Dedicated open space and private land can be managed to provide better habitat. A watershed is the land and water area that collects the rain and snow for a waterbody. Upstream actions affect downstream areas. Everything in a watershed is downstream. Everyone in a watershed affects the water shared with all those downstream.
Clean water is important to fish, wildlife, and people.
Buffer strips along waterbodies improve water quality and provide important habitat. Controlling point and non-point sources of pollution is important. The Connecticut River watershed has one endangered mussel and two mussels that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered. Anadromous Fish Restoration Anadromous fish are migratory fish that spend part of their life in the ocean and return to fresh water to spawn. Human activities caused the disappearance of Atlantic salmon and the decline of other anadromous fish.