DOCSLIB.ORG

Geology of the Suncook River Avulsion

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Geology of the Suncook River Avulsion WITTKOP, BENNETT, CHORMANN AND WUNSCH 1 GEOLOGY OF THE MAY 2006 SUNCOOK RIVER AVULSION by Chad Wittkop, Department of Geology, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701 Derek Bennett, Rick Chormann and David Wunsch, New Hampshire Geological Survey, NH Department of Environmental Services, 29 Hazen Drive P.O. Box 95, Concord, NH 03302-0095 INTRODUCTION The May 15-16, 2006 Suncook River avulsion in Epsom, NH, was the highest profile geologic event occurring in the state since the collapse of the Old Man of the Mountain in 2003 (e.g. Zezima, 2006; for Old Man collapse see Fowler, 2005). Rivers commonly change course in the form of meander cutoffs and small-scale avulsions within floodplains of braided systems, but the Suncook avulsion was unusual because the new channel cut through an area outside the documented 100- and 500-year floodplains (National Flood Insurance Program, 1978). This unique event serves as a natural laboratory for study of the processes driving river avulsion, the creation of a new river valley, and the impact of human activity in shaping these events. This field guide examines the causes of the avulsion by combining field observation with analysis of aerial photography, GPS data, and geologic maps in a GIS environment, and documents the major features visible in the field at the avulsion site. STUDY AREA The Suncook River originates in the town of Gilmanton at the outlet of Crystal Lake, which collects the inflow of several smaller brooks and streams draining the southern flanks of the Belknap Mountains in Gilmanton and Alton. Over its 35 mile length, the Suncook River drains an area of 256-square miles in southeastern New Hampshire including portions of 16 towns in four counties. The Suncook River flows south-southwest and joins the Merrimack River at Suncook Village, approximately six miles south of Concord, NH. The May 2006 avulsion site is located in the town of Epsom, approximately 9.5 miles upstream of the confluence of the Suncook River with the Merrimack (Figure 1). Just west of the avulsion site, the Suncook formerly split into two channels—a primary (west) channel and a smaller, secondary (east) channel—forming an island (Bear Island) 0.8 miles long and 0.3 miles wide. The lower member of the Silurian Rangeley Formation, a stratified metapelite, occurs at depths of less than ten feet from the surface around the northwestern portion of Bear Island (Lyons et al., 1997; Goldsmith, 1998). Between the study site and its confluence with the Merrimack, the Suncook valley follows the trace of the strike-slip Pinnacle fault, which forms the sharp eastern boundary of the valley in the study area (Lyons et al., 1997). During late-glacial times, an arm of glacial Lake Hooksett—a large glacial lake whose level was controlled by a spillway in the Merrimack Valley just south of the Suncook confluence—extended northeast into the Suncook valley, depositing a series of coalescing coarse-grained (sand to cobble gravel) ice-contact deltas as well as finer grained (fine sand to silt) lake-bottom sediments containing rhythmic bedding (Goldsmith, 1998). Where undisturbed, coarser-grained ice-contact delta deposits form a series of hummocks with as much as 60 feet of relief above the low-lying glacial lake beds, stream terraces, alluvium, small ponds, and wetlands of the valley bottom (Figure 2). At Huckins Mill at the northern end of Bear Island, two dams at heights of 13 and 5 feet height blocked the main and secondary channels of the Suncook respectively, creating a 31-acre impoundment (New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Dam Inventory). The dams were constructed in the late 19 th century and reconstructed in the 1930s (Orff, 2006). MAY 2006 FLOOD May 2006 was the second wettest month on record in New Hampshire. A sustained event from May 10-15 contributed up to 17 inches of precipitation in southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts (National Climatic Data Center, 2006). Though the Suncook River is not presently monitored as part of the USGS stream gauging network, highest-ever flows were recorded on 12 rivers in central and southern New Hampshire as a result 2 WITTKOP, BENNETT, CHORMANN AND WUNSCH of this precipitation event, including tributaries of the Merrimack River of similar size as the Suncook (USGS News Release, 2006). Peak flow measurements averaged 24 times normal, at or exceeding the 100-year return interval. Figure 1. Location of new and abandoned Suncook River channels. Flow is from north to south. 