I I I I I EAST AND WEST MONPONSETT PONDS DIAGNOSTIC/FEASIBILITY STUDY I HALIFAX AND HANSON, MASSACHUSETTS I ** .FINAL REPORT I Project Director: Lee Lyman I Project Manager: Dr. Alexander P. Duran CONTRACT NUMBER: E-177-85 I SUBMITTED: July 6, 1987 I Prepared For: THE TOWN OF HALIFAX THE MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION OF I WATER POLLUTION CONTROL By: LYCOTT ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, INC. I 600 CHARLTON STREET I SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 01550 I I I I I I I I TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 SUMMARY I 1.1 Study Background 1.2 Summary of Problem and Findings I 2.0 DIAGNOSTIC STUDY LITERATURE REVIEW 2-1 2.1 Geography and Morphometry 2-1 I 2.1.1 Watershed Geography 2-1 2.1.2 Morphometry of the Monponsett Ponds 2-1 2.2 Public Access & Historic Uses 2-4 I 2.2.1 Public Access 2-4 2.2.2 Historic Uses 2-5 2.3 Land Use and Watershed 2-6 I 2.4 Geology and Soils 2-10 2.4.1 Geology 2-10 2.4.2 Soils 2-11 I 2.5 Point Source and Non-Point Source Pollution 2-18 2.5.1 Erosion 2-18 2.5.2 Sewage Disposal 2-19 I 2.5.2.1 Review of Available Reports 2-19 2.5.2.2 Monponsett Ponds I Questionnaire Results 2-19 2.5.3 Stormwater Drainage Systems 2-24 I 3.0 HYDROLOGIC BUDGET 3-1 4.0 LIMNOLOGICAL AND WATER QUALITY DATA I FOR TRIBUTARIES AND OUTLETS 4-1 4.1 Historic Data Evaluation 4-1 4.2 Sampling Stations and Methods 4-1 I 4.3 Water Quality Sampling Results 4-3 4.3.1 Physical Parameters 4-3 4.3.2 Chemical Parameters 4-6 I 4.3.3 Biological Results 4-45 4.4 Aquatic Vegetation 4-58 4.5 Test Wells and Seepage Samples 4-63 4.6 Sediment Analysis 4-66 I 4-68 4.7 Lake Biology and Fisheries 4.8 Stormwater Sampling 4-69 4.8.1 Sampling Stations and I Metals Concentrations 4-69 4.8.2 Non-Metals and Bacteria 4-71 4.8.3 Sediment Delivery due to I Stormwater 4-76 I I I I 5.0 NUTRIENT BUDGET AND TROPHIC STATUS 5-1 5.1 Limiting Nutrient Analysis 5-1 5.2 Phosphorus Budget 5-2 I 5.2.1 Land-Use Associated Phosphorus Export 5-2 5.2.2 Septic System Phosphoruss I Sources 5-6 6.0 FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS 6-1 I 6.1 Range of Alternatives Investigated 6-1 6.1.1 Lake Bottom Sealing 6-1 6.1.2 Nutrient Inactivation 6-1 I 6.1.3 Weed Control with Sterile Grass Carp 6-1 6.1.4 Flushing 6-2 I 6.1.5 Water Level Drawdown 6-2 6.1.6 Dredging 6-3 6.1.7 Aeration 6-4 6.1.8 Lime Application to Lake I Water and Watershed 6-4 6.1.9 Aquatic Weed Raking 6-5 6.1.10 Herbicide Management 6-6 I 6.1.11 Wastewater Disposal Alternatives 6-8 6.1.11.1 No Action I Alternative 6-8 6.1.11.2 Maintenance of Existing Septic I Systems 6-8 6.1.11.3 Reconstruction of Failing On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems with I Conventional Systems 6-9 6.1.11.4 "Black Water" Handling Alternatives 6-9 I 6.1.11.5 "Grey Water" Reduction 6-10 6.1.11.6 Non-Conventional Individual On-Site I Wastewater Systems 6-11 6.1.12 Sub-Surface Disposal System Correction 6-13 I 6.1.14 Stormwater Treatment Alternatives 6-15 6.2 Evaluation of Selected Feasibility I Alternatives 6-19 6.2.1 Acidification Monitoring Program 6-19 I 6.2.2 Community Sewage Treatment Plant 6-19 I I I Page I 6.2.4 Stormwater Treatment 6-22 7.0 RECOMMENDED RESTORATION PROGRAM 7-1 I 7.1 In-Lake Recommendations 7-1 7.2 Watershed Recommendations 7-4 7.2.1 Sewage Treatment Plant 7-4 I 7.2.2 Sand Filters for Storm Drains 7-7 8.0 RECOMMENDED RESTORATION PROGRAM - I IMPLEMENTATION INFORMATION AND WORK SCHEDULE ' ' 8-1 I 8.1 Sources of Funding 8-1 8.2 Milestone Work Schedule 8-3 8.3 Implementation Monitoring Program 8-3 I 8.4 Public Participation Section 8-11 9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION AND PERMIT I IDENTIFICATION 9-1 REFERENCES I Appendix A - Field Data I Appendix B - Phytoplankton Results Appendix C - Seepage Sampler and Test Well Results I Appendix D - Storm Sample Results Appendix E - Storm Drain Maps I Appendix F - Septic System Phosphorus Loading and System Life Calculations I Appendix G - Phosphorus Load from Septic Systems Determination I Appendix H - Volume Weighted Mean Monthly