Resources & Advice

Helpful Information for Assembling Application Forms:


Other Helpful Documents / Videos / Websites:

  • New FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps - On September 7, 2023, new the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Thompson become effective.  These maps are in a digital format and identify those areas in Thompson that will have flood insurance available through FEMA and are subject to FEMA's requirements for development in the flood hazard areas.  Prior to that date Thompson's current Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance adopted in 1988 will need to be amended to meet updated FEMA requirements.  The existing mapping will remain effective until September 7, 2023 and the 1988 ordinance will remain effective until amended.  Click here to see instructions for viewing the new FIRMs and the associated Flood Insurance Study.
  • Roles and Responsibilities of the Inland Wetlands Commission
  • Advice from the Wetlands Office for home owners, waterfront property owners, developers and contractors.
  • Soil Scientist Qualifications under Connecticut Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act
  • Soil Scientist Registry by the Society of Soil Scientists of Southern New England Official Registry - Registry contains a listing of qualified soil scientists that are members of the Society.  Note: For any individual claiming to be a qualified soil scientist who is not listed in this registry may be required to provide evidence that they meet the requirements of "soil scientist" as defined in the Inland wetlands and Watercourses Act (sections 22a-36 through 22a-45 of the Connecticut general Statutes (see "Soil Scientist Qualifications" above).
  • FEMA Flood Zone Dispute Process - DEEP 6/2014 Advice
  • EPA's Stormwater Calculator - An online tool to help support local, state and national efforts to reduce runoff using green infrastructure practices as low impact development controls. The Calculator uses local soil conditions, land cover, slope and historical rainfall records to provide estimates of storm water runoff from specific sites anywhere in the U.S. In the new release, users can now access the mobile web application version which can be used on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. In addition, users can now estimate the cost of their project with the new cost estimation module.
  • Agriculture, Forestry & Connecticut's Inland Wetlands and Watercourses brochure provides a good explanation of inland wetlands and watercourse regulation and its relationship to agricultural activities, including forest management.
  • Rising Waters: Planning for Flooding in Connecticut YouTube Video by Connecticut Sea Grant
  • Dams in Connecticut: Their History, Use & Regulation
  • Training/Education - UCONN Clear Center for Land Use Education and Research contains several CT DEEP training/certificate courses, including the Municipal Inland Wetlands Agency Comprehensive Training Program and certification that is required under sections 22a-39(l) & (n), respectively of the Connecticut General Statutes.  This site also contains links to a number of other useful training courses including Rain Garden Design, Installation and Maintenance, the CLEAR Land Use Academy Basic Training and Advanced Training, New Farms and Farmers Training, Adapt CT on climate resilience and Geospatial Training.
  • Beaver Institute, Inc. provides information on beavers, including  resources to solve beaver problems and access to a free digital beaver library containing hundreds of articles, videos and web links. 
  • Climate Change in New England - click here
  • List of Contaminated or Potentially Contaminated Sites in Thompson per DEEP May 9, 2017
  • French River Watershed Based Plan (2017) by the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District - Identifies sources of fecal coliform bacteria and other common contaminants that have degraded water quality in several waterbodies in the French River watershed, including the French River, Backwater Brook and Quinatissett Brook, and provides management recommendations to improve water quality so that all waterbodies in the French River watershed can meet established water quality standards for all their designated uses. Also see  French River Watershed-Based Plan Appendix A for the water qualtiy investigation summary and French River Water Quality Investigation Slide show (2016).
  • Rain Gardens - A how to guide from UConn to help remove pollutants in storm water runoff and encourage ground water recharge.
  • DEEP YouTube Video "What is an Aquifer?"
  • DEEP YouTube Videos
  • Calls of Frogs and Toads of the Northeast | Music of Nature
  • Smoke on the Water - How Does Wildfire Smoke Effect Lake Ecology by John McEachern posted by the Connecticut Federation of Lakes in July 2023. Mr. McEachern is a Seasonal Research Technician at the White Memorial Conservation Center Inc. in Litchfield, CT.