Water-Quality Monitoring Strategy for the Taunton River Basin, the Taunton River Estuary, and Mount Hope Bay, Southeastern Massachusetts

Home , Assonet River, Cole River, Mount Hope Bay, Narragansett Bay, Segreganset River, Taunton River

Northeast Aquatic Biologist Conference February 27, 2019

Dave Armstrong, Alana Spaetzel and Jason Sorenson New England Water-Science Center U.S. Geological Survey, Northborough, MA Current USGS/MassDEP Monitoring Objectives: 1. Determine concentrations and loads within two of the State’s larger watersheds (Connecticut and Taunton River basins)

Planned USGS/MassDEP Taunton Estuary and Mount Hope Bay Monitoring Objectives: 2. Support DEP review of marine dissolved-oxygen criteria 3. Assess waterbody compliance to water-quality standards 4. Delineate salt wedge in Taunton estuary 5. Estimate nutrient loads into Taunton estuary 1. Concentrations and loads from upper Taunton River basin

• MassDEP signed a Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) to support the MAQW network (started in January 2019)

• Phase I: 8 locations to be sampled: 4 in the Connecticut basin and 4 in Taunton basin 1. Concentrations and loads from upper Taunton River basin

• Nineteen (19) stations were identified in 17 of the 27 major basins in Massachusetts that would provide information on contaminant loads from 67 percent of the total land area of the State.

• Additional stations added as part of Phase II and III for a total of 25 sample locations 1. Concentrations and loads from upper Taunton River basin

• Nineteen (19) stations were identified in 17 of the 27 major basins in Massachusetts that would provide information on contaminant loads from 67 percent of the total land area of the State.

• Additional stations added as part of Phase II and III for a total of 25 sample locations 1. Concentrations and loads from upper Taunton River basin

• Many discontinued USGS stations with partial and continuous flow and WQ records available in Taunton basin

Segreganset River Taunton River 1. Concentrations and loads from upper Taunton River basin

• List of analytes • Monthly fixed frequency sampling • EWI sample by wading or from bridges • Isokinetic sampling when stream velocity is greater than 1.5 ft/sec 2. Support DEP review of marine dissolved-oxygen criteria

• MassDEP funded 2 MHB buoys to collect data that could be used to help develop a marine DO methodology for Massachusetts.

• The buoys expand URI and RIDEM’s Narragansett Bay Fixed-Site Monitoring Network into the MA portion of Mount Hope Bay.

Cole Taunton Buoy Buoy Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO The draft marine DO criteria requires continuous data collection to assess: intensity, frequency, and duration of DO conditions

Additional continuous monitoring data is needed to: • Assess how well the Cole and Taunton buoys represent DO conditions in Mount Hope Bay • Provide more vertical resolution of DO conditions in the Bay, and • Assess DO conditions in the Taunton River Estuary, and in the Cole and Lee River estuaries

4.8

2.9

2017 Provisional data subject to change Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO The draft marine DO criteria requires continuous data collection to assess: intensity, frequency, and duration of DO conditions

An additional goal of the network would be to provide accurate data to help track future hypoxic events and evaluate effects of WWTF upgrades that are expected to reduce nutrient loadings to the Bay. Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO

(A) Buoys collecting (B) Deploy arrays of Temp and DO loggers (Temp, Cond, Salinity, TDS, The PME miniDOT Loggers measure pH, DO, Turbidity, Chlorophyll a) dissolved oxygen and temperature.

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government." Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO • Locations for data collection – considered areas where data had been collected historically.

