The USGS, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will be collecting water-quality and hydrologic data at four embayments from April 2021 to March 2024: Mystic, Norwalk, Saugatuck, and Sasco-Southport complex.
The State of Connecticut continues to promote a comprehensive approach to managing the effects of nutrients on Long Island Sound and its coastal embayments. The USGS, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, will be collecting water-quality and hydrologic data at four embayments across Long Island Sound: Mystic, Norwalk, Saugatuck, and Sasco-Saugatuck complex. Data will be collected in these embayments for 2 years. Data collection began in the Mystic and Norwalk in May 2021 and data collection will begin in the Saugatuck and Sasco/Southport Harbor starting in April 2022. Discrete water-quality samples are planned to be collected at near surface and near bottom at multiple locations at various tidal cycles in each embayment. Discrete samples will be analyzed for nutrients, carbon, total suspended solids, silica, alkalinity, biological oxygen demand, and chlorophyll a. Selected sites will also have continuous water-quality monitoring at near surface and near bottom for water temperature, specific conductance, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll a. USGS will also collect hydrologic data, such as velocity and stage, at selected locations in each embayment.
The objectives of the project are to (1) obtain representative water-quality data under a range of seasonal conditions to characterize the water quality spatially and vertically in each embayment. (2) monitor selected water-quality parameters with high temporal resolution to provide time-series data needed for water-quality model calibration and evaluation, and (3) monitor selected physical water-quality parameters at multiple locations in each embayment that will provide understanding of variability at spatial scales. This effort is expected to result in development of a series of models of priority embayments that will improve the understanding of physical and chemical processes of embayments in Long Island Sound.
Data collection sites
| Site Number | Site Name |
| 411940071590300 | Mystic River at Ram Island Yacht Club at Noank, CT |
| 412141071580200 | Mystic River at Mystic Seaport near Mystic, CT |
| 412240071574700 | Mystic River US Rt I95 bridge near Old Mystic, CT |
| 412047071580800 | Mystic Harbor at Safe Harbor Marina near Mystic, CT |
| 412117071580800 | Mystic River at Rt. 1 bridge, CT |
| 410502073236000 | Norwalk Harbor at the Cove Marina near E Norwalk, CT |
| 410606073245700 | Norwalk River at Norwalk Aquarium near S Norwalk, CT |
| 410643073243700 | Norwalk River at Ferry Point, CT |
List of analytes being collected at four embayments across Long Island Sound.
[mg/L, milligram per liter; µg/L, microgram per liter; N/A, not applicable]
| Analyte | Parameter Code | Minimum Reporting Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia in seawater (Dissolved) | 00608 | 0.01 mg/L |
| Ammonia + Organic Nitrogen (Whole) | 00625 | 0.14 mg/L |
| Nitrite + Nitrate | 00631 | 0.04 mg/L |
| Orthophosphate | 00671 | 0.008 mg/L |
| Phosphorus in brines (Whole) | 00665 | 0.008 mg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton | 70953 | 0.1 µg/L |
| Pheophytin, phytoplankton | 62360 | 0.1 µg/L |
| Silica in seawater (Dissolved) | 00955 | 0.12 mg/L |
| Alkalinity | 39086 | 8.0 |
| Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) | 00681 | 0.6 mg/L |
| Total Suspended Solids (TSS) | 00530 | 2 mg/L |
| Carbonaceous Biological Oxygen Demand (CBOD) | 80082 | 2 mg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a | 00925 | N/A |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 00300 | N/A |
| Specific conductance | 00095 | N/A |
| Water Temperature, in degrees Celsius | 00010 | N/A |
| Turbidity | 63680 | N/A |
| Barometric pressure | 00025 | N/A |
| Underwater Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) | 99997 | N/A |
- Overview
