lobsters , scallops , blue crabs , tuna flounder , striped bass , and bluefish . However, in recent years the western part of

1580-543: The Harbor Hill Moraine along most of northern Long Island . The next moraines ( recessional moraines ) to the north were created just on and off the Connecticut coast. These moraines, created by much smaller deposits (probably from equilibrium states that were much shorter in time) are discontinuous and much smaller than those to the south. The Connecticut coast moraines are in two groups: the Norwalk area and

1659-594: The Madison - Old Saybrook area. Sandy plains and beaches resulted from the erosion of moraines and redeposition in these areas, and to the east of each, where the drift cover is thinnest, exposed bedrock , creating rocky headlands, often with marshlands behind them. The Captain Islands off Greenwich, Connecticut , along with the Norwalk Islands and Falkner Island off Guilford, Connecticut , are parts of

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1738-804: The Merritt Parkway . It has three Metro-North Railroad stations, Fairfield–Black Rock , Fairfield and Southport . The town is served by several public bus lines of the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority . Long Island Sound Major Connecticut cities on the Sound include Stamford , Norwalk , Bridgeport , New Haven , and New London . Cities on the New York side of the Sound include Rye , Glen Cove , New Rochelle , North Hempstead , Oyster Bay , Smithtown , Port Jefferson , Brookhaven and Riverhead , Larchmont , Mamaroneck and portions of Queens and

1817-1028: The Throgs Neck Bridge in the early 1960s. The Long Island Sound ecosystem has historically been polluted by a number of different sources, including industry , agriculture and communities (untreated sewage and urban runoff ). Pollutants entering the Sound include toxic substances such as heavy metals ; a specific example includes mercury discharged by the hatting industry in Danbury, Connecticut . Other pollutants include pathogens , debris, and nutrients (which contain nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer runoff). Eutrophication occurs when bodies of water, like Long Island Sound, are exposed to higher levels of nutrients like nitrogen, causing harmful overgrowth of cyanobacteria that feed on them. Eutrophication can also lead to algal blooms and eventually hypoxia , when runoff into water causes rapid development of algae and phytoplankton that blocks

1896-482: The census of 2010, there were 59,404 people in the town, organized into 20,457 households and 14,846 families. The population density was 1,927 inhabitants per square mile (744/km ). There were 21,648 housing units at an average density of 703 per square mile (271/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 91.6% White , 3.7% Asian , 1.8% African American , 0.06% Native American , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and 1.6% from two or more races. 5.0% of

1975-399: The northern yellow periwinkle , the blue mussel (a popular, edible species), the eastern oyster , the Atlantic slipper shell or "common slippershell" ( Crepidula fornicata ), the hard clam (also known as the quahog, little neck clam or cherrystone clam), the Atlantic bay scallop , the mud snail (also known as the eastern mud nassa ), the salt marsh snail (or " coffee bean snail "),

2054-420: The osprey , seaside sparrow , saltmarsh sparrow , clapper rail , mallard and black duck , herons and egrets , including the black-crowned night heron and snowy egret as well as the least tern and piping plover . Upland species include the yellow warbler , red-eyed vireo , red-winged blackbird and Carolina wren . Winter residents include large flocks of ducks , geese , and swans winter in

2133-399: The pannes are sea lavender , salt marsh aster , seaside gerardia , and some species of glasswort . Plants found near the border of the marsh with the upland include bayberry and groundsel-tree shrubs, switchgrass (growing where occasional storm tides reach), reeds and marsh elder . In areas where the Sound's salt water is more diluted with freshwater from rivers, including along

2212-593: The Assumption. A third Catholic primary school, Holy Family, was closed by the Diocese of Bridgeport at the end of the 2009–2010 academic year. Non-religious private schools include Fairfield Country Day School and the Unquowa School . Fairfield is also home to two post-secondary institutions, Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University . Fairfield is traversed by U.S. 1 , Interstate 95 , and

