The Blackstone River Coalition

Campaign for a Fishable/Fishable/SwimmableSwimmable Blackstone River by 2015 Members include:

Blackstone Headwaters Coalition Blackstone River Watershed Association Blackstone River Watershed Council Friends of the Blackstone Mass Audubon Manchaug Pond Association Save The Bay Trout Unlimited College of the Holy Cross Conservation Law Foundation John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission American Heritage Rivers Program plus many more Using Stormwater to Grow Grassroots Stewards In the Blackstone River Watershed

Grafton Street/Riverlin Street – Millbury, MA North Street, July, 2008 North Street, August, 2008 Near Millbury Street, May, 2008 • “Nationwide, States report that … polluted runoff from stormwater is the leading remaining cause of water quality problems.” http://mass.gov/dep/water/priorities/npswp.htm

• “Preventing contamination of stormwater is critically important, or polluted runoff will be discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing, and drinking water.” www.dot.state.ri.us/programs/ ManyMany FormsForms ofof ImperviousImpervious CoverCover inin thethe UrbanUrban LandscapeLandscape

Sidewalks

Roads

Parking Driveways

Buildings

Center for Watershed Protection Stormwater Solutions Tackling Stormwater in the Blackstone River Watershed

• Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring

• Stakeholder Outreach – Local decision makers • By-laws, regulations – Builders, developers • Low-impact development – Small-medium sized companies and municipalities • In Business for the Blackstone – Home owners • Outreach materials Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Blackstone River Coalition WatershedWatershed----widewide Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program Report Card map # WaterBody Site Location Town Aesthetics Temp. DO % Sat. Nutrients HEADWATERS TRIBUTARIES 1 Kettle Brook James Street Worcester KEY TO COLOR 2 Dark Brook Auburn High Auburn CODES 3 Tatnuck Brook *cwf VFW-south Worcester 4 Tatnuck Brook *cwf Park Ave. Worcester Excellent 5 WSC Stream Worcester State College Worcester Good 6 Leesville Pond Leesville inflow Auburn Fair 7 Leesville Pond Leesville outflow Worcester Poor 8 Beaver Brook Jewish Community Center Worcester Not Enough Data 9 Beaver Brook Park Ave. Carwash Worcester 10 Middle River St. John's Cemetery Worcester Categories 11 Ararat Brook *cwf Ford Brook Worcester (Each category is 12 Delaney Brook Delaney Brook Worcester derived from the 13 Salisbury Pond Salisbury Pond East Worcester combination of the 14 Salisbury Pond Salisbury Pond West Worcester following factors ) 15 Broad Meadow Brook Dunkirk Worcester Aesthetics - 16 Broad Meadow Brook Dupuis Worcester turbidity, water 17 Broad Meadow Brook Holdridge** Worcester appearance, water 18 Broad Meadow Brook Knollwood** Millbury odor & visual 19 Broad Meadow Brook Dosco Millbury assesments 20 Cold Spring Brook *cwf Hatchery Road Sutton Temp. - temperature 21 Casey Brook *cwf Putnam Hill Road** Sutton DO - dissolved 22 Quinsigamond River Rte 140 Grafton oxygen 23 Quinsigamond River Wheeler Road Grafton % Sat. - dissolved 24 Quinsigamond River Pleasant Street Grafton oxygen % saturation 25 Coal Mine Brook Plantation Street Worcester Nutrients - nitrate & 26 Poor Farm Brook *cwf Roberto Clemente Worcester orthophospate 27 Sewall Brook *cwf School Street** Boylston 28 Sewall Brook *cwf Holden Street Shrewsbury 29 Tilly Brook Vinny Testa's Shrewsbury 30 Bummitt Brook Pratts Pond Grafton 31 Singletary Brook Sycamore Circle Millbury map # WaterBody Site Location Town Ae sthetic s Temp. DO % Sat. Nutrients BLACKSTONE RIVER KEY TO COLOR 32 Blackstone River outlet of Fisherville Pond @ Rt. 122A Grafton CODES 33 Blackstone River Sutton St. USGS flow station Northbridge Excellent 34 Blackstone River Plummer's Landing Northbridge Good 35 Blackstone River Tow path north of Stanley Woolen Uxbridge Fair 36 Blackstone River Upstream at Gorge off Staples Lane Blackstone Poor 37 Blackstone River Main St. Blackstone/TKO Blackstone Not Enough Data 38 Blackstone River Albion Dam Lincoln, RI