This project was funded by: Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs South Coastal Watershed Action Plan Chapter Three Indian Head River Watersheds Prepared by: 110 Winslow Cemetery Rd. Marshfield, MA 02050 (781) 837-0982 CHAPTER THREE: INDIAN HEAD RIVER WATERSHEDS Part I. Watershed Assessment 3-2 1.0 Watershed Characteristics 3-2 2.0 Water Quality Impairments 3-3 3.0 Aquatic Habitat Impairments 3-8 4.0 Water Withdrawal and Stream Flow Impairments 3-11 Part II. Indian Head Rivers Watersheds Five Year Action Plan 3-13 List of Tables Table 3-1. Indian Head River Watershed Characteristics 3-2 Table 3-2. Water Quality Summary for Indian Head River Watersheds 3-4 Table 3-3. Percent Impervious Surface for each Indian Head River Watershed 3-6 Table 3-4. Water Withdrawal by Indian Head River Watershed 3-11 List of Maps Map 3-1. Indian Head River Water Resources Map 3-17 Map 3-2. Indian Hear River Assessment Map 3-18 Map 3-3. Indian Head River Watershed Impervious Surface Vulnerability Ma 3-19 Map 3-4. Indian Head River Watershed Action Map 3-20 Indian Head River Watershed Introduction The public process involved in creating this document included two steps,1) an assessment of the Indian Head River watersheds and 2) the development of a Five Year Action Plan. The assessment involved extensive literature review and interviews with stakeholders. Based on this process, information and a list of recommended actions were presented to the public at two public forums for additional input and priority ranking. These recommended actions are listed at the end of the discussion of each goal Based on the input and votes of those who attended the public forum, some of these recommendations were included in the Five Year Action Plan at the end of this chapter. Thus, this chapter consists of two parts; The Assessment and the Five Year Action. The twelve members of the steering committee played a crucial role in the guidance of this process (please refer to Appendix A for a detailed description of the public process). PART I. WATERSHED ASSESSMENT 1. Watershed Characteristics Table 3-1 Indian Head River Watershed Characteristics Land Area 30 Square Miles Primary Municipality Hanover, Pembroke, Rockland, Hanson Protected Open Space 1430 Acres (7.4%) Limited Open Space 591 acres (3.0%) NHESP Priority Habitat for Rare Species 1,769 acres (9.1%) Top land uses 45% Forest; 34% Residential; 4.6% Water/Wetlands; Commercial and Industrial 4.4% # of NPDES Permits-3 # of Dams-26 Most Impaired Waterbodies French Stream, Drinkwater River, Indian Head River, Factory Pond, Wampatuck Pond, Studley Pond 1.1 History The history of the watershed communities was shaped by the industrial revolution. Forge pond was home to the foundry that made the anchor for the USS constitution, and in general factories in the area supported the region’s boat building trades by making ironworks. Luddams Ford is historically known as the place a gentleman named Luddham carried Governor William Bradford across the Indian Head River. 1.2 Water Resources The Indian Head River runs 3.8 miles from Factory Pond to the confluence with the Herring Brook where it forms the headwaters of the North River. The Indian Head River forms the town boundary South Coastal Watershed Action Plan 3-2 9/12/2006 Watershed Action Alliance between Hanover and Pembroke. It is classified as a Class B warm water fishery. Impoundments on the Indian Head River include Luddams Ford Pond (Hanover/Pembroke) and Factory Pond (Hanson/Hanover). Forge Pond (Hanover) is an impoundment of the Drinkwater River. The Indian Head River tributaries include the Iron Mine Brook (Hanover), Drinkwater River (Hanover and Rockland), French Stream (Rockland and Weymouth), Rocky Run Brook (Hanson) and the Indian Head Brook. The Indian Head Brook is a tributary that enters the Drinkwater just downstream of Factory Pond within Hanson, its headwater is Maquan Pond. Other impoundments on the Indian Head Brook include Indian Head and Wampatuck Ponds. The Indian Head Pond also feeds a tributary to Furnace Pond in the Herring Brook Watershed. French Stream is a tributary to the Indian Head River and has one impoundment, Studley Pond in Rockland (Map 3-1; Indian Head River Water Resources Map). 1.3 Priority Land and Aquatic Habitats Below Luddams Ford Dam, the Indian Head is tidally influenced and is one of three freshwater tidal marshes in MA. Because of the unique hydrologic conditions created by the rise and fall of the fresh water many unique and endangered species utilize this habitat. There is considerable open space protected along the Indian Head River in Hanover. The North River Protective Order extends up the Indian Head River to Hanson just past the State Street Bridge. 1.4 Hydrology Hanover has two primary soil series almost evenly distributed: 1) Hinckley-Windsor-Deerfield soils which are deep, excessively to moderately well drained formed in glacial fluvial deposits and 2) Freetown-Swanea-Scarboro soils which are nearly level, gently sloping very poorly drained soils underlain by glacial fluvial deposits in swamps, bogs, fens and depression. The soils in Southern Pembroke and surrounding many of the ponds are the Hinckley-Windsor-Deerfield soils. Northeastern Pembroke soils (Birchwood-Poquonock-Mattapoisett) which are moderately well drained soils on gentle sideslopes and footslopes of hills with the high water table approximately 2.5 feet below the surface in the Poquonock soil areas. 