This dataset is a component of a complete package of products from the Connect the Connecticut project. Connect the Connecticut is a collaborative effort to identify shared priorities for conserving the Connecticut River Watershed for future generations, considering the value of fish and wildlife species and the natural ecosystems they inhabit. Click here to download the full data package, including all documentation.

This dataset represents the probability of occurrence of brook trout in headwater creeks based on current habitat and climate conditions. Brook trout are a representative species for cool/cold headwater creeks. This layer was derived from a model developed by Ben Letcher and associates at the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Lab. Specifically, this index represents the species’ current probability of occurrence, presented as an integerized range from 0 (low=0% probability of occurrence) to 100 (high=100 % probability of occurrence). The brook trout probability of occurrence model is applied only to headwater creeks. Note, the brook trout current probability of occurrence is analogous to the landscape capability index developed for representative terrestrial wildlife species; it represents the suitability of habitat and climate conditions today. This index is an input into the selection of core areas in headwater creeks along with the Index of Ecological Integrity.