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Traprock Ridge, Connecticut
These relatively pristine ridges provide an essential corridor for birds, animals and insects. Vernal pools on the eastern slopes provide breeding grounds for some rare and endangered salamanders. The western face of the ridges, footed by talus slopes, have unique micro-environments supporting relic plants from colder eras, sustained by cold-water seeps from above. Today, the Traprock Ridges are threatened by housing developments. The ridges are prime real estate for people who want spectacular views of the Connecticut Valley and are willing to pay the high costs involved in building on difficult sites. Housing developments on these sensitive slopes can have devastating effects on the wildlife and plants that depend on the unique Traprock Ridge environment. Construction of new communication towers for cell phones also threatens the natural quality of these ridges. Finally, the ridges are threatened by quarrying - they are a prime source of basalt which is used for road construction. The Sierra Club is calling for state and local acquisition of the land and permanent protection from development and industrial activity. To help in the fight to protect the Traprock Ridges, Sierra Club members are educating other citizens and decisionmakers about the values of this special place. Photo courtesy Rebecca L. Orris Neighborhood Wildlands | SPARE Report Main Up to Top |
Rising from 300 to 700 feet above the ground,
the Traprock Ridges run north from Long Island Sound to the New Hampshire border. The
ridges, which were formed by a volcanic lava flow, have dramatic, precipitous cliffs to
the west and soft gradual slopes to the east. Glacial action and eons of weathering have
produced a fragile, windswept environment with thin soil and plants not found elsewhere in
the valley, such as little blue stem.