What We're Measuring

Annual precipitation departure from mean rainfall for Connecticut. Source: NOAA
Northeast Regional Climate Center http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu.

Do you know the annual rainfall for Connecticut from 1985-1990? Please let us know!

Example

Tolland, CT (below) has several waterbodies that exemplify the temporary conversion from open water to wetland. Watch how the water areas (deep blue) change over the cycle to light blue (wetlands).

Summary Table of Water Gains and Losses

Take Home Message. There has been a loss of water area over the three time periods. The majority of the lost water area resulted in a gain of non-forested wetland area. Some of the lost water area was also converted to forested wetland.

Gains and Losses of Water in Connecticut for each time period below. All values are in acres.
	1985-1990			1990-1995			1995-2002
	change from water	change to water	Net gain or loss	change from water	change to water	Net gain or loss	change from water	change to water	Net gain or loss
Developed	279	1	-278	221	0	-221	123	1	-123
Turf and Grass	8	211	203	10	55	46	29	101	72
Other Grasses	233	431	198	413	148	-265	292	465	173
Forest*	1598	4560	2961	1766	1057	-709	3822	1997	-1825
Water	102439	102439		104736	104739		474228	474228
Non-forested Wetland	3399	221	-3178	1307	203	-1104	2061	143	-1918
Forested Wetland	1635	1306	-328	638	220	-418	992	324	-668
Tidal Wetland	311	285	-27	84	97	14	213	185	-28
Barren	248	431	182	711	354	-357	834	94	-740
TOTAL	110150	109885	-266	109885	106871	-3014	482595	477539	-5056

* Deciduous forest and coniferous forest have been combined.

First Column "1985-1990 change from water". The area, in acres, that was water in 1985 (or the first date in the time period) and changed to a different landcover by 1990 (or the second date). The different landcover coincides with the landcover class in the first column.

Second Column "1985-1990 change to water". The area, in acres, that was something other than water (as indicated by the class in the left column) in 1985 (or the first date) and changed to water by 1990 (or the second date).

Net gain or loss = red (negative). More water was lost to a class than was gained from that class. For example, between 1985 and 1990, 3399 acres was changed from water to non-forested wetland compared to 221 acres changing from non-forested wetland to water resulting in a net loss in water area.

Net gain or loss = black (positive). More water was gained from a class than was lost to that class. For example, between 1985 and 1990, only 8 acres were changed from water to turf and grass compared to a 211 acres that went from water to turf and grass resulting in a net increase of turf and grass.

Do you see a trend that we haven't mentioned? Email us. We'd like to know about it.