2291-481: The Atlantic Coast, tagged individuals sometime being identified in multiple rivers during their lifetimes. Long Island Sound was formed when the terminal moraine that dammed the waters of glacial Lake Connecticut failed, and sea water mixed with the lake's fresh waters. Prior to colonization, it's estimated that around 10,000 to 15,000 natives inhabited along Long Island Sound. The first European to record

2370-488: The Connecticut coast saw a slow gradual recovery of eelgrass populations. Unfortunately, the north shore of Long Island did not see much success, and efforts have been made to re-introduce eelgrass by planting it, especially in the eastern part of the Long Island Sound in the waters of Suffolk County. It is unlikely that the Long Island Sound will experience a complete recovery of its eelgrass population because there are still occasional outbreaks of eelgrass wasting disease within

2449-424: The Connecticut shore is the northern limit. Mature upland vegetation along the Connecticut coast is mostly hardwood forest, with dominant tree species including oaks and hickories, especially white oak , black oak , pignut hickory and mockernut hickory . Other trees include sassafras , black gum , and black cherry . Mature trees tend to be sparse in coastal forests, likely because of their greater exposure to

Hemlock Reservoir - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-743: The Greater Bridgeport System, primarily including the Hemlock Reservoir system, to the Southwest Fairfield County Region. Critics worry that this would impact the water quality from the reservoir. Largemouth bass , chain pickerel , and rainbow trout are commonly found in the reservoir, but fishing is prohibited. Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut , United States. It borders

2607-607: The Harbor Hill Moraine. To the east of the Thimble Islands, inland moraines along the Connecticut coast include the broken Madison Moraine and the Old Saybrook Moraine. The Long Island Sound basin existed before the glaciers came. It probably had been formed by stream flows. A relatively thick cover of sand and gravel (termed outwash ) was left in the basin from glacial meltwater streams. On

2686-518: The Late Wisconsin Glacier . About 3,300 feet (1,000 m) thick in its interior and about 1,300 to 1,600 feet (400 to 500 m) thick along its southern edge, it was the most recent of a series of glaciations that covered the area during the past 10 million years. Sea level at that time was about 330 feet (100 m) lower than today. The continental ice sheet scraped off an average of 65 feet (20 m) of surface material from

2765-583: The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) in 1985 with plans for restoration and clean-up projects in the region. More habitat conservation, health monitoring, and pollution standards have been established between NY and CT in the years since to protect the estuary for future generations. Ferries provide service between Long Island and Connecticut, notably the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry (between Port Jefferson and Bridgeport ), and

2844-625: The New England landscape, then deposited the material (known as drift ) from the Connecticut coast into the Sound, creating what is now Long Island (the terminal moraine ). When the ice sheet stopped advancing 18,000 years ago (as addition of snow at the origin was in equilibrium with the melting at the southern edge), a large amount of drift was deposited, known as the Ronkonkoma Moraine, which stretches along much of southern Long Island. Later, another period of equilibrium resulted in

2923-581: The Pequannocke sachems – afterwards greatly enlarged by other purchases to the westward – and recalling the attractive region beyond (Unquowa), which he had personally seen on the second Pequot expedition, he also "set down" there, having purchased the territory embraced in the present town of Fairfield, to which he gave its name. Fairfield was one of the two principal settlements of the Connecticut Colony in southwestern Connecticut (the other

3002-424: The Sound in the twentieth century were the 1938 hurricane, the 1955 hurricane, Hurricane Belle in 1976, Hurricane Gloria in 1985, Hurricane Irene in 2011, and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. After Hurricane Belle, leaves near the coast were badly salt-burned, then turned brown and shriveled. Many trees were downed by the storm, leaving openings in the forest cover, promoting the growth of vines and shrubs. The Sound

3081-654: The Sound include the eastern spadefoot , a rare, toadlike amphibian that hasn't been recorded in the area since 1935. Its overall coloring is beige or off-white with a pattern of green markings. Small orange dots punctuate this pattern. As many as 1,500 shortnose sturgeon , listed as 'endangered' by the Endangered Species Act, inhabit the Connecticut River. Approximately 900 of those live downstream of Holyoke Dam. While shortnose sturgeon primarily remain in their natal rivers, they will feed in estuarine waters like Long Island Sound and make extended trips along

