1-3 



tional monitoring studies and studies performed for special purposes, as 

 well as data available from other sources which are pertinent to New 

 Haven Harbor. These latter include data from greater Long Island Sound 

 and other estuaries in the general area, and they provide the perspec- 

 tive with which to relate the biological, physical and chemical struc- 

 ture of New Haven Harbor to the larger Long Island Sound ecosystem. 



Most of the program papers in this report are made up of two 

 major sections; the first characterizes New Haven Harbor in relation to 

 the specific program; the second addresses the potential and observed 

 impacts of New Haven Harbor Station operation on the harbor. Physical- 

 chemical water quality and biological parameters in New Haven Harbor are 

 characterized with emphasis on annual, seasonal and distributional 

 trends. The relationship between the New Haven Harbor ecosystem and 

 that of Long Island Sound and other harbors on the Sound is considered 

 by comparison with historical and concurrent data. In the "impact" 

 sections, potential mechanisms by which the plant might have an effect 

 are identified and consideration is given to how these impacts might be 

 detected through the available data. Preoperational and operational 

 data are evaluated for observable plant impacts, and effects of potential 

 importance are analyzed in detail. 



General Description of New Haven Harbor 



The New Haven Harbor estuary is located on the northern shore 

 of Long Island Sound (Figure 1-1) . The harbor, with its north-south 

 axis, is a shallow embayment of approximately 8 square nautical miles of 

 water surface within boundaries established by the Long Island Sound 

 breakwaters and the mouths of the West, Mill and Quinnipiac Rivers. It 

 is about 4 miles long and varies in width from about 4 miles at its 

 mouth to about one-half mile just below the Tomlinson Bridge at its 

 northern end. The harbor entrance is protected by three large stone 

 breakwaters, the main channel entering through a gap between the east- 

 ernmost and central breakwaters. 