10-foot contours reproduced from 1967 USGS 7.5-minute Gossville quadrangle. METHODS The avulsion site and surrounding areas were inspected several times following the May 15-16 event to photograph and describe the features observed. Differential GPS data were collected on May 20, 24 and June 9, 2006 using a Trimble backpack system and supplemented with field notes, photos, and Brunton compass bearings of the new channel’s path. Following field collection, GPS data were differentially corrected against a GPS base station maintained by the NH Department of Transportation. These data were compiled into a GIS database using ArcMap 9.1 ® software. WITTKOP, BENNETT, CHORMANN AND WUNSCH 3 Figure 2. Surficial geologic map of the area around the avulsion site (redrawn from Goldsmith, 1998) showing locations of glacial lake sediments, stream terraces and alluvium, glacial till, and areas of shallow bedrock (less than 10 feet depth). GPS and field data were compared with 1-meter pixel resolution digital orthophotography aquired by the NH Department of Transportation from imagery collected in April 2005, the 1967 USGS 7.5-minute topographic map of the Gossville quadrangle, a 10-m digital elevation model (DEM) derived using tagged vector contour data digitized from the USGS topographic map, and a surficial geologic map (Goldsmith, 1998). Estimates of new channel dimensions and the volume of sediment removed were computed from measured distance and area determined using GIS. Planes of equal elevation were computed from the DEM with the Raster Calculator function in the Spatial Analyst extension of ArcMap. It is important to note that, with the exception of the high-resolution orthophotography and the GPS data, this analysis is based on best-available 1:24,000-scale data, and such data are generally not intended for site-specific studies at the scale of the events discussed here. 4 WITTKOP, BENNETT, CHORMANN AND WUNSCH Points of interest around the avulsion site—including the banks of the new channel, areas of significant erosion, and high-water marks—were located using differential GPS. High-water marks were identified from physical evidence such as erosional features, limits of silt deposition, and locations of organic debris (twigs and leaves) festooned in branches and underbrush. Maps of the new channel were drawn by comparison of these data with detailed field notes, photographs, and compass bearings. The map of the new channel was further refined after comparisons with oblique aerial photos obtained by the Army Corps of Engineers in July 2006 and January 2007, and satellite imagery obtained by NASA in summer 2006. RESULTS The Suncook River now flows through a gravel pit to the northeast of Bear Island before rejoining a portion of a preexisting secondary channel that formed the eastern boundary of the island (Figure 1; approximate location of gravel pit contained within area of interest of Figure 4). 1.97 miles of former channel were abandoned, including 1.52 miles of the primary channel that formed the western boundary of Bear Island. Aside from small pools and seeps and contribution from a small tributary, the abandoned portions of the Suncook are not expected to maintain significant year-round flow, and by mid-summer of 2006 much of the abandoned reach was completely dry. Bedrock is exposed in the abandoned channel around the northern end of Bear Island. The presence of rocky substrate is unique to this reach of the Suncook and has served to restrict downcutting. Surficial geologic maps show that shallow bedrock does not occur upstream of this area in the former channel (Goldsmith, 1998; Figure 2). The new channel is 1.03 miles long, of which 0.44 miles is newly eroded. As a consequence of the overall shortening of the Suncook’s course, the average gradient of the river increased 44%, from 16 feet per mile to 23 feet per mile. In addition, the