The USGS, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will be collecting water-quality and hydrologic data at four embayments from April 2021 to March 2024: Mystic, Norwalk, Saugatuck, and Sasco-Southport complex.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Locations of Mystic embayment monitoring sites in Connecticut.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Locations of Norwalk embayment monitoring sites in Connecticut.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Continuous water-quality station on the Mystic River at the Mystic Seaport, Mystic Connecticut (site 412141071580200). Setup includes top and bottom multiparameter sondes and velocity uplooker. The State of Connecticut continues to promote a comprehensive approach to managing the effects of nutrients on Long Island Sound and its coastal embayments. The USGS, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, will be collecting water-quality and hydrologic data at four embayments across Long Island Sound: Mystic, Norwalk, Saugatuck, and Sasco-Saugatuck complex. Data will be collected in these embayments for 2 years. Data collection began in the Mystic and Norwalk in May 2021 and data collection will begin in the Saugatuck and Sasco/Southport Harbor starting in April 2022. Discrete water-quality samples are planned to be collected at near surface and near bottom at multiple locations at various tidal cycles in each embayment. Discrete samples will be analyzed for nutrients, carbon, total suspended solids, silica, alkalinity, biological oxygen demand, and chlorophyll a. Selected sites will also have continuous water-quality monitoring at near surface and near bottom for water temperature, specific conductance, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll a. USGS will also collect hydrologic data, such as velocity and stage, at selected locations in each embayment.
The objectives of the project are to (1) obtain representative water-quality data under a range of seasonal conditions to characterize the water quality spatially and vertically in each embayment. (2) monitor selected water-quality parameters with high temporal resolution to provide time-series data needed for water-quality model calibration and evaluation, and (3) monitor selected physical water-quality parameters at multiple locations in each embayment that will provide understanding of variability at spatial scales. This effort is expected to result in development of a series of models of priority embayments that will improve the understanding of physical and chemical processes of embayments in Long Island Sound.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Continuous water-quality gaging station located at Norwalk River at Norwalk Aquarium near South Norwalk, Connecticut (USGS site 410606073245700).
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Installation of continuous water-quality gaging station at Mystic River at Ram Island Yacht Club at Noank, Connecticut (USGS site 411940071590300).
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Continuous water-quality gaging station at Norwalk Harbor at the Cove Marina near East Norwalk, Connecticut (USGS site 410502073236000). Data collection sites
Site Number Site Name 411940071590300 Mystic River at Ram Island Yacht Club at Noank, CT 412141071580200 Mystic River at Mystic Seaport near Mystic, CT 412240071574700 Mystic River US Rt I95 bridge near Old Mystic, CT 412047071580800 Mystic Harbor at Safe Harbor Marina near Mystic, CT 412117071580800 Mystic River at Rt. 1 bridge, CT 410502073236000 Norwalk Harbor at the Cove Marina near E Norwalk, CT 410606073245700 Norwalk River at Norwalk Aquarium near S Norwalk, CT 410643073243700 Norwalk River at Ferry Point, CT List of analytes being collected at four embayments across Long Island Sound.
[mg/L, milligram per liter; µg/L, microgram per liter; N/A, not applicable]
Analyte Parameter Code Minimum Reporting Limit Ammonia in seawater (Dissolved) 00608 0.01 mg/L Ammonia + Organic Nitrogen (Whole) 00625 0.14 mg/L Nitrite + Nitrate 00631 0.04 mg/L Orthophosphate 00671 0.008 mg/L Phosphorus in brines (Whole) 00665 0.008 mg/L Chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton 70953 0.1 µg/L Pheophytin, phytoplankton 62360 0.1 µg/L Silica in seawater (Dissolved) 00955 0.12 mg/L Alkalinity 39086 8.0 Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) 00681 0.6 mg/L Total Suspended Solids (TSS) 00530 2 mg/L Carbonaceous Biological Oxygen Demand (CBOD) 80082 2 mg/L Chlorophyll-a 00925 N/A Dissolved Oxygen 00300 N/A Specific conductance 00095 N/A Water Temperature, in degrees Celsius 00010 N/A Turbidity 63680 N/A Barometric pressure 00025 N/A Underwater Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) 99997 N/A - Multimedia
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