The SOUTH WATUPPA POND and its WATERSHED This document is extracted from a 1990 report prepared by Whitman & Howard Engineers for the City of Fall River, and was edited for this web page. It presents an overview of the pond and watershed in 1990. It discusses possible remedial steps for the South Watuppa Pond, but some of the site-specific data is outdated. Much of the information regarding watershed stewardship is useful for residents of the watersheds of both the South and North Watuppa Ponds, today. A. DESCRIPTION OF WATER SOURCE AREA 1. WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS The South Pond watershed covers about 11,775 acres (18.4 square miles). This includes roughly one-fourth of the watershed runoff to North Watuppa Pond which was diverted to South Pond via the interceptor drain shortly after 1915. The interceptor drain is a concrete open channel which collects over land runoff and some storm drain outfalls on the eastern side of the Pond for ultimate discharge to the South Pond east of the narrows. The watershed falls within three municipal boundaries. Their approximate breakdowns follow: 35 percent in the City of Fall River, Massachusetts, 25 percent in the Town of Westport, Massachusetts, and 40 percent in the Town of Tiverton, Rhode Island. The municipal boundaries infer different management practices and capabilities (e.g., monetary, regulatory) within the watershed. The topography of the South Pond watershed is predominantly flat to gently rolling with little relative relief. The watershed is located in the seaboard lowland physiographic unit. Elevations in the watershed range from approximately 130 feet to 300 feet above mean sea level. The watershed is primarily delineated by the topography around the pond. However, the interceptor drain and its western counterpart, the North Pond Diverter, as described in a subsequent section, drain regions beyond the natural topographic limit off the watershed. South Pond is a very shallow water body encompassing approximately 1,792 acres (2.8 square miles). There are numerous inlets to South Pond including natural tributaries and interceptor drains. Sucker Brook is a major inlet to the pond. Situated in a northwest cove, this Brook originates from the outlet of Stafford Pond. The outlet of South Pond is the Quequechan River. The River flows in a northwesterly direction and through the center of Fall River before its confluence with the Taunton River. Due to the proximity of Sucker Brook to the Quequechan River outlet, it has been theorized that a certain amount of short-circuiting occurs. This theory is important to pond water quality because, if true, the impact of Sucker Brook on the pond is diminished. 2. ZONING AND LAND USE The portion of the watershed within the City of Fall River, is zoned almost entirely residential. Approximately one-tenth of this area, located adjacent to the outlet of South Pond, is zoned industrial. The industrial district also encompasses Sucker Brook and Bleachery Ponds. Less than 5 percent of the watershed area within Fall River is zoned commercial. These areas are scattered in small parcels throughout the watershed. The largest commercial district is adjacent to Interstate Route 195 near the state line. The portion of the watershed located in the Town of Westport is almost exclusively zoned for residential use. A very small portion, approximately 5 percent, is zoned for commercial and “unrestricted” use. These areas are found along Route 177 and adjacent to the Narrows. In the Town of Tiverton, residential zoning also predominates in the watershed, covering roughly three-quarters of the area. The land surrounding and including Stafford Pond is classified as a Watershed Protection Overlay District (WPOD) in addition to its residential designation. The following restrictions apply to the WPOD: No building is allowed within 200 feet of the Pond No brush removal is allowed within 100 feet of the Pond Construction must be permitted by the Planning Board Three-acre lots are required for any subdivision Approximately one-fifth of the watershed in the Town of Tiverton is industrially zoned. This zoning area has a particularly important location in the watershed as it encompasses the Pocasset Cedar Swamp. Sucker Brook flows through this zoning district. Commercial zoning comprises less than 5 percent of the watershed area in Tiverton. Commercial areas are found along Route 81 and east of Sucker Brook adjacent to the state line. Land use in the watershed is typically urban in Fall River and becomes increasingly rural in the Towns of Tiverton and Westport. Table 8-1 presents the approximate percentage breakdown of the various land uses within each of the three municipalities. Although Fall River has a definite urban character, approximately one-third of its South Pond watershed area is comprised of wetlands, woodlands, and open land. The South Pond watershed has 63 percent of its land area in these three land-use categories. Whereas this may appear to present a favorable use of land in the watershed, it must not be overlooked that the existing land-use profile is not static. When comparing allowable zoning to current land uses, the true implications can be seen. There is a latent potential for undeveloped lands to become developed. The greatest potential for development is in Tiverton and Westport. A review of historical changes in land use in Westport highlights the non-static nature of land usage. From 1951 to 1985, a decrease of 2,195 acres in forest land was documented.