Connecticut Divisions and Units
Deadman's Swamp Unit
This 31-acre unit consists of a freshwater wetland and sand spit adjacent to the Connecticut River in Cromwell, Connecticut. The division is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation. It is open to the public for hunting and fishing consistent with state regulations.
Please note: this unit is only open via river access only.
Roger Tory Peterson Unit
This unit, located in Old Lyme, Connecticut, was once part of the estate of the famous author and naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson. The property extends from Route 156 to the Lieutenant River. The predominant habitat is hardwood forest, with associated wetlands along the river. This unit serves as migratory bird stopover and nesting habitat because the forest is intact and it is in close proximity to the Connecticut River flyway corridor. The unit is open to the public from sun-up to sun-down, year round. The Unit is open to the public for wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation, and hunting and fishing, according to State Regulations.
Salmon River Division
The 714-acre Salmon River Division is located in the lower Connecticut River valley at the confluence of the Salmon River and the Connecticut River in the Haddam Neck section of Haddam, Connecticut. This division is recognized by the Service for its unusual terrestrial habitat types. Among them are tidally influenced rivers, internationally recognized freshwater tidal marshes and flats, meadows, cold-water streams, floodplain forests, mixed hardwood forest, hemlock stands, and vernal pools.
The aquatic habitats found within the Salmon River and Salmon Cove are recognized as important areas for fish species. American shad, river herring, and a variety of other migratory fishes use this river system, and adult Atlantic salmon have entered its tributaries to spawn. Extensive beds of submerged aquatic vegetation provide significant overwintering, spawning, and feeding habitat for a large number of fish species, including finfish and shellfish. The lower Connecticut River system is important stopover and breeding habitat for neo-tropical migrants as well, and supports one of the largest concentrations of migratory waterfowl in southern New England. At the mouth of the Salmon River, Salmon Cove’s freshwater tidal wetlands, flats, and adjacent intact forest provide neotropical birds and shorebirds with sources of food, water, and shelter. The site also serves as bald eagle winter roost and perch sites.
This division is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, for wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation. It is open to the public for hunting and fishing consistent with state regulations.
Please note: The 38 acre property off of Sherwood Camp Road is open via river access only.
Birds
Osprey, American black duck, bald eagle, green-winged teal, wood duck, mallard, wood warbler, thrushes, cuckoos, American kestrel, barred owl, Eastern wild turkey.
Mammals
White-tailed deer, black bear, river otter, bobcat, fisher.
Amphibians and Reptiles
Eastern box turtle, marbled salamander, northern copperhead.
Whalebone Cove Division
Whalebone Cove consists of 160 acres at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Whalebone Cove in Lyme, Connecticut. Its diverse topography and habitat ranges from low, flat tidal marsh to steep slopes and includes low tidal marsh, wooded slopes, a kettle-pond wetland, upland meadows and mature forest with oak, hickory and hemlock trees.
The Whalebone Cove area is one of the most biologically important and undisturbed tidal marshes on the Connecticut River. It also has the largest stand of wild rice in the State of Connecticut. The cove is an important wintering area for bald eagles and black ducks, and is also a significant foraging area for migratory waterfowl, including Canada geese, mallards, and wood ducks.
Whalebone Cove is open to the public from dawn to dusk for wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation. The division is open to the public from dawn to dusk for hunting and fishing, consistent with state regulations.
Birds
Black ducks, Canada geese, mallards, wood ducks, great blue herons, sora, least bittern, marsh wren, Carolina wren, white-eyed vireo, osprey, red-tailed hawks.
