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Watershed Access Lab Projects Watershed Access Lab

2005

The Ten Mile River Study

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Recommended CitationNorth Attleborough High School, North Attleborough, Massachusetts (2005). The Ten Mile River Study. In Watershed Access LabProjects. Project 25.Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/wal_projects/25

The Ten Mile River Study

North Attleboro High School

North Attleboro, MA

Nick Azzolina

Ray Coyle

Brandon Dalrymple

Brenton Dimock

Sean Duby

Amanda Flynn

Robyn Gimler

Completed By:

Robert Parkinson

Sam Plante

Katy Purdum**

Amanda Turcotte

Job White

Sarah Witkus

** PowerPoint Editor

Purpose of the Study

This study was done to test the Ten Mile

River. A series of chemical, physical, and

biological tests were performed at two

different sites along the river to see if the

Ten Mile River fits the Class B Warm Water

Standards as set forth by the State of

Massachusetts.

Ten Mile River

Watershed

Headwaters

Endpoint

Narragansett Bay

Sites of Cedar St. & Cottage St.

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

Cottage Street

Cedar Street

GIS Mapping of the Test Sites

High Density

Residential

Commercial

Forest

Route 95

Highway

Route 295

Highway

-0.70

-0.60

-0.50

-0.40

-0.30

-0.20

-0.10

0.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Segment Length (ft)

De

pth

(ft

)

Average Depth: 0.53 feet

Width: 18 feetVolume of Water: 215.81 L/s

Cottage Street Stream Profile

10/20/04

Cedar Street Stream Profile

10/20/04

-1.20

-1.00

-0.80

-0.60

-0.40

-0.20

0.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Length Across River in Feet

De

pth

of

Riv

er

in F

ee

t

Average Depth: 0.62 feet

Width: 19 feet

Volume of water: 147.63 L/s

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

2:00PM 5:00PM 8:00PM 11:00PM 2:00AM 5:00AM 8:00AM

Time (hours)

Tem

pe

ratu

re (

Ce

lsiu

s)

Cottage St.

Cedar St.

Comparison of Temperature

Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04-10/21/04

*MA Class B Standards state that the temperature shall not exceed

28.3°C

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

9:00AM 12:00AM 3:00PM 6:00PM 9:00PM 12:00AM 3:00AM 6:00AM 9:00AM

Time (hours)

Tem

pera

ture

(Cel

sius

))

Comparison of Temperature

Cedar St.

10/9/03-10/10/03 and 10/20/04-10/21/04

2003 2004

*MA Class B Standards state that the temperature shall not exceed

28.3°C

Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen

Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04 - 10/21/04

7.9

8

8.1

8.2

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.6

2:00

PM

4:00

PM

6:00

PM

8:00

PM

10:00

PM

12:00

AM

2:00

AM

4:00

AM

6:00

AM

8:00

AM

Time (hours)

Dis

so

lve

d O

xyg

en

(m

g/L

)

*MA Class B Standards require Dissolved Oxygen to be 5.0 mg/L or

higher

Cottage Street

Cedar Street

Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen

Cedar St.

10/9/03 - 10/10/03 and 10/20/04 - 10/21/04

7.8

7.9

8

8.1

8.2

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.6

8.7

9:00

AM

11:00

AM

1:00

PM

3:00

PM

5:00

PM

7:00

PM

9:00

PM

11:00

PM

1:00

AM

3:00

AM

5:00

AM

7:00

AM

9:00

AM

Time (hours)

Dis

so

lve

d O

xyg

en

(m

g/L

)

2003

2004

*MA Class B Standards require Dissolved Oxygen to be 5.0 mg/L or

higher

70

72

74

76

78

80

82

2:00PM 5:00PM 8:00PM 11:00PM 2:00AM 5:00AM 8:00AM

Time (hours)

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of D

isso

lve

d O

xyg

en

Cedar Street

Cottage Street

Comparison of the Percentage of Dissolved Oxygen

Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

*MA Class B Standards state that the percentage of Dissolved

Oxygen should not be lower than 60%.

