Professors Kegley, Art, and Dethier Grant Johnson Envi 102 Water Quality at Camping Areaa on Mt. Greylock Mount Greylock State Reservation provldes a trail aystem for hiking and camping during the summer and winter. The reservation was set aside in 1898 and includes 8700 acres of woodland around Mt. Greylock. The mountain is 3491 feet high; Massachusetts' largest. One can still see the remains of logging roada and carriage roads which serviced Mt. Greylock when it was farmed and timbered. The two paved roads leading up to the summit are largely improved carriage roads. In the 19308, the Civilian Conaervation Corpa cleared the Thunderbolt, Bellowepipe, and Stony Ledge tralla In addltlon to Sperry Campground. There are a number of lean-tos and campeltes on the Greylock trail system, many of wh~chwall be less cloaely supervised in the near future than they have been in past years. Moat notably, the Sperry Campground wxll ( &&$ LLL- :jq;~-"\) be left to the prudence of the backpackers uaihg it. The plpr which used to bring water directly from a spring to the campground isn't going in this year. Aiso. there will be more overnight camping at the Stony Ledge site. The long h~story of backpacking, camping, and day-hiking in the Mt. Greylock Reservation is, like many other programs, feeling the efiects of Massachusetts' tightened budget. The result is that the users of the trail system there will need to be more informed and careful about the water they drink. The purpose of the research presented in this report is to determine the quality of water which will be available at the Sperry Campground, the Deer Hill Shelter. and Stony Ledge this summer. The information set forth could be a guide for campers who want to know where to take water and how it might be dangerous. LW~~Q~Q All of the test sites are fairly close together (see &' map) on the western shoulder of the mountain. Water flowing down in the stream near the Deer Hill Shelter originates by the Appalachian Trail on the top ridge of Greylock. The flat ground up there tends to collect water in the spring and summer, creating a land-under-water aituation. This could be a potential source of algae or microorganisms which maght change the water quality in the warm summer months. The stream flows down and under the Rockwell road on its way to the Deer Hill Shelter. Samples were taken both and above and below the road (which is not salted in the winter). The spring which combines with other runoff and flows into the Sperry Campground has been covered. but the plwes used in previous years will not be ~nstalledin 1991. Immediately surrounding the spring house are a number of other springs that have been utilized at the Sperry aite since the thirties. The CCC built a collection basin there which has since deteriorated into a wet, mossy paccn of ground at the head of the stream. This spring 1s located on the Hopper Trail just above Sperry Road. It flows under tne Sperry Road on its way to the campground. This flow was sampled at its source, once more before the road, and agaln beyond the campsite. For Stoney Ledge, which will be utilized for camplng more this year than in the past, the only water is a small, mossy stream flowing down off the ledge itself. Whlle the other streams sampled are second and third order, this one is only a first or second order. Samples were taken on April 21 and April 28, 1991. The 21st was rainy and cold, with streams at high flow reiative w' w' to the warm, sunny 28th. The map shows approximate locat~ons of sampling sites and the campgrounds. In all caaea, testa for fecal bacteria were done within twenty-four hours of sampling and pH and ANC within forty-eight houra. The following figures give values for all tests performed on the water samples. Table 1: Cation Concentrations <mg/l) Site Deer Hill--------- 5.77--1.40--0.84---- 0.79----0.55---0.74 (Above Road) Deer Hill--------- 6.18--1.43--0.54---- 0.67----0.51---O.46 (Below Road) Sperry Spring----- 3.24--1.02--0.73------------0.38------- (Ground) Sperry Spring----- 3.25--1.01--0.67---- 0.96---- 0.34---0.51 (Pipe) Sperry Stream------------------------- 0.68----------- 0.37 (Above Road) Sperry Stream----- 3.31--0.84--0.65---- 0.66---- 0.27---0.34 (Below Sperry) Stony Ledge------- 1.27--0.35--0.77---- 0.74---- 0.47---0.34 Table 2: Anion Concentrations (mg/l) Site F- C1- N03- S04-2 Deer