For example, by the Coastal Systems Laboratory of the School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth during 2004-2006 Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO

Two additional buoys in Mt Hope Bay, between the Cole and Taunton Buoys, and in the lower Taunton Estuary (between the Somerset and Fall River WWTF’s) New buoy stations should include data collection at bottom and mid depths

X RI Buoy Proposed X New Buoy site SMAST site (2004-06) B12 Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO

Two additional buoys in the Taunton Estuary: one in the middle Taunton Estuary, downstream of the mouth of the Assonet (and between the Somerset and Taunton WWTF)

X Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO

Two additional buoys in the Taunton Estuary: second in the upper Taunton Estuary near the saltwater-freshwater interface (and upstream of the Taunton WWTF)

X Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO Consider additional DO sensor profiles (top/middle/bottom) at additional locations in the Bay: (1) mouth of the Cole and (2) Lee Rivers, and (3) down-bay from the Fall River WWTP

X MHB-5 X

RI Buoy

X Potential DO sites

SMAST site

B12 X Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO Consider additional bottom DO sensors added at locations in the Cole and Lee Rivers

MHB-5

B12 Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO

Collect vertical WQ profiles at fixed locations in Mount Hope Bay between near MassDEP buoys (Cole and Taunton) and NBFSMN buoy (B12), and proposed DO sensors to assess DO conditions and stratification, and compare to continuous records

Water-column profiles surface

pynocline

DO/temperature/salinity/pH/chlorophyll/ turbidity bottom Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO Profiles would be collected during maintenance, but could also target particular conditions: - Measured during different portion of the tidal cycle during the same time period (low/slack high in August) - During the same portion of the tidal cycle over the course of several months, such as during neap tides in July, August and September - Event based vertical profiles triggered by wet or dry weather, or low wind conditions

Oxygen demand coupled with warm waters and density stratification increases the risk of hypoxic conditions in the summer months, especially during periods of with higher freshwater discharges, and during neap tides when tidal mixing is low and (Prell 2015). Objective: Data to refine assessment methods for marine DO

Historic data: The “Insomniacs” conducted night-time surveys in Narragansett Bay in the summers of 1999 to 2003 that included 13 Surveys of a transect across Mount Hope Bay (Prell and others, 2004). Data from vertical profiles was used to plot DO conditions in the Bay (Desbonnet and Costa-Pierce, 2008)

Source: Chap 11 & 13 in Desbonnet and Costa-Pierce, 2008) 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards

Taunton River and Mt Hope Bay Taunton River

Threemile River (MA62-56)

Assessment Units, Locations, and Class Lee River (Lewin Brook to Route 6 , Class B Segreganset River (MA62-53, MA62-54) Lee River Segment (Route 6 into Mt. Hope Bay, Class SA) Cole River (Route 6 to mouth, Class SA) Mt. Hope Bay (Braga Bridge to the MA/RI border, Class SB) Mt Hope Bay (west of a line from Brayton Point to Buoy #4, Class SA) Taunton River (Route 24 Bridge to Berkley Bridge, Class SB ) Taunton River (Berkley Bridge to town boundaries, Class SB) Assonet River Taunton River (town boundaries to mouth at Braga Bridge , Class SB) Assonet River (Tisdale Dam to the confluence with the Taunton)

Taunton River (Source to Rt. 24 Bridge, Class B)

Lee River Cole River

Mt Hope Bay Twenty-five percent of Mt. Hope Bay is located within Massachusetts. 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards

Mt. Hope Bay KEY SMAST sites

Mt Hope Bay from Common Fence Pt.

Brayton Point

SA SB

Cole River from Ocean Grove 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Two additional buoys in Mt Hope Bay, between the Cole and Taunton Buoys, and in the lower Taunton Estuary (between the Somerset and Fall River WWTF’s) New buoy stations should include data collection at bottom and mid depths

X RI Buoy Proposed X New Buoy site SMAST site (2004-06) B12 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Lower Taunton Estuary KEY SMAST sites

Somerset RR jetty

Taunton River Estuary

http://imagestorage.nerail.org/photos/2010/02/25/20100225205015432.jpg

Veteren’s Memorial Bridge

Braga Bridge 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Two additional buoys in the Taunton Estuary: one in the middle Taunton Estuary, downstream of the mouth of the Assonet (and between the Somerset and Taunton WWTF)

X 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Assonet

Lower Assonet

Assonet Bay

Rt. 24 bridge

http://www.bostonkayaker.com/cgi-bin/bkonekpage.cgi?pagekey=assonet 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Middle Taunton Estuary

