Salinity Distribution in the Thames River: New London to Norwich, Connecticut.

Observations of temperature, electrical conductivity, and salinity in the Thames River, Connecticut, made over a 12-month period, are used to provide a preliminary description of the Thames River estuary. Longitudinal profiles of the river are presented to show the effects of upland stream discharge upon the fresh/salt structure of the river. The freshwater discharge into the estuary is usually small, and during most of the year the waters of the Thames River are of relatively high salinity throughout its length. During periods of high stream discharge, however, the head of the salt wedge may be pushed several kilometers downriver by the freshwater inflow to the estuary. This report describes the salinity distribution in the river in terms of salinity stratification as a function of distance along the length of the river, with volume of freshwater discharge as the parameter. (Author)