BLACKSTONE RIVER WATERSHED 2003 - 2007 WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT REPORT The Blackstone River, Millville, MA COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS IAN BOWLES,SECRETARY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAURIE BURT,COMMISSIONER BUREAU OF RESOURCE PROTECTION GLENNHAAS, ACTING ASSISTANTCOMMISSIONER DIVISION OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GLENNHAAS,DIRECTOR 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 WORCESTER, MA 01608 ThisreportisalsoavailablefromtheMassachusettsDepartmentofEnvironmental Protection (MassDEP’s) homepage onthe World Wide Webat: http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/wqassess.htm#wqar Furthermore, electronic copies ofeach reportprepared by this office are submitted to the State Library at the State Housein Boston;these copies may be subsequentlydistributed as follows: • Onshelf;retainedattheStateLibrary; • Microfilmedretained atthe StateLibrary; • DeliveredtotheBoston Public LibraryatCopley Square; • Deliveredtothe WorcesterPublicLibrary; • DeliveredtotheSpringfieldPublic Library; • DeliveredtotheUniversity LibraryatUMass,Amherst; • DeliveredtotheLibraryofCongressin Washington,D.C. Moreover,this widecirculation isaugmentedby inter-library loansfromtheabove-listedlibraries.For examplearesidentinGraftoncan applyattheirlocal libraryforloan ofany MassDEP/Division of WatershedManagement(DWM)reportfromthe WorcesterPublicLibrary. Acomplete listofreportspublishedsince 1963is updated annuallyand printed inJuly.Thisreport, entitled,“PublicationsoftheMassachusettsDivision of WatershedManagement– WatershedPlanning Program,1963-(currentyear)”,isalso available by writingtotheDWMin Worcester. DISCLAIMER Referencestotradenames,commercialproducts,manufacturers,ordistributorsinthisreportconstituted neitherendorsementnorrecommendationsby theDivisionof WatershedManagementforuse. BLACKSTONERIVER WATERSHED 2003-2007 WATERQUALITY ASSESSMENTREPORT TheBlackstoneRiver,Millville,MA Preparedby: MassachusettsDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection Divisionof WatershedManagement ReportNumber: 51-AC-3 DWMControlNumber: CN240.0 MassachusettsDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection Divisionof WatershedManagement Worcester,Massachusetts March2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Coordinationoflocal,state andfederal agenciesandprivateorganizationsisfundamentaltothesuccessofthe Massachusetts watershed managementapproach. Data and information usedin this reportwas providedin part bythe followingagencies and organizations. State • MassachusettsDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection (MassDEP) − BureauofStrategicPolicyand Technology,Wall Experiment Station (WES) − BureauofResource Protection (BRP) − BureauofWaste Prevention (BWP) − BureauofWaste Site Cleanup (BWSC) • MassachusettsDepartmentofPublicHealth (MADPH) • MassachusettsDepartmentofFish and Game (MA DFG) (Formerlythe DepartmentofFisheries, Wildlife,andEnvironmental Law Enforcement -DFWELE) − DivisionofFisheriesand Wildlife (MDFG) − DivisionofMarine Fisheries(DMF) • MassachusettsDepartmentofConservation andRecreation (MA DCR) (Formerlythe DepartmentofEnvironmental Management -MA DEM) Federal • UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) • UnitedStates Geological Survey (USGS) − Water Resources Division TABLE OF CONTENTS TableofContents ...................................................................................................................................................... i Listof Appendices ....................................................................................................................................................iii ListofFigures ...........................................................................................................................................................iii Listof Acronymsand Abbreviations .........................................................................................................................iv ListofUnits ...............................................................................................................................................................iv TableofFishScientificNames .................................................................................................................................iv Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................................. v Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 MassachusettsIntegrated Listof Waters ................................................................................................................. 1 DescriptionofBlackstoneRiver Watershed ............................................................................................................. 2 Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 RiverSegments ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Kettle Brook(MA51-19) ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Kettle Brook(MA51-01) ........................................................................................................................................ 7 UnnamedTributary(MA51-20) ........................................................................................................................... 10 DarkBrook(MA51-16) ........................................................................................................................................ 12 MiddleRiver(MA51-02) ...................................................................................................................................... 14 TatnuckBrook(MA51-15)................................................................................................................................... 16 Beaver Brook(MA51-07) .................................................................................................................................... 18 UnnamedTributary(MA51-08) ........................................................................................................................... 20 BlackstoneRiver(MA51-03) ............................................................................................................................... 23 PoorFarmBrook(MA51-17)............................................................................................................................... 29 CoalMine Brook(MA51-27) ............................................................................................................................... 31 QuinsigamondRiver(MA51-09) ......................................................................................................................... 33 BlackstoneRiver(MA51-04) ............................................................................................................................... 37 BlackstoneRiver(MA51-05) ............................................................................................................................... 42 MumfordRiver(MA51-13) .................................................................................................................................. 46 Cook Allen Brook(MA51-28) .............................................................................................................................. 49 MumfordRiver(MA51-14) .................................................................................................................................. 51 Miscoe Brook(MA51-21) .................................................................................................................................... 55 WestRiver(MA51-11)......................................................................................................................................... 57 Center Brook(MA51-34)..................................................................................................................................... 60 TaftPondBrook(MA51-26) ................................................................................................................................ 62 Miscoe Brook(MA51-37) .................................................................................................................................... 64 WestRiver(MA51-12)......................................................................................................................................... 65 LaurelBrook(MA51-23)...................................................................................................................................... 69 Scadden Brook(MA51-24) ................................................................................................................................. 71 EmersonBrook(MA51-29) ................................................................................................................................. 73 BlackstoneRiver(MA51-06) ..............................................................................................................................