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

82

84

86

9:00AM 12:00P 3:00PM 6:00PM 9:00PM 12:00A 3:00AM 6:00AM 9:00AM

Time (hours)

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

Dis

so

lve

d O

xyg

en

Comparison of the Percentage of Dissolved Oxygen

Cedar St.

10/9/03 – 10/10/03 and 10/20/04 – 10/21/04

2003

2004

*MA Class B Standards state that the percentage of Dissolved

Oxygen should not be lower than 60%.

Comparison of Temperature and Percentage of

Dissolved Oxygen at Cottage Street

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

73.0%

74.0%

75.0%

76.0%

77.0%

78.0%

79.0%

80.0%

81.0%

2:00

PM

4:00

PM

6:00

PM

8:00

PM

10:00

PM

12:00

AM

2:00

AM

4:00

AM

6:00

AM

8:00

AM

Time (hours)

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

Dis

so

lve

d

Ox

yg

en

11.20

11.40

11.60

11.80

12.00

12.20

12.40

12.60

12.80

13.00

Te

mp

era

ture

(C

els

ius

)

Dissolved Oxygen

Temperature

Comparison of Temperature and Percentage of

Dissolved Oxygen at Cedar Street

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

70.0%

71.0%

72.0%

73.0%

74.0%

75.0%

76.0%

77.0%

78.0%

79.0%

2:00

PM

4:00

PM

6:00

PM

8:00

PM

10:00

PM

12:00

AM

2:00

AM

4:00

AM

6:00

AM

8:00

AM

Time (hours)

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of D

isso

lve

d O

xyg

en

10.80

11.00

11.20

11.40

11.60

11.80

12.00

12.20

12.40

12.60

12.80

Tem

pe

ratu

re (

Ce

lsiu

s)

Dissolved Oxygen

Temperature

6.72

6.74

6.76

6.78

6.80

6.82

6.84

6.86

6.88

6.90

6.92

2:00

PM

4:00

PM

6:00

PM

8:00

PM

10:00

PM

12:00

AM

2:00

AM

4:00

AM

6:00

AM

8:00

AM

Time

pH

Cottage St.

Cedar St.

Comparison of pH

Cedar St. and Cottage St

10/20/04 - 10/21/04

*MA Class B Standards require pH values to be between 6.5 and 8.3

6.6

6.65

6.7

6.75

6.8

6.85

6.9

9:00

AM

12:0

0 PM

3:00

PM

6:00

PM

9:00

PM

12:0

0 AM

3:00

AM

6:00

AM

9:00

AM

Time (Hours)

pH

Comparison of the pH

Cedar Street

10/9/03-10/10/03 and 10/20/04-10/21/04

2003

2004

*MA Class B Standards require pH values to be between 6.5 and 8.3

Ten Mile River Temperature °C pH Dissolved Oxygen % Dissolved Oxygen

Range Average Range Average Range Average Range Average

Cottage Street 11.85-12.87 12.46 6.88-6.91 6.89 8.24-8.49 8.34 75.90-79.80 77.77

Cedar Street 11.52-12.71 12.16 6.79-6.85 6.81 7.98-8.36 8.07 73.40-78.30 74.70

Comparison of Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen,

and the Percentage of Dissolved Oxygen

Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

0.45

2:00PM 4:00PM 8:00PM 11:00PM 2:00AM 4:00AM 6:00AM 8:00AM

Time (hours)

N-N

O3

(m

g/

L)

Nitrogen-Nitrate Comparison

Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

*MA Class B Values require N-NO3 values to be less than 1 mg/L

The detection limit is 0.01 mg/L

Cottage St Cedar St.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

9:00

AM

1:00

PM

3:00

PM

6:00

PM

8:00

PM

10:00

PM

1:00

AM

3:00

AM

5:00

AM

7:00

AM

Time (Hours)

Nitr

ogen

-Nit

rate

(mg/

L)

