Alewives and Linsley Pond: What Ecological History Tells Us

Derek West and Lily Twining coring Linsley Pond as part of an ecological study of the lake's history.

Yale College Graduate, Lily Twining, presented work from her thesis on the ecological history of south central Connecticut from pre-colonial times to the present. The Linsley Pond-Queach Brook watershed was one of her study sites.

Combining both historical and paleoecological research methods, the research focused on understanding how humans have changed the landscape of the region and modified its freshwater ecosystems.

Lily majored in Environmental Studies at Yale and this work was completed in Dr. David Post's lab at the Yale Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Next year Lily will continue her studies as a Master's candidate of Environmental Science at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

• View and download brief on the presentation by Lily Twining

Environmental factors affecting Linsley Lake

CT DEP Total Daily Maximum Daily Load Analysis for Linsley & Cedar Ponds, North Branford
These are reports for Tilcon that justify and govern their permissible pollutant discharge level of phosphorus. Note, the impact to Cedar Lake also affects Linsley Lake.

• View Report on Linsley Lake
• View Report on Cedar Lake

Stormwater Management Program for the Town of North Branford
This is a national effort to manage the runoff into streams and tributaries, something that is vitally linked to eutrophication of Linsley Lake, where the runoff, rich in dissolved nutrients from fertilizers or sewage, promotes the growth and decomposition of oxygen-depleting plant life, including algae blooms and loss of fish life.

• View Report

 CT DEP South Central Coast Major Basin Overview

Information about the watershed that includes Linsley Lake.

• View Report 

History of North Branford
The North Branford Public Libraries website includes a history of the town that talks a little about how the area developed.

• Go to web page

 - Calvin B. Vinal