flow of the Suncook is now concentrated into a single channel, whereas it had previously split into two channels around Bear Island. As a result, the average velocity of the river will likely increase both upstream and downstream of the avulsion site, enhancing the river’s ability to erode laterally and horizontally. By summer 2006, the new channel of the Suncook had downcut as much as 5 feet below the thalweg of the abandoned channel at the point of avulsion. Erosion and subsequent downcutting of the new channel created nearly continuous exposures of glacial Lake Hooksett bottom sediments, and in places exposed Holocene wetland sediments containing macrofossil remains and nodules of the blue mineral Vivianite (Fe 3[PO 4]2·8H 2O). Eroded wetland sediments featured a sculpted texture reminiscent of larger-scale erosional features seen in bedrock-lined river channels. A distinct high-water mark was observed along the western face and remnants of the southern face of the gravel pit that is dissected by the new channel, indicating that water pooled there to a depth of as much as 5 feet prior to the avulsion. GIS ANALYSIS A GIS analysis of high-water marks and DEM data was undertaken to evaluate hypotheses for the initiation of the new channel—namely whether the new channel initiated from the north when the Suncook River broke through its banks, or whether the new channel resulted from headward erosion after flood waters found an outlet at the southern end of the gravel pit.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • NH Trout Stocking - April 2018
    NH Trout Stocking - April 2018 Town WaterBody 3/26‐3/30 4/02‐4/06 4/9‐4/13 4/16‐4/20 4/23‐4/27 4/30‐5/04 ACWORTH COLD RIVER 111 ALBANY IONA LAKE 1 ALLENSTOWN ARCHERY POND 1 ALLENSTOWN BEAR BROOK 1 ALLENSTOWN CATAMOUNT POND 1 ALSTEAD COLD RIVER 1 ALSTEAD NEWELL POND 1 ALSTEAD WARREN LAKE 1 ALTON BEAVER BROOK 1 ALTON COFFIN BROOK 1 ALTON HURD BROOK 1 ALTON WATSON BROOK 1 ALTON WEST ALTON BROOK 1 AMHERST SOUHEGAN RIVER 11 ANDOVER BLACKWATER RIVER 11 ANDOVER HIGHLAND LAKE 11 ANDOVER HOPKINS POND 11 ANTRIM WILLARD POND 1 AUBURN MASSABESIC LAKE 1 1 1 1 BARNSTEAD SUNCOOK LAKE 1 BARRINGTON ISINGLASS RIVER 1 BARRINGTON STONEHOUSE POND 1 BARTLETT THORNE POND 1 BELMONT POUT POND 1 BELMONT TIOGA RIVER 1 BELMONT WHITCHER BROOK 1 BENNINGTON WHITTEMORE LAKE 11 BENTON OLIVERIAN POND 1 BERLIN ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER 11 BRENTWOOD EXETER RIVER 1 1 BRISTOL DANFORTH BROOK 11 BRISTOL NEWFOUND LAKE 1 BRISTOL NEWFOUND RIVER 11 BRISTOL PEMIGEWASSET RIVER 11 BRISTOL SMITH RIVER 11 BROOKFIELD CHURCHILL BROOK 1 BROOKFIELD PIKE BROOK 1 BROOKLINE NISSITISSIT RIVER 11 CAMBRIDGE ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER 1 CAMPTON BOG POND 1 CAMPTON PERCH POND 11 CANAAN CANAAN STREET LAKE 11 CANAAN INDIAN RIVER 11 NH Trout Stocking - April 2018 Town WaterBody 3/26‐3/30 4/02‐4/06 4/9‐4/13 4/16‐4/20 4/23‐4/27 4/30‐5/04 CANAAN MASCOMA RIVER, UPPER 11 CANDIA TOWER HILL POND 1 CANTERBURY SPEEDWAY POND 1 CARROLL AMMONOOSUC RIVER 1 CARROLL SACO LAKE 1 CENTER HARBOR WINONA LAKE 1 CHATHAM BASIN POND 1 CHATHAM LOWER KIMBALL POND 1 CHESTER EXETER RIVER 1 CHESTERFIELD SPOFFORD LAKE 1 CHICHESTER SANBORN BROOK
    [Show full text]
  • Geomorphic Classification of Rivers
    9.36 Geomorphic Classification of Rivers JM Buffington, U.S. Forest Service, Boise, ID, USA DR Montgomery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Published by Elsevier Inc. 9.36.1 Introduction 730 9.36.2 Purpose of Classification 730 9.36.3 Types of Channel Classification 731 9.36.3.1 Stream Order 731 9.36.3.2 Process Domains 732 9.36.3.3 Channel Pattern 732 9.36.3.4 Channel–Floodplain Interactions 735 9.36.3.5 Bed Material and Mobility 737 9.36.3.6 Channel Units 739 9.36.3.7 Hierarchical Classifications 739 9.36.3.8 Statistical Classifications 745 9.36.4 Use and Compatibility of Channel Classifications 745 9.36.5 The Rise and Fall of Classifications: Why Are Some Channel Classifications More Used Than Others? 