Lower Connecticut River Estuary, Lyme,
Old Lyme, Essex and Old Saybrook

The estuary of the Lower Connecticut River, looking south toward Long Island Sound in the distance, is characterized by northeast-southwest trending tree-covered bedrock ridges to the east in Old Lyme (left), glacial deposits to the west in Old Saybrook (right), and intervening areas of tidal marsh. From this point south, the river is brackish with salinities ranging between 0.5 and 30 parts per thousand (the salinity of the Sound) - at least for most of the year. During the spring freshet when melting snow and ice contributes great quantities of fresh water to the river further north, the salt water wedge is " bullied" south to the point that the entire river from Long Island Sound north is fresh. During the summer, fall and winter when fresh water flow is reduced, tidally-influenced salt water can be measured as far north as Brockway Island at the Essex/Deep River boundary.

Within the marsh areas, the lighter green color that dominates is primarily the invasive common reed Phragmites australis. The smaller dark green areas are the native wetlands plants that are "pushed aside" by the aggressive growth of the Phragmites. The CTDEP's tidal restoration efforts center greatly on the eradication of the monocultural Phargmites in order to allow for the recolonization of the more natural tidal wetlands vegetation. Recent results of those restoration efforts can be seen in the lower right of the photo where patches of Phragmites have been mechanically removed from the lower reaches of the Lord Cove marsh system, leaving virgin soils that will allow for the native marsh vegetation growth.