(1) During this same period, a concurrent increase of 2,410 acres in residential land use was observed. It is probable that population pressures will cause these trends in land-use patterns to continue. The predominant land use along the shoreline of South Pond is residential. The residences are largely maintained in a wooded setting. A trailer park is south of Fedora Point on the western shore of the pond. Agricultural land use (a piggery) is located adjacent to Fedora Point. (1)Data from the Cape Cod Regional Planning and Development Commission. In addition to private boat docks, ramps, and beaches, recreational land use is limited to: (1) the boat ramp along the northwest shore of the Pond and (2) the Westport/Fall River Rod and Gun Club on the eastern shore of the Pond. The latter parcel is extensively preserved as undeveloped land. Additional undeveloped lands are located adjacent to the gun club and at the southernmost tip of the pond. Both of these areas encompass tributaries to the pond and are bordered by vegetated wetlands. TABLE 8-1 LAND USE WITHIN THE SOUTH WATUPPA POND WATERSHED1 Entire Land-Use2 Westport Fall River Tiverton Watershed Category (%) (%) (%) (%) Wetlands 28 5 21 20 Woodlands 33 16 40 31 Open Land3 13 15 9 12 Residential/ Commercial 26 56 29 5 Industrial4 0 8 1 2 TOTAL 100 100 100 100 1 Percentages were obtained by the interpretation of the following USGS quadrangles: Fall River, Tiverton, and Westport. 2 In calculating percentages, water bodies were not included in the data analysis. 3 This category includes agricultural land, recreational land, and cemeteries. 4 This category includes transportation and land uses. A significant commercial/industrial presence is situated along the northern and northwestern shoreline. The commercial component is comprised of small business establishments (e.g., diners, gas stations, convenience stores). The industrial component is comprised of factories, mills, transportation facilities (State Route 24, Interstate Route 195, U.S. Route 6, and Conrail), and energy transmission facilities. Potential contamination from these and other land uses is discussed in the following section. Considering the land use characteristics and the physical features of the South Pond shoreline, there is considerable potential for access by the public to the watershed and the water body itself. Many summer cottages and public roads are set 50 to 100 feet from the water body. Little, if any, land buffer exists between public roads and the water body. In the vicinity of the Narrows, for example, it is easily possible for the general public to have direct access and contact with the Pond. Considerable effort at significant cost would be required to effectively restrict public access to the Pond. B. SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION 1. INTRODUCTION Sources of contamination to South Pond can be divided into two categories: point sources and nonpoint sources. Point sources are generally the more discernible and more easily controllable sources of pollution than are nonpoint sources. 2. POINT SOURCES There are several known point sources of contamination to South Pond (Figure 8-1). Information on point sources was obtained during a visit to South Pond Watershed conducted by Whitman & Howard, Inc. in the company of Mr. Gerard Blais, Director of Water Treatment/Resources in Fall River. The following describes the contamination sites identified during the site visit in more detail. Site No. 1 refers to the Kerr Mill site. At this location, a metal plating facility once operated, but has since burned down. On-site, there is evidence of oil contamination, as well as the presence of PCB’s and cyanide. Partial remediation efforts have been made, including the removal of 27 cubic yards of cyanide-contaminated soils. As of July 1989, the DEP classified the site as “non- priority” and granted a waiver of its approvals of five documents that must be submitted to DEP as part of a response action, in accordance with Massachusetts Contingency Plan. The site is currently undergoing a Phase II Comprehensive Site Assessment. Sites No. 2 and 3 designate the respective discharge locations of the North Watuppa Pond Diverter (NWPD) and the interceptor drain on the easterly side of the Narrows. The NWPD carries stormwater effluent draining from about one-fourth of the North Watuppa Pond watershed.