747 9.36.6 Future Needs and Directions 753 9.36.6.1 Standardization and Sample Size 753 9.36.6.2 Remote Sensing 754 9.36.7 Conclusion 755 Acknowledgements 756 References 756 Appendix 762 9.36.1 Introduction 9.36.2 Purpose of Classification Over the last several decades, environmental legislation and a A basic tenet in geomorphology is that ‘form implies process.’As growing awareness of historical human disturbance to rivers such, numerous geomorphic classifications have been de- worldwide (Schumm, 1977; Collins et al., 2003; Surian and veloped for landscapes (Davis, 1899), hillslopes (Varnes, 1958), Rinaldi, 2003; Nilsson et al., 2005; Chin, 2006; Walter and and rivers (Section 9.36.3). The form–process paradigm is a Merritts, 2008) have fostered unprecedented collaboration potentially powerful tool for conducting quantitative geo- among scientists, land managers, and stakeholders to better morphic investigations.
    [Show full text]
  • Seasonal Flooding Affects Habitat and Landscape Dynamics of a Gravel
    Seasonal flooding affects habitat and landscape dynamics of a gravel-bed river floodplain Katelyn P. Driscoll1,2,5 and F. Richard Hauer1,3,4,6 1Systems Ecology Graduate Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 USA 2Rocky Mountain Research Station, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 USA 3Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana 59806 USA 4Montana Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 USA Abstract: Floodplains are comprised of aquatic and terrestrial habitats that are reshaped frequently by hydrologic processes that operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales. It is well established that hydrologic and geomorphic dynamics are the primary drivers of habitat change in river floodplains over extended time periods. However, the effect of fluctuating discharge on floodplain habitat structure during seasonal flooding is less well understood. We collected ultra-high resolution digital multispectral imagery of a gravel-bed river floodplain in western Montana on 6 dates during a typical seasonal flood pulse and used it to quantify changes in habitat abundance and diversity as- sociated with annual flooding. We observed significant changes in areal abundance of many habitat types, such as riffles, runs, shallow shorelines, and overbank flow. However, the relative abundance of some habitats, such as back- waters, springbrooks, pools, and ponds, changed very little. We also examined habitat transition patterns through- out the flood pulse. Few habitat transitions occurred in the main channel, which was dominated by riffle and run habitat. In contrast, in the near-channel, scoured habitats of the floodplain were dominated by cobble bars at low flows but transitioned to isolated flood channels at moderate discharge.
    [Show full text]
  • Official List of Public Waters
    Official List of Public Waters New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Water Division Dam Bureau 29 Hazen Drive PO Box 95 Concord, NH 03302-0095 (603) 271-3406 https://www.des.nh.gov NH Official List of Public Waters Revision Date October 9, 2020 Robert R. Scott, Commissioner Thomas E. O’Donovan, Division Director OFFICIAL LIST OF PUBLIC WATERS Published Pursuant to RSA 271:20 II (effective June 26, 1990) IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not use this list for determining water bodies that are subject to the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA). The CSPA list is available on the NHDES website. Public waters in New Hampshire are prescribed by common law as great ponds (natural waterbodies of 10 acres or more in size), public rivers and streams, and tidal waters. These common law public waters are held by the State in trust for the people of New Hampshire. The State holds the land underlying great ponds and tidal waters (including tidal rivers) in trust for the people of New Hampshire. Generally, but with some exceptions, private property owners hold title to the land underlying freshwater rivers and streams, and the State has an easement over this land for public purposes. Several New Hampshire statutes further define public waters as including artificial impoundments 10 acres or more in size, solely for the purpose of applying specific statutes. Most artificial impoundments were created by the construction of a dam, but some were created by actions such as dredging or as a result of urbanization (usually due to the effect of road crossings obstructing flow and increased runoff from the surrounding area).
