StormwaterCurrents A Publication of the Town of Narragansett Cutting Edge Clean-Up for the Narrow River Vol. 2, No.1 Winter 2006-2007 he Town of Narragansett is truly a leader when it comes to keeping water clean. This year, the Town constructed a unique stormwater treatment system at Mettatuxet Beach that is designed to remove sediment, bacteria and fertilizers T before allowing the stormwater to flow into the Pettaquamscutt (Narrow) River. WHAT’s InsIDE FAMILY FUN - Why Bother Cleaning Up What is your Rain Water? Isn’t the Narrow Watershed Address? River Clean? page 2 The Narrow River is a favorite locale for swimming and boating, however, ac- Watershed Course for cording to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, it does Teachers Sponsored by the not meet the standards for the harvesting Narrow River Preservation of shellfish because the bacteria counts Association in the river are too high. The Coastal page 3 Resources Management Council’s Special Area Management Plan says that exces- Looking Ahead sive nitrogen (found in lawn and plant page 3-4 fertilizers) enters the river and can cause it to become overgrown with plants and phytoplankton which deplete the water of oxygen when they decay - robbing fish and other marine organisms of the oxygen they need to thrive. Stormwater, as it flows off our roofs, lawns and streets, picks up what- ever is in its path. Much of the bacteria comes from pet waste and droppings from waterfowl and wildlife, nutrients come from fertilizers applied to lawns and detergents used to wash cars, and sediment can come from just about Top Illustration: The Mettatuxet Beach system consists of three components: (1) a swirl reac- anything including wearing parts on tor to remove solids from stormwater, (2) an underground infiltration galley below a paved cars, road sand, soil and leaves. parking lot to remove bacteria, and (3) a dry pond to remove bacteria and fertilizers. Note the location of monitoring wells (MW) to measure water quality before and after treatment Under the Rhode Island Pollution Left Photo: The completed parking lot hides the infiltration system that removes bacteria from Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) stormwater before it enters the Narrow River. Phase II regulations, the Town of Nar- Right Photo: The completed dry pond contains plants that remove nutrients (fertilizers) from continued on page 2 stormwater before it enters the Narrow River. PAGE 2 STORMWATER CURRENTS FAMILY What is Your Watershed Address? watershed is the area of land that drains to a particu- Try This FUN lar water body. The key word in defining this term Now that you know your watershed address, why not take a is land. A watershed boundary is defined by the family outing to visit your watershed? Try to find: A highest elevation surrounding a water body. Water drains to one water body on one side of a ridge and another 4The watershed divide: The highest point that separates on the other. your watershed from the next one. (Hint – Boston Neck Your watershed address is the watershed and Point Judith Roads may be places to look). in which you live. When it rains at your 4The water body for which your watershed is named by house, the stormwater runs downhill from traveling as directly downhill from your home as possible. your home, driveway and grounds, and eventually reaches the water body after 4Potential sources of pollution like pet waste, oil and grease or which your watershed was named. For ex- other debris on the street, or excess landscape fertilizer. ample, if you live in the Block Island Sound Watershed, stormwater that runs off from Want to Get More Involved? your home ends up in Block Island Sound. Check out your local watershed associations and find out how What we do on the land can make a big you can help protect Narragansett’s water resources:: Watershed diagram difference in the quality of our precious from www.recycle water resources. If we add too much fertilizer to our lawns or If Your Watershed Address Is Check Out works.org allow pet waste to remain on the streets, those pollutants will Block Island Sound or Save the Bay, end up in our rivers, ponds and bays. Narragansett Bay Watershed www.savebay.org Pettaquamscutt (Narrow) The Narrow River Find Your Watershed Address River Watershed Preservation Association, Use the map to the left to locate www.narrowriver.org where and in which watershed Sauagatucket River Watershed The Saugatucket River you. Never heard of the Pet- Heritage Corridor Coalition taquamscutt River? You probably www.saugatucket.org know it as the Narrow River that Point Judith Pond Watershed The Salt Ponds Coalition eventually leads to Town Beach. www.saltpondscoalition.org NARROW RIVER continued from page 1 ragansett is required to take steps to reduce the amount of pollution entering the rivers and ponds of Narragansett, and Narragansett Bay. For more on Phase II, see http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/ benviron/water/permits/ripdes/stwater/. The