3160-756: The Sound occur in greatest abundance in rocky areas between high tide and low tide as well as on rocks on the sea floor. Green seaweed populations fluctuate with the seasons. Monostroma , reproduces in the early spring and dies out by late summer. Grinnellia appears in August and disappears four to six weeks later. In the rocky areas of the intertidal zone there are the seaweeds characterized by their brown tone, Fucus and Ascophyllum , some species of which have air bladders that allow them to float and receive direct sunlight even at high tide. Also present are Ectocarpus and red algas Polysiphonia , Neosiphonia , Porphyra and Chondrus ( Irish moss ). In

3239-454: The Sound, e.g. blue shark, mako shark, hammerhead shark and thresher shark, there are only four species of sharks which are regularly found in the area. These are the sand tiger shark , the sandbar shark , the spiny dogfish and the smooth dogfish . Mollusks ( gastropods and bivalves ) that can be found include the rough periwinkle near the high-tide line, the European periwinkle ,

Hemlock Reservoir - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-641: The Sound. Few undisturbed beach and dune systems exist on the Connecticut shore, the ones that do are located along the eastern portion of the coastline (east of the Connecticut River). Sea rocket and dune grass occur here, but not in abundance. Dune grass and plants that thrive on dunes are largely responsible for the creation and growth of the dunes. On the seaward side of dunes can be found Lathyrus japonicus (beach pea), Dusty Miller , and seaside goldenrod . Other beach plants are orache , beach clotbur , seaside spurge , and jimson weed . On

3397-713: The Sound. In West Haven, Connecticut 8,000 scaup (also called broadbills or bluebills) were regularly counted in the 1970s. Greater scaup , black ducks , mallards , and Canada geese are among the most abundant wintering birds. There are also significant populations of red-breasted mergansers , common goldeneyes , buffleheads , white-winged scoter , American wigeon (also sometimes called baldpate), long-tailed ducks and mute swans . Others (less abundant) include gadwalls , northern pintails , green-winged teal , northern shovelers (also sometimes called broadbill), ruddy ducks , redheads , ring-necked ducks , snow geese , and brant . Rare, endangered and extinct species of

3476-623: The University area, Grasmere, Mill Plain , Knapp's Village, Melville Village, Holland Hill, Murray , and the Fairfield Beach area, which has recently undergone a renaissance with the construction of many new homes by residents wishing to live in proximity to the beach and downtown. This has resulted in steadily rising property prices. Two shopping districts in town include the Post Road ( U.S. 1 ) and Black Rock Turnpike . As of

3555-764: The area. Specifically 25–35% of the tidal wetlands in the Sound have been dredged, filled, and developed over and hypoxia and eutrophication resulting from pollution have led to low dissolved oxygen levels (less than 4.8 mg of oxygen per liter) in the water. The low dissolved oxygen levels limit the fishes' ability to swim, feed, grow and reproduce and loss of habitat prevents success in fish larval growth. The impacts listed here are directly associated with these specific species in Long Island Sound: killifishes, silversides, bay anchovy, eels, menhaden, cunner, tautog, sticklebacks, winter flounder, weakfish, bluefish, tomcod and striped bass. An example of impacts from nitrogen

3634-758: The city of Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull , Easton , Weston , and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut . As of 2020, the town had a population of 61,512. The town is part of the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region . In 1635, Puritans and Congregationalists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony , were dissatisfied with the rate of Anglican reform, and sought to establish an ecclesiastical society subject to their own rules and regulations. The Massachusetts General Court granted them permission to settle in

3713-473: The coast in whaleboats and privateers . Gold Selleck Silliman , whose home still stands on Jennings Road, was put in charge of the coastal defenses. In the spring of 1779, Silliman was kidnapped from his home by Loyalist raiders in preparation for a British raid on Fairfield County. His wife, Mary Silliman watched from their home as, on the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 British troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and invaded