    [Show full text]
  • Flood Study of the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, and Allenstown, New Hampshire, 2009
    Prepared in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Study of the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, and Allenstown, New Hampshire, 2009 Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5127 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Photograph looking downstream at area of Suncook River avulsion, Epsom, New Hampshire. (Photograph taken on June 18, 2008) Flood Study of the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, and Allenstown, New Hampshire, 2009 By Robert H. Flynn Prepared in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5127 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Flynn, R.H., 2010, Flood study of the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, and Allenstown, New Hampshire, 2009: U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Morphologic Characteristics of the Blow River Delta, Yukon Territory, Canada
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1969 Morphologic Characteristics of the Blow River Delta, Yukon Territory, Canada. James Murl Mccloy Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Mccloy, James Murl, "Morphologic Characteristics of the Blow River Delta, Yukon Territory, Canada." (1969). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1605. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1605 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 70-252 McCLOY, James Murl, 1934- MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BLOW RIVER DELTA, YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1969 Geography University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Morphologic Characteristics of the Blow River Belta, Yukon Territory, Canada A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geography and Anthropology by James Murl McCloy B.A., State College at Los Angeles, 1961 May, 1969 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Research culminating in this dissertation was conducted under the auspices of the Arctic Institute of North America. The major portion of the financial support was received from the United States Army under contract no. BA-ARO-D-3I-I2I4.-G832, "Arctic Environmental Studies." Additional financial assistance during part of the writing stage was received in the form of a research assistantship from the Coastal Studies Institute, Louisi­ ana State University.
    [Show full text]
  • Variable Hydrologic and Geomorphic Responses to Intentional Levee Breaches Along the Lower Cosumnes River, California
    Received: 21 April 2016 Revised: 29 March 2017 Accepted: 30 March 2017 DOI: 10.1002/rra.3159 RESEARCH ARTICLE Not all breaks are equal: Variable hydrologic and geomorphic responses to intentional levee breaches along the lower Cosumnes River, California A. L. Nichols1 | J. H. Viers1,2 1 Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA Abstract 2 School of Engineering, University of The transport of water and sediment from rivers to adjacent floodplains helps generate complex California, Merced, California, USA floodplain, wetland, and riparian ecosystems. However, riverside levees restrict lateral connectiv- Correspondence ity of water and sediment during flood pulses, making the re‐introduction of floodplain hydrogeo- A. L. Nichols, Center for Watershed Sciences, morphic processes through intentional levee breaching and removal an emerging floodplain University of California, Davis, California, USA. restoration practice. Repeated topographic observations from levee breach sites along the lower Email: [email protected] Cosumnes River (USA) indicated that breach architecture influences floodplain and channel hydrogeomorphic processes. Where narrow breaches (<75 m) open onto graded floodplains, Funding information California Department of Fish and Wildlife archetypal crevasse splays developed along a single dominant flowpath, with floodplain erosion (CDFW) Ecosystem Restoration Program in near‐bank areas and lobate splay deposition in distal floodplain regions. Narrow breaches (ERP), Grant/Award Number: E1120001; The opening into excavated floodplain channels promoted both transverse advection and turbulent Nature Concervancy (TNC); Consumnes River Preserve diffusion of sediment into the floodplain channel, facilitating near‐bank deposition and potential breach closure. Wide breaches (>250 m) enabled multiple modes of water and sediment transport onto graded floodplains.
