STREAM-AQUIFER RELATIONS AND YIELD OF STRATIFIED-DRIFT AQUIFERS IN THE NASHUA RIVER BASIN, MASSACHUSETTS by Virginia de Lima U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4147 Prepared in cooperation with the MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES Boston, Massachusetts 1991 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information, write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Section 10 Causeway Street, Suite 926 Box 25425, Federal Center, Bldg. 810 Boston, MA 02222-1040 Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Page Abstract..................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................. 1 Purpose and scope .......................................................... 2 Previous investigations ...................................................... 2 Acknowledgments .......................................................... 2 Description of the study area .................................................... 4 Geographic setting ......................................................... 4 Hydrogeologic setting ....................................................... 4 Sources of potential ground-water withdrawals .................................. 4 Stream-aquifer relations in stratified-drift aquifers ................................. 5 Methods of investigation ..................................................... 5 Site selection .............................................................. 5 Pepperell infiltration site ................................................ 6 Infiltration tests and Darcy calculation ................................. 6 Infiltrometer tests .................................................. 8 Shirley infiltration site .................................................. 10 Infiltration tests and Darcy calculation ................................. 10 Digital model simulation ............................................. 10 Evidence of induced infiltration based on water quality ........................... 13 Pepperell infiltration site ................................................ 16 Shirley infiltration site .................................................. 16 Maximizing induced infiltration ............................................... 16 Yield of stratified-drift aquifers .................................................. 20 Methods of estimating long-term yield ......................................... 20 Determining long-term aquifer yield from stream-discharge measurements ....... 21 Determining long-term aquifer yield from percent of basin covered by stratified drift ...................................................... 22 Methods of estimating short-term yield from storage .............................. 23 Aquifer yields ............................................................. 24 Pearl Hill-Willard Brooks aquifer ......................................... 25 Stillwater River aquifer ................................................. 25 Wekepeke Brook aquifer ................................................. 26 Still River aquifer ...................................................... 27 Catacoonamug Brook aquifers ............................................ 28 Witch Brook aquifers ................................................... 30 Summary of aquifer yields ................................................... 32 Appraisal of aquifer-yield estimates ........................................... 34 Summary and conclusions ...................................................... 35 References cited .............................................................. 44 Glossary .................................................................... 44 in ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Map showing location of aquifers studied and infiltration sites in the Nashua River basin .................................................. 3 2. Map showing water table on May 31,1985, after pumping 7 days, and location of observation wells and streamflow measurements at the Pepperell infiltration site ........................................ 7 3. Section showing hydraulic head on May 31, 1985, after pumping 7 days, and location of well and multilevel piezometer screens at the Pepperell infiltration site ...................................................... 8 4. Diagram showing infiltrometer equipment; A: constant-head set-up, B: falling-head set-up.............................................................. 9 5. Map showing water table on January 16,1985, after pumping 5 days, and location of observation wells and streamflow measurements at the Shirley infiltration site ............................................ 11 6. Section showing hydraulic head and location of well and multilevel piezometer screens at the Shirley infiltration site; A: on January 16, 1985, after pumping 5 days, B: on January 17,1985, 1 day after pumping ceased ................. 12 7. Map showing comparison of measured drawdowns and simulated drawdowns, based on a streambed conductivity of 2 feet per day, during July infiltration test at the Shirley infiltration site .......................................... 14 8. Map showing comparison of measured drawdowns and simulated drawdowns, based on streambed conductivity of 0.2 feet per day, during July infiltration test at the Shirley infiltration site .......................................... 15 9. Piper diagram showing mixture of aquifer and stream waters in the Bemis Road pumped well, November 27, 1985, at the Pepperell infiltration site ............ 18 10.-14. Graphs showing: 10. Well spacing needed for maximum induced infiltration in hypothetical aquifers typical of the study area ............................................. 19 11. Example of method for determining aquifer-yield durations ................ 21 12. Typical flow-duration curves for streams draining till and stratified drift .................................................. 22 13. Example of family of flow-duration curves used to estimate streamflow from percentage of basin covered by stratified drift ............................ 23 14. Comparison of measured streamflow and streamflow estimated from percentage of basin covered by stratified drift ............................ 23 15.-22. Graphs showing yield of the: 15. Pearl Hill-Willard Brooks aquifer ...................................... 25 16. Stillwater River aquifer .............................................. 26 17. Wekepeke Brook aquifer ............................................. 27 18. Still River aquifer .................................................. 28 19. Catacoonamug Brook aquifer ......................................... 29 20. Aquifers along tributaries to Lake Shirley ............................... 30 21. Witch Brook aquifers ................................................ 31 22. Regional aquifer along the Squannacook River adjacent to Witch Brook ............................................. 31 IV ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued) Page Figure 23.-2S. Maps showing areal distribution of transmissivity in the: 23. Pearl Hill-Willard Brooks aquifer and location of the water-supply well field and streamflow measurement sites .................................... 36 24. Stillwater River aquifer and location of the water-supply well, streamflow measurement sites, and seismic-refraction survey ........................ 37 25. Wekepeke Brook aquifer and location of the water-supply wells, streamflow measurements sites, and seismic-refraction surveys ...................... * 38 26. Still River aquifer and location of the water-supply wells, streamflow measurement sites, and seismic-refraction surveys ....................... 39 27. Catacoonamug Brook aquifer and the location of water-supply wells and streamflow measurement sites ........................................ 40 28. Witch Brook* aquifers and location of the water-supply wells, streamflow measurement sites, and seismic-refraction survey ........................ 41 29.-30. Geologic sections based on seismic-refraction surveys shown on: 29. Figures 24, 25, and 26 ............................................... 42 30. Figures 26 and 28 .................................................. 43 TABLES Page Table 1. Water quality of the stream, pumped well, and aquifer in Pepperell, November27,1985 ................................................... 17 2. Estimated yield from stratified-drift aquifers in the Nashua River basin (streamflow maintained at specified minimum low flow) .................... 33 CONVERSION FACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm) foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) Area square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) Volume gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3) Flow gallon per minute (gal/min) 3.785 liter per minute (L/min) million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meter (m3) million gallons per day cubic meter per day (Mgal/d) 3,785 (m3/d) cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) cubic foot per second cubic meter per second per square mile per square kilometer [(ft3/s)/mi2] 0.01093 [(m3/s)/km2] inch per year (in./yr) 25.4 millimeter per year (mm/yr) Hydraulic Conductivity foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day (m/d) Transmissivity foot squared per day 0.0929 meter squared (fl2/d)