3792-447: The coastal area (and elsewhere), including the diamondback terrapin in salt marshes and brackish waters (and deposits and hatches its eggs on nearby sandy beaches). Terrapin meat became such a popular delicacy in the early 1900s that the price for a dozen adult females reached as high as US$ 120. Overhunting made the species uncommon and even rare through most of the Sound and eliminated at some places. After its popularity as food declined,

3871-514: The community since 1895. The Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department has several stations and has served the community since 1920. Fairfield has two public high schools , Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe ; three public middle schools, Roger Ludlowe , Tomlinson, and Fairfield Woods Middle School ; and eleven public elementary schools. Fairfield has several Catholic schools, including two high schools, Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame , and two primary schools, St. Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady of

3950-813: The economic and population growth the Industrial Revolution created led to increased pollution. Around the 1950s and 60s, the US Government began to recognize more of the environmental impacts pollution was having on water quality, as well as human health around regions like Long Island Sound. After the Clean Water Act was passed federally in 1972 to protect water quality around the US, the Environmental Protection Agency partnered with Connecticut and New York to pass

4029-735: The existence of Long Island Sound was the Dutch navigator Adriaen Block , who entered the sound from the East River in 1614. The sound was known as The Devil's Belt in colonial times and the reefs that run across the sound were known as Devil's Stepping Stones, from which Stepping Stones Lighthouse got its name. As the Industrial Revolution grew, Long Island Sound began to be utilized more for manufacturing and production uses that are still observed to this day, like textiles, metal finishing, fishing, and oyster harvesting. Yet,

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4108-482: The land called Unquowa (presently called Fairfield), and established the name. The name "Fairfield" is commendatory. According to historian John M. Taylor: Early in 1639, the General Court granted a commission to Ludlowe to begin a plantation at Pequannocke. He was on that errand, with a few others from Windsor, afterwards joined by immigrants from Watertown and Concord . He stole a large tract of land from

4187-753: The marshy areas of the intertidal zone can be found Cladophora ( mermaid's hair ), Ulva ( sea lettuce ) and Codium . In the subtidal zone (below low tide) are Palmaria palmata a red alga, along with two algae, Laminaria ( kelp ) and Chorda . Kelp can often be found washed up on the beach, and individual specimens are not uncommonly a yard or two long. Deeper in the subtidal zone are red algae such as Spermothamnion , Antithamnion and Callithamnion , which also often float freely. In tidal pools can be found red or pink colored Phymatolithon , which can often encrust rocks and mollusk shells. Also present are green algae, including Ulothrix , Cladophora , and Ulva . Tidal marshes are some of

4266-409: The more protected landward side of dunes are beach plum , bayberry and beach rose . Rare species found on the landward side are beach knotweed and sand false heather . In areas next to the shoreline but hardly ever salty, the sound's environment can nevertheless be a crucial factor in the presence of certain species. Areas near the Connecticut shore are the northern limit for some species needing

4345-429: The most productive biological systems in the world. Along the sound, they produce three to seven tons per acre per year of vegetation, largely in the form of salt marsh grasses. Much of this, enriched by decomposition, is flushed yearly into the estuary water where it directly contributes to the great finfish and shellfish production of the sound. Salt water cordgrass ( Spartina alterniflora ) grows along ditches and on

4424-585: The nearby Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in the 1950s brought another wave of development to Fairfield, and by the 1960s the town's residential, suburban character was firmly established. Fairfield became the home of the corporate headquarters of General Electric (GE), one of the world's largest companies, ca. 1970. On May 8, 2017, GE relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. The town

4503-437: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 20,457 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4582-636: The poverty line. In May 2012, Moody's Investors Service revised the Town of Fairfield's $ 192 million general obligation bond debt from negative to stable. In June 2012, Moody's awarded Fairfield with an AAA bond rating, which it maintains to this date. In 2005, the mill rate of Fairfield was 16.67. The 2012–2013 taxes in Fairfield rose 4% to a mill rate of 23.37. The 2013–2014 mill rate which went into effect on July 1 for fiscal year 2013–2014 also increased by 2.38% to 23.93. Fairfield residents enjoy