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal Wetland Trends in the Narragansett Bay Estuary During the 20Th Century
    u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service Co l\Ietland Trends In the Narragansett Bay Estuary During the 20th Century Coastal Wetland Trends in the Narragansett Bay Estuary During the 20th Century November 2004 A National Wetlands Inventory Cooperative Interagency Report Coastal Wetland Trends in the Narragansett Bay Estuary During the 20th Century Ralph W. Tiner1, Irene J. Huber2, Todd Nuerminger2, and Aimée L. Mandeville3 1U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program Northeast Region 300 Westgate Center Drive Hadley, MA 01035 2Natural Resources Assessment Group Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Massachusetts Stockbridge Hall Amherst, MA 01003 3Department of Natural Resources Science Environmental Data Center University of Rhode Island 1 Greenhouse Road, Room 105 Kingston, RI 02881 November 2004 National Wetlands Inventory Cooperative Interagency Report between U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management This report should be cited as: Tiner, R.W., I.J. Huber, T. Nuerminger, and A.L. Mandeville. 2004. Coastal Wetland Trends in the Narragansett Bay Estuary During the 20th Century. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, Hadley, MA. In cooperation with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of Rhode Island. National Wetlands Inventory Cooperative Interagency Report. 37 pp. plus appendices. Table of Contents Page Introduction 1 Study Area 1 Methods 5 Data Compilation 5 Geospatial Database Construction and GIS Analysis 8 Results 9 Baywide 1996 Status 9 Coastal Wetlands and Waters 9 500-foot Buffer Zone 9 Baywide Trends 1951/2 to 1996 15 Coastal Wetland Trends 15 500-foot Buffer Zone Around Coastal Wetlands 15 Trends for Pilot Study Areas 25 Conclusions 35 Acknowledgments 36 References 37 Appendices A.
    [Show full text]
  • New York State Artificial Reef Plan and Generic Environmental Impact
    TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................... vi 1. INTRODUCTION .......................1 2. MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENT ..................4 2.1. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. ..............4 2.2. LOCATION. .....................7 2.3. NATURAL RESOURCES. .................7 2.3.1 Physical Characteristics. ..........7 2.3.2 Living Resources. ............. 11 2.4. HUMAN RESOURCES. ................. 14 2.4.1 Fisheries. ................. 14 2.4.2 Archaeological Resources. ......... 17 2.4.3 Sand and Gravel Mining. .......... 18 2.4.4 Marine Disposal of Waste. ......... 18 2.4.5 Navigation. ................ 18 2.5. ARTIFICIAL REEF RESOURCES. ............ 20 3. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .................. 26 3.1 GOALS ....................... 26 3.2 OBJECTIVES .................... 26 4. POLICY ......................... 28 4.1 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION .............. 28 4.1.1 Permits. .................. 29 4.1.2 Materials Donations and Acquisitions. ... 31 4.1.3 Citizen Participation. ........... 33 4.1.4 Liability. ................. 35 4.1.5 Intra/Interagency Coordination. ...... 36 4.1.6 Program Costs and Funding. ......... 38 4.1.7 Research. ................. 40 4.2 DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES .............. 44 4.2.1 Siting. .................. 44 4.2.2 Materials. ................. 55 4.2.3 Design. .................. 63 4.3 MANAGEMENT .................... 70 4.3.1 Monitoring. ................ 70 4.3.2 Maintenance. ................ 72 4.3.3 Reefs in the Exclusive Economic Zone. ... 74 4.3.4 Special Management Concerns. ........ 76 4.3.41 Estuarine reefs. ........... 76 4.3.42 Mitigation. ............. 77 4.3.43 Fish aggregating devices. ...... 80 i 4.3.44 User group conflicts. ........ 82 4.3.45 Illegal and destructive practices. .. 85 4.4 PLAN REVIEW .................... 88 5. ACTIONS ........................ 89 5.1 ADMINISTRATION .................. 89 5.2 RESEARCH ..................... 89 5.3 DEVELOPMENT .................... 91 5.4 MANAGEMENT .................... 96 6. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ................. 97 6.1 ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS.
