The Thames science plan: suggested hydrologic investigations to support nutrient-related water-quality improvements in the Thames River basin, Connecticut

Abstract

Abstract : The Thames Science Plan is the result of a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP). The Science Plan outlines water-quality investigations that could provide information necessary for the CTDEP to develop water-quality management and restoration strategies for nutrient-related problems in the Thames River Basin. The purpose of the Science Plan is to identify information that would support CTDEP in developing Total Maximum Daily Load analyses (TMDLs) for nutrients for individual water bodies and stream reaches in the Thames Basin, and eventually for the entire basin, as required under the Federal Clean Water Act. Development of the Science Plan included a review of the historical database for the Thames River Basin, focusing primarily on water-quality monitoring and interpretive studies conducted by the USGS from 1970 to 2004. Selected additional water-quality information from CTDEP, other state and federal agencies, and academic and private sources has also been reviewed. A complete review and synthesis of all sources of nutrient-related water-quality information for the Thames River Basin is beyond the scope of this Science Plan. Information on important nutrient-related issues and questions in the Thames River Basin has been obtained from many sources, including reports from the Thames River Water-Quality Symposium, sponsored by the CTDEP on April 30, 2002 (Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2002c). The Thames Technical Workshop, sponsored by the USGS on April 23-25, 2003, provided additional insight into these issues and questions. The Technical Workshop included discussions at several field locations in the Thames Basin, presentations by USGS researchers on freshwater and estuarine nutrient topics, and a moderated discussion among participants from the CTDEP, the USGS, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).