4661-414: The salt marshes of western Connecticut. Rodents include the white-footed mouse , the meadow vole (probably the most abundant coastal mammal) and the meadow jumping mouse . Muskrats are heavily trapped but remain abundant. Raccoons and red foxes who live in areas near the marshes will hunt in them. The long-tailed weasel and short-tailed weasel are both found near the Sound, occasionally living in

4740-483: The salt marshes. Dolphins are occasionally spotted in Long Island Sound, along with Harbor seals and gray seals that can be found among the rocks off Stonington and Groton at the eastern end. Long-finned pilot whales and harbor porpoises can also be infrequently sighted in open water, a few miles off the coast. In 1975, a finback whale beached itself in Groton. Animals that need moist woodlands are found in

4819-456: The seaside edges of marshes where high tides daily inundate it. Salt meadow cordgrass ( Spartina patens ) and spikegrass ( Distichlis spicata ) grow in areas less frequently inundated by saltwater, typically closer to dry land. A short form of salt water cordgrass can sometimes be found in the depressions ( pannes ) in the higher areas where salt water collects and evaporates, leaving water even higher in salinity than seawater. Other plants in

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4898-463: The shore, especially in late summer and fall. The American lobster is fished commercially. Most animal species on the Connecticut side of the Sound also occur inland, but some are much more abundant along the shore. Animals along the Sound are most concentrated in the salt marshes. Two species of shrews , the masked shrew and the American short-tailed shrew , are common in salt marshes. The least shrew has been thought to exist in small numbers in

4977-637: The shores of the larger river estuaries such as the Connecticut River , cattail marshes replace salt marshes. Various types of grasses, including wild rice , and sedges , including bulrushes , are found here. Eelgrass - sometimes known as "Saltwater Eelgrass" in order to distinguish it from Freshwater Eelgrass, which is a different species ( Vallisneria americana ) - is typically found in protected bays, coves, and other areas of brackish water, but it also persists along areas of exposed shoreline along Long Island's north shore near Orient. Eelgrass

5056-418: The sound has become increasingly deficient of marine life . The fishing and lobster industries have encouraged efforts to identify the cause of the dead water and rectify the problem. Lobsters have suffered diseases of unknown cause, but recreational fishing improved dramatically in the last 10 years due, in large part, to restoring a key component in the food chain, menhaden (a.k.a. "bunker") fish which are

5135-645: The surface of water from sunlight and deprives oxygen to marine organisms. Eutrophication and its effects are direct environmental impacts on the Sound that are exacerbated by higher temperatures, stratified water columns (when the water is not well mixed vertically) and excess nutrients. The primary target for water remediation tactics in Long Island Sound have been nutrients discharged by sewage treatment plants and in surface runoff . Long Island Sound sustains significant populations of fish and nurseries. This biological function has been threatened by both terrestrial and chemical alterations resulting from urbanization of

5214-666: The terrapin population started recovering. Sea turtles occasionally travel north on the Gulf Stream and wander into the Sound. The loggerhead turtle , green turtle and leatherback turtle are rarely seen along the Connecticut shore. Other reptiles and amphibians found along the edges of the salt marshes and nearby bodies of water include the green frog , bullfrog , pickerel frog , spotted turtle , painted turtle , northern water snake , and common snapping turtle . On beaches and sandy areas there are Fowler's toads (which are also found inland but find sandy areas preferable),

5293-490: The town; the force proceeded to burn Fairfield due to the town's support for Patriot cause. A decade later, President George Washington noted that after traveling through Fairfield that "the destructive evidence of British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwalk and Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet". The First World War brought Fairfield out of its agrarian past by triggering an unprecedented economic boom in Bridgeport, which