Mettatuxet Beach Example Will Help All of RI and More Dr. Thomas Boving, Associate Professor of Hydrogeology at URI in partnership with the Southern Rhode Island Conservation District (SRICD), has been and will continue to study how well the Mettatuxet Beach stormwater treatment system removes solids, bacteria and nutrients from stormwater. Dr. Boving measured stormwater samples collected from the Mettatuxet neighborhood prior to the installation of the system in order to compare stormwater quality before and after treatment. The system was designed and fitted with valves to direct the flow of runoff through the system allowing Dr. Boving to study how well each part works alone and in conjunction with the other parts. In about three years, Dr. Boving and SRICD will be in a position Use this map to locate where you live and to tell others how effective each part of the system is in removing pollutants from stormwater - providing then determine your watershed address. valuable information to others in southern New England seeking to tackle similar problems. We will keep you posted as the results come in. WINTER 2006-2007 PAGE 3 Watershed Course for Teachers Sponsored by the Narrow River Preservation Association By Veronica M. Berounsky, NRPA Board of Directors or the second time in three years, Narrow River Preserva- Island Conservation District. tion Association (NRPA) has offered the course, “Watershed In 2004 NRPA received Science for Educators”, a 3-credit graduate level course funds from the Rhode Island Fthrough the University of Rhode Island Special Programs. Foundation, the Horace A. The course provides information about watersheds in general and Kimball and S. Ella Kimball the Narrow River and its watershed in detail. Using the “Active Foundation, and the Chace Watershed Education (It’s AWEsome!)”curriculum, it includes a Foundation to update the matrix relating the curriculum to RI education standards. The curriculum and offer the course covers wetland and saltmarsh ecology, water resources, course to Narrow River water quality, cultural resources, and citizen action. Emphasis is teachers at no charge except placed on understanding the natural processes of a watershed and credit fees. This year’s course Teacher demonstrat- the results of human interaction with these processes. Interactive runs February 1 through mid-April, is funded mainly by the Chace ing rain on a water- lessons are also included. In addition to classroom sessions, there Foundation. Visit the NRPA web site for more information: www. shed model at the “Watershed Science are two field trips. One examines point sources of pollution (a narrowriver.org, or email us at [email protected] for Educators” class waste water treatment plant) and non-point sources of pollution The 24 teachers in the current Watershed Science for while other teachers (individual septic disposal systems, neighborhood stormdrains, Educators course are a diverse group, teaching kindergarten and the instructor detention ponds, and other stormwater management systems). through high school, with most at the middle school level. look on. The second is to the Narrow River where students can conduct Most teach science and come from both public schools and Photo taken by water quality sampling, identify plants and animals, and observe charter schools. One is a newly retired teacher who moved to V.M. Berounsky the directly ecosystem. the area and wanted to learn about “her” new watershed. An- The course is led Denise Poyer, Program Director for the other worked as an environmental engineer before becoming Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association. Annette DeSilva, NRPA a teacher. Some live in the Narrow River Watershed and teach coordinator of the volunteer River Watch sampling program, elsewhere, and vice versa. They will reach about 1500 students will give a presentation on that program. Veronica Berounsky, each school year. That’s 1500 more students and families who NRPA Education Committee, gave a presentation about NRPA will learn more about Narrow River and its Watershed and can and a photographic tour of the River and Watershed. The original become better stewards of our environment. “AWEsome!” Curriculum was developed by the Southern Rhode Narrow River and Crooked Brook water and Pettaquamscutt Terrace neighborhoods. Stormwater Treatment Stormwater treatments recommended for those Looking Ahead catchments are different forms of infiltration (allow- The Narrow River Stormwater Abatement In 2006, the Town of Narragansett developed ambi- Study, conducted over the last year primarily by ing stormwater to filter through the ground). This is tious plans to address its most pressing stormwater consulting engineers Fuss & O’Neill, was an intensive the most effective treatment for removing bacteria. pollution concerns, and also applied for state and investigation into all the possible ways to reduce In addition, the Town plans to complete studies federal funding to help implement those plans.