TRIBUTARIES Categories 39 Mumford River inlet of L. Manchaug Sutton (Each category is 40 Mumford River outlet of L. Manchaug near Parker Rd Sutton derived from the 41 Mumford River Gilboa Street/above WWTP Douglas combination of the 42 Mumford River Rt. 122, N. Uxbridge Uxbridge following factors ) 43 Mumford River downstream @ Depot Street Uxbridge Aesthetics - 44 Dark Brook Putnam Hill Road** Sutton turbidity, water 45 unnamed tributary outlet of Whitin Reservoir Douglas appearance, water 46 Centerville Brook *cwf West Street Douglas odor & visual 47 Cook Allen Brook *cwf upstr of bridge on Johnson Road Sutton assesments 48 Purgatory Brook upstr of bridge on Johnson Road** Sutton Temp. - temperature 49 West River *cwf Glen Ave. Wells** Upton DO - dissolved 50 West River *cwf Hartford Avenue Upton oxygen 51 West River *cwf Pleasant and Glen Upton % Sat. - dissolved 52 West River *cwf Mendon Road Northbridge oxygen % saturation 53 West River *cwf upstream @ Harrington pool Northbridge Nutrients - nitrate & 54 West River *cwf under Rte. 16 bridge Uxbridge orthophospate 55 Miscoe Brook *cwf Merriam Road Grafton 56 Warren Brook *cwf Fowler Road Bridge Upton 57 Center Brook *cwf Station Street Upton 58 Center Brook *cwf at Mendon Road Upton 59 Meadow Brook upstream at Blackstone St. bridge** Uxbridge 60 Emerson Brook *cwf Above Quaker Highway Uxbridge 61 Bacon Brook* cwf Balm of Life Springs Road** Uxbridge map # WaterBody Site Location Town Ae sthetic s Temp. DO % Sat. Nutrients TRIBUTARIES continued KEY TO COLOR 62 Mill River Fitzgerald Street Hopedale CODES 63 Mill River Thwing Street Hopedale Excellent 64 Mill River Hartford Avenue East Hopedale Good 65 Mill River Upstream of Deer Run Drive Mendon Fair 66 Mill River Park Street Valati Park Blackstone Poor 67 Mill River Privelege Street Woonsocket Not Enough Data 68 Muddy Brook *cwf Upstream from Route 16 Mendon 69 Clear River *cwf RI 102 Burrillville Categories 70 Chepachet River *cwf Gazza Road Burrillville (Each category is 71 Branch River Rte. 146A/Great Road N. Smithfield derived from the 72 Cherry Brook Olo Street Woonsocket combination of the 73 Crookfall Brook *cwf Sayles Hill Road Lincoln following factors ) 74 Mussey Brook New River Road Lincoln Aesthetics - 75 Sneech Brook *cwf Albion Road Cumberland turbidity, water 76 Monastery Brook Mendon Road** Cumberland appearance, water 77 Peters River* cwf Paine Street Bellingham odor & visual 78 Sylvys Brook Grants Mill Road Cumberland assesments 79 Robin Hollow Pond Dexter Street Cumberland Temp. - temperature 80 unnamed trib. to RawsonFranklin Pond Farms Cumberland DO - dissolved 81 *cwf Hines Road Cumberland oxygen % Sat. - dissolved oxygen % saturation Nutrients - nitrate & orthophospate Local Decision Makers:

• DPW – Best Management Practices

• Planning Bd – Low Impact Development

• Con Com – Public Education/Outreach Bylaws to Reduce Stormwater Impacts:

Required by EPA Phase II Stormwater Management Permits:

• Illicit Discharge Detection Elimination

• Construction – erosion and sedimentation controls

• Post Construction Runoff Control/ Stormwater Management Stormwater-related Bylaw Status for Blackstone Watershed Communities

State/Town Illicit Dishcarge & Erosion bylaw Stormwater State/Town Illicit Dishcarge & Erosion bylaw Stormwater Detection bylaw bylaw Detection bylaw bylaw Rhode Island Burrillville (2006) draft existing draft draft Auburn (2008) draft Cumberland (2006) Blackstone (2007) Central Falls - Not Douglas (2007) X draft Required - All CSO Grafton (2008) existing draft Lincoln existing X existing Hopedale (2006) drafting drafting North Smithfield Mendon (2007) X Glocester X X X Millbury X X X Pawtucket X X X Woonsocket X X X Millville (2008) X X X Northbridge (2008) X X X Shrewsbury (2008) X X X Sutton (2008) X Upton (2008) Uxbridge (2008) draft draft Low Impact Development Conservation (LID): • A more sustainable land development approach – Typical • Based on an environmentally Subdivision sensitive site planning Source: R. Arendt process; and

• A stormwater management strategy designed to mimic natural hydrology, and

• Applied town-wide.