5372-536: The towns of Windsor , Wethersfield , and Hartford which is an area now known as Connecticut . On January 14, 1639, a set of legal and administrative regulations called the Fundamental Orders was adopted and established Connecticut as a self-ruling entity. By 1639, these settlers had started new towns in the surrounding areas. Roger Ludlowe , framer of the Fundamental Orders, purchased

5451-484: The tuna family, enter the sound and can be caught by anglers from small boats and shore. Many species have declined rapidly since 1975 due to over fishing. Winter flounder may not be currently present except for rare, small local populations. Tautog and summer flounder are also less numerous. Anadromous fishes include striped bass , white perch , alewives, blueback herring, and American and hickory shad . Although several shark species likely infrequently wander in and out of

5530-525: The twenties. By the time of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 , the population had increased to 17,000 from the 6,000 it had been just before the war. Even during the Depression , the town kept expanding. The grounding of a barge with two crewmen on Penfield Reef in Fairfield during a gale led to the 1st civilian helicopter hoist rescue in history, on November 29, 1945. The helicopter flew from

5609-403: The warmer environment provided by proximity to the Sound (which has a longer growing season than inland Connecticut and winters that are less harsh). These include sweetgum (only found in Connecticut in the extreme southwestern area of the state), the American holly , post oak and persimmon , which only exist in Connecticut along the shore. For many species which grow typically in sandy soils,

5688-482: The west, a ridge rising to about 65 feet (20 m) below the present sea level is called the Mattatuck Sill. Its lowest point is about 80 feet (24 m) below sea level. Glacial meltwater formed " Lake Connecticut ", a freshwater lake in the basin, until about 8,000 years ago, when the sea level rose to about 80 feet (24 m) below today's level. Seawater then overflowed into the basin, transforming it from

5767-410: The wind. This results in more sunlight reaching the forest floor, encouraging a jungle-like tangle of vines and shrubs, including the vines catbriar , poison ivy , bramble and bittersweet , and the shrubs blueberry , huckleberry , viburnum and hazelnut . Along with the moderate climate, tropical cyclones can have an important impact on observable vegetation patterns. The greatest storms to hit

5846-505: The years, bridges over the sound have been proposed, including a bridge between Rye in Westchester County and Oyster Bay on Long Island; between New Haven, Connecticut , and Shoreham on Long Island; between Bridgeport, Connecticut , and Port Jefferson on Long Island; or between Orient Point, New York , and Rhode Island . A tunnel under the sound, as between Rye and Oyster Bay has also been proposed, to carry both freeway lanes and railroads. However, no crossing has been built since

5925-546: Was Stratford ). The town line with Stratford was set in May 1661 by John Banks, an early Fairfield settler, Richard Olmstead, and Lt. Joseph Judson , who were both appointed as a committee by the Colony of Connecticut. The town line with Norwalk was not set until May 1685. Over time, it gave rise to several new towns that broke off and incorporated separately. The following is a list of towns created from parts of Fairfield. When

6004-405: Was $ 117,705 (these figures had risen to $ 103,352 and $ 121,749 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $ 69,525 versus $ 44,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 55,733. 2.9% of the population and 1.8% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 2.8% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those 65 and older were living below

6083-420: Was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.19. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median household income (in 2013 dollars)

6162-747: Was founded. The town of Fairfield is protected by the 95 career firefighters of the Fairfield Fire Department (FFD), and volunteer firefighters of the Southport Volunteer Fire Department and Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department. The career Fairfield Fire Department operates five fire stations, located throughout the town, and uses a fire apparatus fleet of five engine companies, one ladder company, one rescue company, three fireboats, and 1 Shift Commander's Unit, as well as many special support, and reserve units. The Southport Volunteer Fire Department has served

6241-420: Was the center of a large munitions industry at the time. The prosperity accompanied a temporary housing shortage in the city, and many of the workers looked to Fairfield to build their homes. The trolley and later the automobile made the countryside accessible to these newly rich members of the middle class, who brought with them new habits, new attitudes, and new modes of dress. The prosperity lasted throughout

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