Dighton Museum

Whale Rock

http://www.bostonkayaker.com/cgi-bin/bkonekpage.cgi?pagekey=assonet

Conspiracy Island

http://www.bostonkayaker.com/cgi-bin/bkonekpage.cgi?pagekey=assonet 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Upper Taunton Estuary

Taunton River, Weir Village

Aquaria Desal plant

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2328/2414564129_4731d55be3_z.jpg Taunton River Estuary

Berkley Bridge Aquaria Desal plant

Berkley Bridge 3. Assessment of waterbody compliance to water-quality standards Two additional buoys in the Taunton Estuary: second in the upper Taunton Estuary near the saltwater-freshwater interface (and upstream of the Taunton WWTF)

X 4. Delineate upper boundary of salt wedge in estuary

MassDEP documented the salinity gradient of the salt wedge along the lower Taunton in 1970, and again in 1986 4. Delineate upper boundary of salt wedge in estuary

US Taunton WWTP ------The 1970 survey documented the salinity gradient at 10 sites. Salinity Above confluence with Threemile R.----- drops off rapidly as the Taunton narrows US of the Assonet US Berkeley Bridge ------bottom Off Peter’s Point ------top Muddy Cove, off Rt. 18 ------

Off Pierce’s Point------Off Camp Merriwood (Assonet)------

At Old Bridge------

Off Pottersville------

Brightman St Bridge - 4. Delineate upper boundary of salt wedge in estuary

• The 1986 survey documented the salinity gradient at 7 sites. Segreganset Below Power Plant, Plant, BelowTaunton Power DS Berkley Bridge Power Somerset from Across outfall River Fall Above River outfall Below Fall DS Winslow Point Upstream Downstream 4. Delineate upper boundary of salt wedge in estuary

• Goal of the data collection would be to repeat analyses at same stations as in the 1970 survey

• Data would be collected at additional sites upstream (repeat 1986 work) to document background conditions for potential future changes in the salt wedge owing to storm surges and sea-level rise 4. Estimate Nitrogen loads into Taunton Estuary

Estimate nitrogen loads and other impacts in the Taunton estuary Potential approaches: • Fixed frequency sampling • Flow proportional composite sampling to capture specific portions of the tide • Modeled estimates 5. Estimate Nitrogen loads into Taunton Estuary

Estimate nitrogen loads into Taunton estuary and other effects using existing models?

Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport modeling system (COAWST)

HydroQual

Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC)

Nitrogen Loading (NLOAD)

Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM)

Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS)

Princeton Ocean Model (POM)

Temperature monitoring locations in Mt Hope Bay (1998) - MIT General Circulation Model Revised from PG&G Generating and Marine Research, Inc Annual Report 1999 4. Estimate Nitrogen loads into Taunton Estuary

Estimate nitrogen loads into Taunton estuary and other effects using existing models?

Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport modeling system (COAWST)

HydroQual

Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC)

Nitrogen Loading (NLOAD)

Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM)

Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS)

Princeton Ocean Model (POM)

MIT General Circulation Model 5. Estimate Nitrogen loads into Taunton Estuary

Estimate nitrogen loads into Taunton estuary and other effects using existing models?

Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport modeling system (COAWST)

HydroQual

Abdelrhman, M.A., 2017 Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) EFDC + WASP model that could be refined if more data was available… Nitrogen Loading (NLOAD)

Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM)

Kincaid and others, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2014…. Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) Course scale box model. MHB and Sakonnet are currently treated as single cells Princeton Ocean Model (POM)

MIT General Circulation Model 5. Estimate Nitrogen loads into Taunton Estuary

USEPA Atlantic Ecology Division Hydrodynamic and WQ model for Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay

• EFDC generated hydrodynamics and transport and was checked against field observations (water surface elevation, velocity, temperature, and salinity)

• Water Quality-Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) water-quality model to simulate chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, and N in Abdelrhman, M.A., 2017, Three-dimensional modeling of water Narraganset Bay quality and ecology in Narragansett Bay: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/600/R-16/203, 151 p. Questions?