Source: R. Claytor Encourage Low Impact Development Practices to Increase Infiltration and Reduce Stormwater Volume

• Site planning techniques • Impervious surface reduction • Rain gardens and bioretention • Rooftop gardens • Vegetated swales, buffers and strips • Roof leader disconnection • Rain barrels and cisterns • Permeable pavers Blackstone Valley Eleven Town Planner and DPW Staff meeting Branch Village Revitalization Developers:

• Encourage creative designs that incorporate Low Impact Development practices to reduce impervious surfaces and increase infiltration

• “Blackstone Valley Guide to Low Impact Development Practices” – a manual for developers, engineers, and contractors

Save the Date! Blackstone Stormwater Conference May 14, 3:00 – 8:00 pm, Alternatives, Whitinsville Better Site Design of Roadways & Driveways • Narrower streets • Vegetated swales • No curbing • Alternative cul-de sacs • Shared driveways

Source: CWP Source: R. Claytor Business Owners and Municipalities

In Business for the Blackstone

“In Business” celebrates wise water use Roots & Shoots, Burrillville You Can Follow These Leaders With a small modification of a gutter spout and an expense of less than $100, Lampin Corporation will prevent more than 73,000 gallons of stormwater runoff per year. Municipalities that are “In Business” Homeowners:

Homeowner Tips for reducing stormwater impacts from your yard:

• Lawns/Gardens • Car Care • Pet Waste • Clean Dishes/Clean Streams • Rooftop Runoff • Household Hazardous Waste • Pervious Surfaces • Stream Buffers Demonstration Rain Garden at Broad Meadow Brook Visitor Center Outreach Collaborations and Events

Home and Business Expo RI NEMO l a c k s t o n e

e a d w a t e r s o a l i t i o n

Canoe Races

Audubon Society of Rhode Island l a c k s t o n e

e a d w a t e r s o a l i t i o n Blackstone River Watershed Association

•2006 Stream Teams on the Mumford River •2007 Stream Teams on the Mill and West Rivers •2008 Implemented Action Items •2009 Stream Teams on the Quinsigamond River

•Distribution of over 300 BRC Homeowner’s Guides

•River Access Projects Fish Passage Project The Blackstone River Clean by 2015!

We Can Do It! You Can Help!

www.zaptheblackstone.org The Blackstone

Using Stormwater to Grow Grassroots Stewards Using Stormwater to Grow Grassroots Stewards Broad Meadow Brook Angle Pilot Project downspout away from Redirecting downspouts from driveways, pavement to collecting rainwater in rain barrels, and vegetated creating rain gardens reduces runoff and area . can cut down on your water/sewer bills.

Create a rain garden.

Did you know? Install a rain barrel. The average home roof is 1,300 square feet and generates 832 gallons of runoff during a single 1” rainfall event. Using Stormwater to Grow Grassroots Stewards

Train members of our partner groups to in turn train more local stewards throughout the watershed to be effective change agents. • Partner with lake and pond associations, other watershed associations, chambers of commerce, local business associations to provide outreach on stormwater issues,

• Resulting in participation in municipal stormwater management planning and decision making. Using Stormwater to Grow Grassroots Stewards Indian Lake Shoreline Survey Everywhere you look, catch basins need cleaning. Where did that gravel come from? Indian Lake particle separator Opportunity Awaits at Lake Singletary Possible retro-fit for deep-sump, or even better, leaching catch basin & grassed swale New Driveway @ Singletary Lake The Devil is in the details. Is the drive banked to shed to grassed swale, or will it run off to the street? Will the new owner mow the right-of-way? Improved Boat Ramp @ Manchaug

Geo-grid grassed parking Imagine the difference “In Business” Uxbridge DPW detains snowmelt “In Business” Lampin moves their downspout

Mendon Deep Sump Installation The Blackstone River Clean by 2015!

We Can Do It! You Can Help!

www.zaptheblackstone.org