SOUND ISSUES
"Protection & Progress," the 2005-06 Long Island Sound Study biennial report, which was released in June, shows that progress has been made in a number of key areas, but that more money and public involvement are vital to future successes.
Long Island Sound, which is 110 miles long, is one of the largest urban estuaries in the United States and provides economic and recreational benefits to millions of people in Connecticut and New York as well as natural habitats to more than 1,200 species of invertebrates, 170 species of fish and dozens of species of migratory birds, according to the LISS' Web site, http://longislandsoundstudy.net/
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http://www.fairfieldcitizen-news.com/opinion/ci_6348299
Sound Facts & Figures
Area of LIS: 1320 square miles
Drainage Basin or Watershed:16,820 square miles
Average Depth: 63 feet (60-120 feet)
Volume: 18 trillion gallons
Coastline: 600 miles
Salinity Ranges: 23 parts per thousand in the western end to 35 parts per thousand at the eastern end
Source of Fresh Water: 90% of the freshwater comes from three major Connecticut Rivers - the Thames, Housatonic, and Connecticut Temperature: 32°F in winter and 73°F in summer
Tides: two high and two low each day with the greatest tides in the west
Population Living within 50 miles: 20 million people
Estimated Value to the Local Economy: $5.5 billion per year
Fish Populations: more than 120 species of finfish, including 21 tropical species that stray here seasonally; at least 50 species spawn in the Sound
Contact: FBRA 203. 256.2779
PO Box 513
Fairfield, CT 06824