2.0 Water Quality Impairments Table 3-2. summarizes the water quality status of the impaired waters of this watershed. Stormwater run-off, cranberry bog nutrients, metals and mercury contamination related to historical industrial uses and WWTP discharges are the cumulative causes of algal growth, turbidity, toxicity, organic enrichment, pathogens, and the out-of-control growth of invasive species. The twenty-six dams within the watershed further degrade water quality by acting as nutrient traps and impair the aquatic use of the waterway by blocking fish passage (Map 3-2 Indian Head River Assessment Map). South Coastal Watershed Action Plan 3-3 9/12/2006 Watershed Action Alliance Table 3-2. Water Quality Summary for the Indian Head River Watersheds Waterbodies At Risk Impairment Level Suspected Causes/Sources French Stream Level 5: TMDL Required – Pathogens, Rockland WWTP, Channeling of banks, Top Land Use: unknown toxicity, nutrients, organic enrichment sedimentation, habitat degradation, post- Forest: 39% development erosion, impacts from stormwater and agricultural run-off Drinkwater River Category 5: TMDL Required - Metals- Agriculture and storm water run-off, Hazardous waste site (Fireworks site); elevated Rockland WWTP phosphorus, pathogens, turbidity, noxious aquatic plants Indian Head River Category 5: TMDL required – Metals, nutrients, Multiple impoundments, Impact of organic enrichments, Impact of dams on Drinkwater River 5 Dams diversity of fish Iron Mine Brook Category 5: TMDL - required, elevated fecal Suspected causes are discharges from coliform bacteria, aquatic use on alert status municipal storm drain systems. due to high level of phosphorus Forge Pond Category 5: Low dissolved oxygen, high total Rockland WWTP (phosphorus), phosphorus, non-native aquatic plants, algal stormwater and agricultural run-off growth, turbidity Factory Pond Category 5: TMDL Required - Mercury Fireworks site, storm outfalls, illicit discharge Wampatuck Pond Category 5: TMDL Required - Nutrient, algal Cranberry bogs discharge, shoreline growth, exotic species erosion Studley Pond Level 5: Fecal coliform, exotic species Sources unknown Source DEP, 2006 2.1 Stormwater Impacts French Stream: All fecal coliform samples from French Stream exceeded 200 cfu/100 mL, samples ranged from 230 to 2,000 cfu/100 mL (DEP, 2006). Higher bacteria samples were associated with wet weather sampling. A cow pasture located adjacent to the Rockland WWTP was noted as a potential source for this contamination. The Drinkwater River is impaired due to metals, a TMDL is required. The watershed to the Drinkwater River is 12% impervious (GeoSyntec, 2002). GeoSyntec (2002) also noted 6 outfalls draining into the river and evidence of shoreline erosion. Water quality sampling for the South Coastal Watershed Assessment (DEP, 2006) listed the Drinkwater River as supporting its Aquatic Life Use upstream of the confluence with French Stream. However, this use is on alert status based on the fish community data and slightly elevated levels of total phosphorus. Downstream from the confluence with French Stream the Aquatic Life Use is assessed as impaired because of supersaturation of dissolved oxygen and elevated total phosphorus concentrations (DEP, 2006). Fecal coliform samples taken as part of the assessment (DEP, 2006) exceeded 200 cfu/100 ml, South Coastal Watershed Action Plan 3-4 9/12/2006 Watershed Action Alliance ranging from 590 to 870 cfu/100 ml. The Primary Contact Recreation Use for the Drinkwater is assessed as impaired due to these counts. Secondary Contact Recreation and Aesthetic uses are assessed as supported for the river upstream of the confluence with French Stream, but are impaired downstream of the confluence with French Stream due to excess algal growth and low Secchi disk transparency. The Rockland WWTP is a known source of total phosphorus, other suspected sources include stormwater and agricultural runoff. Iron Mine Brook is listed as impaired for recreational and secondary contact due to elevated fecal coliform counts 280-540 cfu/100 mL (DEP, 2006). In addition, because of one high total phosphorus sample (0.16 mg/L), the Aquatic Life Use for Iron Mine Brook has an alert status. Suspected causes are municipal stormdrain systems. Studley Pond is an impoundment of French Stream. Fecal coliform bacteria counts ranged from 71 to 2,000 cfu/100 mLs. The Primary Contact Recreational Use is assessed as impaired for Studley Pond because of elevated fecal coliform bacteria counts. Although the bacteria counts were low enough to support the Secondary Contact Recreational Use, too limited data are available (e.g., lack of aquatic macrophyte/density and transparency) and therefore these uses are not assessed (DEP, 2006).