Thames River Explorations - Digital Stewardship (TREDS)

This project was a collaboration with Project Oceanology, youth from New London High School, and undergraduate students from the University of Connecticut, Avery Point

The Thames River, as it’s known today, once supported flourishing fisheries and natural resources critical for the Pequot, Mohegan, Nehântick, and other indigenous people. Early names for the river have included Pequot River, Frisius, Great, Great River of Pequot, Little Fresh, Mohegan, New London, and Pequod. It wasn’t until 1658 that the river was renamed Thames after the River Thames in London, England. This project respectfully acknowledges the indigenous people who have stewarded this land before European settlers and through the generations that followed.

Today, the Thames River and its watershed supports critical economic and national security infrastructure, including General Dynamic’s Electric Boat submarine yard, Dow Chemical Co., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. Navy Submarine Base, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The Port of New London, located at the Thames River Mouth, is a major deepwater port in Long Island Sound that has historically supported the whaling industry and today is being transformed to support offshore wind operations.

To learn more about the maritime history of the Thames River, continue scrolling to explore the research conducted by local high school and undergraduate students.

Riverside Park

Major Changes/Effects

• Giving away 10 acres of land to the Coast Guard Academy
• Construction of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge

Ideas for the Future

• Access to water
• More playground equipment

Goldstar Memorial Bridge

Effects on Immediate Neighborhood

• Many buildings in New London were either destroyed or moved
• Northern New London was cutoff from downtown New London
• Concrete and rebar rubble is left over from construction

New London State Pier

Effects on Fishermen

• It's been a struggle for fishermen to remain on the Thames River
• A lease was signed at Fort Trumbull to allow the fisherman to use the docks, giving the fisherman more stability for the future

Fort Trumbull

Environmental Justice Issues (1950 - 1990)

• Industries (such as a linoleum factory) polluted topsoil with chemical runoff
• Unregulated/unmonitored usage by the military
• Site of sewage treatment plant creates unfavorable sights and smells
• Unequal treatment of all stakeholders in the neighborhood

Electric Boat Shipyard

More than 200 acres are zoned for industrial use in Groton, nearly 10%. All surrounding areas are civilian property, primary housing, and small businessnes. Housing areas are mostly lower to middle class. 1.5 continuous miles of the Thames' Eastern Bank is purely industrial.

Greens Harbor Beach

• Access to Greens Harbor Beach is vital but difficult with the current zoning.
• Water quality needs to be kept in check.
• Zoning regulations should be rethought to include affordable housing and spur commerical development.

The Thames River watershed is the third largest emptying into Long Island Sound, draining almost 1500 square miles of land in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The Thames itself is a relatively short, wide, and tidally influenced river located in southeastern Connecticut that begins in the community of Norwich and flows south for 15 miles. Water quality in the Thames River is heavily influenced by current and past land use practices in the upper watershed, and by stormwater management and run-off issues in communities around the river. The northern stretch of the Thames in particular is impacted by the combined sewer overflow system in Norwich. Combined sewer overflows – which have been eliminated in all but six Connecticut communities – are an outdated stormwater management system that results in raw sewage release into water bodies during heavy rains. The Thames historically supported flourishing fisheries important to the Pequot people and other indigenous groups and critical to the success of early European colonists. However, the construction of dams diminished the reproductive success of anadromous fish by blocking access to upstream spawning areas, and the decline in water quality associated with industrialization led to large oxygen depletion zones and other water quality issues that severely impacted fish populations. Improving water quality and efforts to improve fish passage in recent decades have improved the outlook for many of these populations, but recovery is not yet certain. To learn more about Thames River estuary continue scrolling to explore sampling methods research conducted by local high school and undergraduate students.

Biological Sampling Methods

Otter Trawl: This is an active piece of fishing gear that is towed behind the Enviro-Lab on the bottom of Long Island Sound to catch a variety of benthic organisms.

Lobster Pot: This baited trap sits on the seafloor to it’s target species, lobsters. Weights help the trap to sink and a long line attached to a buoy floats at the surface to easy retrieval.

Plankton Net: This net is towed from the Enviro-Lab at the surface of the water. The very small mesh size allows water to pass through while collecting phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Oyster Cages: Adult oysters were hung in cages and left to grow in situ at 4 different locations. Students measured individual oysters to determine the average size per location.

Biological Data

Oyster Size Data

Phosphates

Phosphorus is one of the most common elements in the environment, and is essential for plant and animal life. Phosphates are phosphorus compounds and are found naturally in rocks and minerals, as components of fertilizers, and in human and animal waste. From natural sources, phosphates enter waterways through erosion of river banks, and from animal waste and dead animals. Phosphates (and nitrates) are important for photosynthesis, so they are commonly used to improve crop yields or lawn growth. These nutrients can be transported from land sources like farms and lawns by heavy rains that drain to streams and rivers. Phosphates can also escape in the discharge of wastewater treatment facilities, particularly ones with combined sewer overflow systems. When phosphates enter water, they are taken up by plants and enter the food web, are carried by moving water, and eventually sink to the bottom.  

 Phosphates are a normal part of healthy ecosystems, but when they get too high, it can be a problem because high phosphates can cause algal blooms.

Nitrates

Nitrogen is one of the most common elements in the environment, and is essential for plant and animal life. Nitrates are nitrogen compounds and are formed from nitrogen in human and animal wastes, and are used as components of fertilizers and explosives. From natural sources, nitrates enter waterways through runoff from the watershed, and from biological processes in the water itself. Nitrogen is critically important for photosynthesis, so nitrates are commonly used to improve crop yields or lawn growth. These nutrients can be transported from land sources like farms and lawns by heavy rains that drain to streams and rivers. Nitrates can also escape in the discharge of wastewater treatment facilities, particularly ones with combined sewer overflow systems. When nitrates enter water, they are taken up by plants and enter the food web, are carried by moving water, and eventually sink to the bottom. 