Phosphorus Concentrations I Appendix I - Calculation of Reckow Model Parameters Appendix J - Sonar Treatment for the Monponsett Ponds I Appendix K - Black Water Handling Alternatives I Appendix L - Public Education Materials I 1 1 LIST OF FIGURES Number Title Page 2-1 Monponsett Ponds Bathymetry 2-2 2-2 Monponsett Ponds General Land Use 2-8 2-3 Monponsett Ponds Watershed 1 Soil Types and Hydrologic Groups 2-12 1 2-4 Storm Drainage System 2-25 3-1 Tributary Sampling Stations and Sub-Basins 3-2 4-1 Monponsett Ponds Sample Site Locations 4-2 1 4-2 Thermal D/0 Profile - 6/85 4-4 4-3 Thermal D/0 Profile - 8/85 4-5 4-4 Thermal D/0 Profile - 11/85 4-6 1 4-5 Thermal D/O Profile - 3/86 4-7 4-6 Aquatic Macrophytes 4-64 4-7 Test Well & Seepage Sampler Locations 4-66 1 4-8 Storm Sampling of November 5, 1985 4-72 6-1 Oil and Grit Trap 6-17 6-2 Sand Filter for Storm Drains 6-18 6-3 Rotating Biological Contactor 1• Flow Diagram 6-21 7-1 Areas of Aquatic Weeds 1 Recommended Hydroraking Areas 7-2 7-2 Plan of Proposed Sewer System 7-5 1 >^> =^^ 1 A ^ 1 LYCOTT LIST OF TABLES Number Title Page 2-1 Monponsett Ponds Morphometric Data 2-3 2-2 Monponsett Ponds Watershed Areas for Land Use 2-7 1 2-3 Monponsett Ponds Soil Descriptions 2-13 2-4 Descriptions of Hydrologic Soil Groups 2-16 1^H 2-5 Wastewater Disposal Survey Results 2-32 1 3-1 Monponsett Ponds Study Hydrologic • Budget 3-3 3-2 Monponsett Ponds Study Hydrologic Summary 3-6 4-1 East >5onponsett Pond pH 4-13 4-2 West Monponsett Pond pH 4-15 I 4-3 East Monponsett Pond Total Alkalinity 4-17 4-4 West Monponsett Pond Total Alkalinity 4-19 I 4-5 East Monponsett Pond Chloride 4-21 4-6 West Monponsett Pond Chloride 4-23 4-7 East Monponsett Pond Conductivity 4-25 1 4-8 West Monponsett Pond Conductivity 4-27 4-9 East Monponsett Pond Total Phosphorus 4-29 4-10 West Monponsett Pond Total Phosphorus 4-31 4-11 East Monponsett Pond Nitrate-Nitrogen 4-33 4-12 West Monponsett Pond Nitrate-Nitrogen 4-35 1 4-13 East Monponsett Pond Ammonia Nitrogen 4-37 4-14 West Monponsett Pond Ammonia Nitrogen 4-39 4-15 East Monponsett Pond Kjeldahl Nitrogen 4-41 4-11 6r~ West Monponsett Pond Kj eldahl Nitrogen 4 -4A 3*> .-... .. -— -i I -£> A A *=> I LYCOTT 1 1 Number Title Page 1 4-17 East Monponsett Pond Total Nitrogen 4-45 4-18 West Monponsett Pond Total Nitrogen 4-47 4-19 East Monponsett Pond Suspended Solids 4-49 1 4-20 West Monponsett Pond Suspended Solids 4-51 4-21 East Monponsett Pond Dissolved Solids 4-53 1 4-22 West Monponsett Pond Dissolved Solids 4-55 4-23 East Monponsett Pond Total Coliform 4-57 4-24 West Monponsett Pond Total Coliform 4-58 1 4-25 East Monponsett Pond Fecal Coliform 4-59 4-26 West Monponsett Pond Fecal Coliform 4-60 1 4-27 Total Phytoplankton Counts 4-61 4-28 East Monponsett Pond Chlorophyll-a 4-62 4-29 West Monponsett Pond Chlorophyll-a 4-63 1 4-30 East-West Monponsett Sediment Samples 4-69 . 4-31 Monponsett Ponds Storm Drain Sampling- 1 Total Metals Data 4/14/86 4-74 4-32 Monponsett Ponds Storm Drain Sampl ing- Total Metals Data 5/22/86 4-75 4-33 Monponsett Ponds Storm Sampling Chemical and Bacteriological Results 4-76 1 4-34 Paved Roadway Areas Draining into the Monponsett Ponds 4-79 1 4-35 Monponsett Ponds Discharge, Suspended Solids and Exported Suspended Solids for Surface Drained Subwatersheds for May 1985 through April 1986 4-80 5-1 Trophic State Classification Scheme 5-2 1 5-2 Monponsett Ponds Discharge, Total Phosphorus, and Export Phosphorus from Surface Drained Subwatersheds for May 1985 through April 1986 5-4 -£> ^ A x=> 1 LYCOTT Number Title _ Page 5-3 Monponsett Ponds Land Use Associated Phosphorus Export 5-6 5-4 Septic System Phosphorus Loading by Area 5-9 5-5 Monponsett Ponds Phosphorus Budget Summary 5-10 5-6 Reckhow Phosphorus Model: Range and Values for Monponsett Ponds 5-12 7-1 Hydroraking Project Costs 7-3 7-2 Costs for Proposed Sewers and Treatment Plant 7-6 8-1 Annual Monitoring Costs 8-1 I I 1.0 SUMMARY I 1.1 Study Background The Monponsett Ponds are an important aesthetic and recreational resource for the Town of Halifax and the I surrounding communities in Massachusetts.