    [Show full text]
  • Technical Memorandum 84-7 2004 Merrimack River Watershed Fish
    Technical Memorandum 84-7 2004 Merrimack River Watershed Fish Population Assessment Robert J. Maietta Jane Ryder Watershed Planning Program Worcester, MA July 2008 CN 179.4 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles, Secretary Department of Environmental Protection Laurie Burt, Commissioner Bureau of Resource Protection Glenn Haas, Acting Assistant Commissioner Division of Watershed Management Glenn Haas, Director 1 Introduction Fish population surveys were conducted at sixteen stations in the Merrimack River Watershed in Massachusetts using techniques similar to Rapid Bioassessment Protocol V as described originally by Plafkin et al. (1989) and later by Barbour et al. (1999) (See Figure 1). Standard Operating Procedures are described in Fish Collection Procedures for Evaluation of Resident Fish Populations (MassDEP 2006 CN 75.1). Surveys also included a habitat assessment component modified from that described in Barbour et al (1999). Methods Fish populations in the Merrimack River watershed were sampled during August and September of 2004 by electrofishing using a Smith Root Model 12 battery powered backpack electrofisher. A reach of between 80m and 100m was sampled by passing a pole-mounted anode ring, side to side through the stream channel and in and around likely fish holding cover. All fish shocked were netted and held in buckets. Sampling proceeded from an obstruction or constriction, upstream to an endpoint at another obstruction or constriction such as a waterfall or shallow riffle. Following completion of a sampling run, all fish were identified to species, measured, and released. Results of the fish population surveys can be found in Table 1. It should be noted that young-of-the-year (yoy) fish from most species (with the exception of salmonids) are not targeted for collection.
    [Show full text]
  • Tm-81-4 Nashua River Watershed Dwm Year 2003
    Technical Memorandum - TM-81-4 NASHUA RIVER WATERSHED DWM YEAR 2003 WATER QUALITY MONITORING DATA - RIVERS DWM Control Number: CN 107.2 Prepared By: Susan Connors December 2005 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Stephen R. Pritchard, Secretary Massachusetts Department Of Environmental Protection Robert W. Golledge, Jr., Commissioner Bureau of Resource Protection Glenn Haas, Acting Assistant Commissioner Division of Watershed Management Glenn Haas, Director Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................................... 3 Table 1. MassDEP DWM 2003 Nashua River Watershed Water Quality Station Locations and Parameters............................................................................................................................. 3 Figure 1. MassDEP DWM 2003 Nashua River Watershed Water Quality Station Locations............... 5 Objectives...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Methods......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Station Observations..................................................................................................................................... 7 Survey Conditions ......................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the Temporal Dynamics of the Wandering Renous River, New Brunswick, Canada
    Earth Surface Processes and Landforms EarthTemporal Surf. dynamicsProcess. Landforms of a wandering 30, 1227–1250 river (2005) 1227 Published online 23 June 2005 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/esp.1196 Understanding the temporal dynamics of the wandering Renous River, New Brunswick, Canada Leif M. Burge1* and Michel F. Lapointe2 1 Department of Geography and Program in Planning, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G3, Canada 2 Department of Geography McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada *Correspondence to: L. M. Burge, Abstract Department of Geography and Program in Planning, University Wandering rivers are composed of individual anabranches surrounding semi-permanent of Toronto, 100 St. George St., islands, linked by single channel reaches. Wandering rivers are important because they Toronto, M5S 3G3, Canada. provide habitat complexity for aquatic organisms, including salmonids. An anabranch cycle E-mail: [email protected] model was developed from previous literature and field observations to illustrate how anabranches within the wandering pattern change from single to multiple channels and vice versa over a number of decades. The model was used to investigate the temporal dynamics of a wandering river through historical case studies and channel characteristics from field data. The wandering Renous River, New Brunswick, was mapped from aerial photographs (1945, 1965, 1983 and 1999) to determine river pattern statistics and for historical analysis of case studies. Five case studies consisting of a stable single channel, newly formed anabranches, anabranches gaining stability following creation, stable anabranches, and an abandoning anabranch were investigated in detail.
    [Show full text]