 Nitrates are a normal part of healthy ecosystems, but when they get too high, it can be a problem because high nitrates can cause algal blooms.

Coliform

Coliform are bacteria that are always present in the digestive tracts of animals, including humans, and are found in their wastes. They are also found in plant and soil material.  Coliform testing is a way to test for other harmful bacteria that may be in the water by using the coliform as an indicator organism.  Meaning, oliform comes from the same sources as pathogenic or harmful organisms. Since coliform are relatively easy to identify and are usually present in larger numbers than more dangerous pathogens testing for coliform bacteria can be a reasonable indication of whether other pathogenic bacteria are present in an area. 

Salinity

Salinity is the measurement of salt concentration in water.  Salinity is usually measured in parts per thousand (ppt). Oceans are consistently salty with the average salinity of about 35 ppt while freshwater environments like lakes and ponds have little to no salt (0 ppt).  Estuaries are environments where ocean water and river water meet and mix.  This makes the salinity variable.  The salinity increases at the mouth of the river because it’s closer to the salt water source and becomes less salty as you move towards the head of the river or farther away from the salt water.

Water Temperature

Water temperature is very important because it helps to determine what kinds of organisms we expect to find in the estuary.  Air temperature, tide and time of year all influence the water temperature.  The temperature of the air can influence the water temperature because heat can be exchanged between the air and the surface of the water.  Tide influences the water temperature in coastal areas like Long Island Sound because water flowing into Long Island Sound from land via rivers and streams may be a different temperature than water flowing in from the Atlantic Ocean.  Time of year influences the water temperature, because Long Island Sound gradually heats up in the summer and then gradually cools in the winter.  

 Water temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (℃).  You may be more familiar with the Farenheit scale. You can convert Celsius to Fahrenheit by multiplying the Celsius temperature by 1.8 and adding 32.

Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen, or D.O., is essential for the survival of living things in the estuary. Animals, plants, even some bacteria, all need a sufficient amount of oxygen in order to survive.  One way oxygen gets into the water is through diffusion.  That means the air that is in contact with the surface of the water naturally mixes into the water.  Wave action and wind also help bring atmospheric oxygen into the water.  The second way oxygen gets into the water is through plants.  As plants, seaweed, and phytoplankton perform photosynthesis, oxygen is produced as a by-product of this process.  It is normal for dissolved oxygen levels to fluctuate in the estuary.  For example, the temperature and salinity of the water affect the amount of oxygen that is able to dissolve.  Cold water can hold more oxygen than warm water, and fresh water can hold more oxygen than salt water.  Oxygen can also be depleted from the water. In estuaries, oxygen levels are often higher during the day when algae and plants are photosynthesizing, but low at night when the photosynthesis stops and the oxygen gets used up by animals.

 Nutrients like phosphates and nitrates can also affect the oxygen levels by disrupting the normal food web.  When there is an overabundance of nutrients in the water, an algal bloom can occur.  The algae quickly use up all the nutrients, then die and decompose, which in turn leads to oxygen levels dipping to lethal levels. This hypoxic layer forms at the bottom of the water column.

Environmental justice issues in the Thames River corridor center around access to the water, and the exploitation and industrialization of low income and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) neighborhoods. Beginning in the colonial period, white settlers took over desirable coastal locations along the river and in the areas that are now Norwich, Montville, Waterford and Groton, while Native Americans were pushed inland. The area became economically prosperous, the Thames River became heavily industrialized in areas of New London, Groton, and Norwich, negatively affecting water quality and blocking coastal access for black, indigenous or other people of color (BIPOC) and first generation low income (FGLI) communities. Environmental hazards related to climate change are also unevenly distributed across communities, with many lower income communities at greater risk from sea level rise, storms, and pollution events related to flooding. To learn more about environmental justice issues along the Thames River explore the maps created by University of Connecticut, Avery Point undergraduate students.

•  TREDS Student Presentations and Papers 
•  Connecticut Coastal Access Guide  - This is a wonderful resource created by DEEP to help folks explore the CT shore. Use this guide to identify sites open to the public for boating, swimming, fishing and other outdoor activities.
•  Environmental Justice Screen and Mapping Tool 
•  EPA's Factsheet on Environmental Justice 
•  Groton Open Space Association 
•  Bakers Cover Watershed Association Flyer 
•  Eastern Connecticut Conservation District 
•  Find Clean Ups in Your Community 

UCONN Avery Point - MARN/MAST 1001E Professor: Syma Ebbin Students: - Winthrop Cove: Riley, Jack, Will, Tiernan, Jason - Eastern Point Beach: Maizie, Alethea, J, Ryan, Nina - New London Lighthouse Beaches: Chris Chase, Kayla Taylor, Aycen Sayin, Ryan Gasparini, Christo Moran, Verena Ibrahim - Electric Boat: Laura C., Brookly V., Jenifer C., Emily C., Dante H., Jordan M.

UCONN Avery Point - MAST 2101 Professor: Helen Rozwadowski Students: - Robert Tolppi (Greens Harbor Beach) - J. Wierski (Fort Trumbull) - John (Electric Boat) - Devan (Gold Star Memorial Bridge) - Vinny (State Fishing Pier) - Meghan Allmendinger (Riverside Park)

Professor: Nathaniel Trumbull GIS UCONN Avery Point Students: - Daniel Dyer - Ian Bradley - Johann Heupel

New London High School Mercedeh Pourmoghadom, Amy Golden, and their students

 _{Thank you to the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut for supporting this TREDS project. Thank you to UCONN Avery Point and New London High School for your time and commitment dedicated towards this project.}