Thursday, November 12, 2026 - 1 PM
Speakers: Owen Placido, CT Sea Grant & Mari Cullerton, UConn CLEAR
Riparian areas are vital habitats located where waterbodies meet the land and that provide a “first line of defense” against the pressures of development. Healthy riparian areas are vital for water quality, ecosystem health, fish and other aquatic habitat, recreational opportunities, and resilience to extreme weather. Evaluating the function of riparian areas in relation to these benefits is critical to making management and restoration decisions.
This webinar will explore a new website and web-tool from CT Sea Grant and UConn CLEAR that is designed to support the assessment and restoration of riparian areas in Connecticut. The Riparian Assessment Tool is designed to help target restoration and management actions based on a set of goals that you define for your site. It combines CT Parcel data, high resolution land cover data from the NOAA C-CAP program, and user input to a series of questions to provide recommendations on how to improve your riparian areas. You will learn how the tool was developed and how it can be used to help you meet your goals for this critical resource. Part of CT Sea Grant and UConn CLEAR’s ongoing webinar series.