Comparison of Nitrogen-Nitrate

Cedar Street

10/9/03-10/10/03 and 10/20/04 – 10/21/04

2004

2003

*MA Class B Values require N-NO3 values to be less than 1.0 mg/L

The detection limit is 0.1 mg/L

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

2

pm

2

pm

4

pm

6

pm

8

pm

10

pm

10

pm

12

am

2

am

2

am

4

am

4

am

6

am

8

am

8

am

Time (hours)

So

lub

le R

ea

cti

ve P

ho

sp

ho

rus

(m

g/L

)

Comparison of Soluble Reactive Phosphorus

Cottage St. and Cedar St

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

*MA Class B Standards require SRP levels to be under 0.1 mg/L

The detection limit is 0.008 mg/L

Cedar St.

Cottage St.

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

9:00

AM

11:00

AM

1:00

PM

3:00

PM

5:00

PM

7:00

PM

9:00

PM

11:00

PM

Time (hours)

Solu

ble

Reac

tive

Pho

spho

rus(

Mg/

L)

2003

2004

Comparison of Soluble Reactive Phosphorus

Cedar St.

10/09/03-10/10/03 and 10/20/04-10/21/04

*MA Class B Standards require SRP levels to be under 0.1 mg/L

The detection limit is 0.008 mg/L

Ten Mile N-NO3 SRP Load

River Range Average Range Average N Load g/day P Load g/day

Cottage St. 0.20/0.30 0.8 0.001/0.010 0.0055 4661.45 55.94

Cedar St. 0.40/0.40 0.4 0.010/0.030 0.0065 4719.54 242.35

Comparison of Soluble Reactive Phosphorus

and Nitrogen-Nitrate at Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

280

285

290

295

300

305

310

315

320

325

330

335

2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm 12am 2am 4am 6am 8am

Time (hrs)

Sp.C

ond.

(uS/

cm) Cottage St.

Cedar St.

Comparison of Conductivity

Cottage St. and Cedar St.

10/20/04 - 10/21/04

On 3/24/98, EPA reported

specific conductivity at Cedar St.

was 130uS/cm

Site Name ml Filtered FC Filter Count FC colonies

per 100 ml

Cottage St. 100 ml 23 23

Class B 100 ml 23 23

Fecal levels 10 ml 2 20

should not 10 ml 0 0

exceed 1 ml 0 0

200 Colonies per 100 mL 1 ml 0 0

Cedar St. 100 ml 32 32

Class B 100 ml 28 28

Fecal levels 10 ml 3 30

should not 10 ml 3 30

exceed 1 ml 0 0

200 Colonies per 100 mL 1 ml 0 0

Fecal Coliform Chart

Cottage Street and Cedar St.

10/20/04 – 10/21/04

FBI=3.4

Ephemeroptera Heptageniidae

8%

Coleoptera Elmidae

11%

Trichoptera Hydropsychidae

76%

Amphipoda Gammaridae

4% Isopoda Asellidae

1%

Percentage of

Macro-Invertebrate Abundance

Cottage St. 10/20/04

Ephemeroptera Heptageniidae

2.89%

Megaloptera Corydalidae

1.2%

Trichoptera Philopotamidae

1.2%

Trichoptera Hydropsychidae

46.2%

Amphipoda Gammaridae

46.8%

Percentage of

Macro-Invertebrate Abundance

Cedar St. 10/20/04

FBI 3.2

Possible Reasons for the Results

There were 1.11 inches of rain in the days prior to our study.

There are bridges located near our two sites and runoff from

those bridges flows into the river.

The rivers banks are highly urbanized, meaning that there

are many houses and buildings surrounding the river.

Cottage St. site had trees on one side, grass on the other.

Cottage St. site was channelized with concrete that was

eroding.

Cottage St. site was missing a riparian zone to stop any

fertilizers from entering the river.

Geese populations are a large problem in North Attleboro at

Falls Pond, upstream from Cottage St.