Total Maximum Daily Load for Nutrients in the Upper/Middle Charles River, Massachusetts

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Total Maximum Daily Load for Nutrients in the Upper/Middle Charles River, Massachusetts Draft Total Maximum Daily Load for Nutrients in the Upper/Middle Charles River, Massachusetts Control Number: CN 272.0 Prepared by: Charles River Watershed Association 190 Park Rd, Weston, MA 02453 Numeric Environmental Services, Inc. Beverly Farms, MA 01915 Prepared for: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection 627 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 United States Environmental Protection Agency, New England Region 1 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02114-2023 September 2009 Notice of Availability Limited copies of this report are available at no cost by written request to: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Division of Watershed Management 627 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 Please request Report Number: MA-CN 272.0 This report is also available from MassDEP’s home page at: http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/tmdls.htm A complete list of reports published since 1963 is updated annually and printed in July. The report, titled, “Publications of the Massachusetts Division of Watershed Management – Watershed Planning Program, 1963-(current year)”, is also available by writing to the DWM in Worcester and on the MassDEP Web site identified above. DISCLAIMER References to trade names, commercial products, manufacturers, or distributors in this report constitute neither endorsements nor recommendations by the Division of Watershed Management for use. Front Cover: Left=Canoe on free-flowing reach of Middle Charles Right=South Natick Dam showing excessive algae growth ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................1 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................7 1.1 Description of the River .......................................................................................................7 1.2 The TMDL Process............................................................................................................10 1.3 Impaired Segments.............................................................................................................12 2 Assessing Water Quality............................................................................................................18 2.1 Massachusetts Water Quality Standards ............................................................................18 2.2 US-EPA Guidance on Nutrient Criteria .............................................................................19 2.3 Trophic Status....................................................................................................................20 2.4 Aquatic Plant Coverage......................................................................................................20 2.5 Evaluation Metrics.............................................................................................................21 3 The State of the River.................................................................................................................24 3.1 Water Quality Monitoring Programs..................................................................................24 3.1.1 CRWA TMDL Water Quality Monitoring.................................................................24 3.1.2 CRWA IM3 Water Quality Monitoring .....................................................................28 3.1.3 MWRA Water Quality Monitoring............................................................................29 3.1.4 MassDEP Water Quality Monitoring.........................................................................29 3.2 Current Water Quality Conditions .....................................................................................29 3.2.1 Total Nitrogen Data....................................................................................................29 3.2.2 Total Phosphorus Data ...............................................................................................30 3.2.3 Chlorophyll-a Data.....................................................................................................32 3.2.4 pH Data......................................................................................................................34 3.2.5 Dissolved Oxygen Data..............................................................................................36 3.2.6 Flow Data...................................................................................................................38 3.2.7 Ponds and Impoundments ..........................................................................................38 3.2.8 Aesthetics and Fisheries.............................................................................................40 4 Water Quality Summary and Targets.........................................................................................45 4.1 Pollutant of Concern...........................................................................................................45 4.2 Phosphorus Sources and Loads ..........................................................................................45 4.3 Water Quality Target Selection and Evaluation.................................................................50 4.3.1 Watertown Dam Target..............................................................................................51 4.3.2 Water Quality Targets Selection ................................................................................51 4.3.2.1 Aesthetic and Water Clarity Impacts .....................................................................52 4.3.2.2 Harmful Algal Blooms ...........................................................................................52 4.3.2.3 Dissolved Oxygen ..................................................................................................53 4.3.2.4 Phosphorus Levels..................................................................................................53 4.3.3 Critical and Excluded Reaches...................................................................................53 4.3.4 Critical Low Flow and High Flow Periods ................................................................54 5 Water Quality Model Results.....................................................................................................56 5.1 Scenarios Modeled.............................................................................................................56 5.2 Scenario Results.................................................................................................................61 5.3 Fine-Tuning the Final TMDL Phosphorus Load................................................................63 5.4 Summary and Final TMDL Scenario .................................................................................69 6 TMDL Analysis..........................................................................................................................70 6.1 Final TMDL Loads.............................................................................................................70 iii 6.2 Waste Load and Load Allocations .....................................................................................72 6.2.1 Load Allocation..........................................................................................................72 6.2.2 Waste Load Allocation...............................................................................................72 6.3 Margin of Safety.................................................................................................................75 6.4 Seasonal Variation..............................................................................................................75 7 TMDL Implementation Plan ......................................................................................................77 7.1 Overview and Approach.....................................................................................................77 7.2 Management Strategies......................................................................................................78 7.2.1 Stormwater .................................................................................................................78 7.2.2 Management of Stormwater from Drainage Systems ................................................80 7.2.3 Management of Illicit Discharges to Stormwater Drainage Systems.........................86 7.2.4 Wastewater Treatment Facilities................................................................................87 7.3 Potential Future Management Activities............................................................................88 7.3.1 Ongoing Monitoring...................................................................................................89 7.3.2 Refinement of the Watershed Model .........................................................................89 7.3.3 Funding/Community Resources.................................................................................89 8 Reasonable Assurance................................................................................................................90 8.1 Overarching Tools..............................................................................................................90 8.1.1 Massachusetts Clean Water Act.................................................................................90
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