Hill--------- 0.15--0.90--2.79--7.00 (Above Road) Deer Hill--------- 0.00--O.gO--3.37--6.04 (Below Road) Sperry Spring-----0.00--0.96--5.35 (Ground) Sperry Spring-----0.31--1.07--5.35 (Pipe) Sperry Stream----- 0.00--0.86--3.85--5.66 <Above Road) Sperry Stream----- 0.00--0.80--3.63--5.47 (Below Sperry) Stony Ledge------- 0.30--0.91--2.06--5.38 Table 3: Fecal Coliforn Site (Above Road) (Below Road) Sperry Spring-----0--------- (Ground) Sperry Spring-----0-------- 0 {Pipe) (Above Road) Sperry Stream-----0--------0 (Below Sperry) Table 4: pH and ANC Site pH (1) pH (2) ANC (1) ANC (2) Deer Hill--------- 7.23---- 7.50---- 8.40----- 19.20 <Above Road) Deer Hill---------7.25---- 7.62---- 13.00---- 26.60 (Below Road) Sperry Spring----------------------------------- (Ground) Sperry Spring----- 5.97----5.93---- 5.80----- 5.40 (Pipe) Sperry Stream------------- 7,00------------- 5.60 (Above Road) Sperry Stream----- 6.42----6.97---- 3.70----- 5.80 (Below Sperry) Stony Ledge------- 4.87----4.75---- 1 .SO----- 0.80 W@b following graphs. Graph one shows the correlation of calcium and magnesium at all the sampling sites. Graphs two and three The colored bars indicate average concentrations of ions measured while the clear bars show the limits of the safe range. Graphs 4-10 show how pH, ANC, and some ion values decrease as one moves north. These changes in concentration are for the most part not significant enough to suggest any serious pollution or drastic changea in local environment. The highest standard error is that of ANC at 2.39. All of the other tests had standard errors of 0.75 or less. Ca vs. Mg 3 4 5 Ca concentration mg/l Cation Range Mg+2 Na+ Cation Anion Range 14 , F- C1- N03- SO4-2 Anion D.H.l D.H.2 Sp.1b Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L. Site ANC (2) ANC (4/28) D.H.1 D.H.2 Sp.1b Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L Site Potassium (4/28) D.H.l D.H.2 Sp.1b Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L Site Sulfate D.H. 1 D.H.2 Sp. la Sp. lb Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L.0 Site Sodium (4/2 1) 1, D.H.1 D.H.2 SpJa Sp.Ib Sp.3 S.L Site Sodium (4/28) 1, D.H.l D.H.2 Sp.1b Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L. Site D.H. 1 D.H.2 Sp. la Sp. lb Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L.O. Site Chloride 1.2 , D.H. 1 D.H.2 Sp.la Sp.1b Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L.O. Site Nitrate 5. D.H. 1 D.H.2 Sp. la Sp. lb Sp.2 Sp.3 S.L.0 Site The patterns revealed by the data and graphs suggest a number of things about the water quality at Mt. Greylock's campsites. Graphs two and three clearly show that ion levels are for the most part well within the boundaries of .a "clean" water supply. The tables also suggest that there is little significant change from the first sampling day to the second. some extent potaeeium. ANC might be affected by the change in weather. If the rain falling on the 21st was slightly acidic, the stream water would have been actively neutralizing it.)d& ii This would explain the 1 ANC values on the rainy day. When it comes to potaaeium, the differences in meaaurement are relatively small, and the average value remains well within the prescribed boundary. 7lm Although tables 1-4 show that values are consistent on 'u-iq@& . I both days at the same site, there are changes as one movea 4TI iram site to site. Looking at catxons, one sees that every column except the second sodlum test has its hlghest value In either the above or beiow road reading for the Deer Hill Sheiter. Moving to the Sperry readings, one sees a decrease in cation concentration, most noticeably in the calcium and magnesium tests. The difference is probably due to the fact that the Deer Hill water flows out of the land-under-water system at the crest of the ridge. The standing water has a .. j chance to penetrate the soil and absorb ions beiore it flows into the* stream. The Sperry water, on the other hand, comes from a spring. The spring water does join a stream, but in all cases the cation levels are less in the confluence than in the spring alone. This suggests either t t that stream flowing down to Sperry does not share its9" source with the one d*flowing to the Deer Hill Shelter or that it has vegetation bwwhich uses cations in the water. The second explanation seema .A& best aince both streams flow out of the same area.