Cyanobacteria Monitoring in the Charles River Lower Basin: Water Quality Assessment and Implications for Future Practice 2006-2014

The resurgence of cyanobacterial blooms in the Lower Charles River basin is of great concern to public and ecosystem health due to the potential hazard of cyanotoxins produced by these colonial cyanobacteria. In response to public concern about the condition of the river, Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is conducting cyanobacteria monitoring program to improve the water quality since 2006 and developing a solutions to watershed problems. This report is a concise overview of the cyanobacterial bloom monitoring results, its relationship to trophic state and temporal dynamics and potential solutions for future monitoring to serve recreational users of the Lower Charles River

MS4 Resource: BMP Cost Estimates

BMP Cost estimate approach outlined in a recent EPA Region 1 mem

Climate Change Impacts on Phosphorus Loads in the Upper and Middle Charles River Watershed with HSPF Modeling

Water quality in the Upper and Middle Charles River Watershed has improved over the past several decades primarily due to improvements statewide in wastewater management. However, climate change threatens this progress, with future projections promising increased precipitation and temperatures for the New England region. This study investigated the impact of climate change projections on total phosphorus loads in the Upper and Middle Charles River Watershed using the HSPF model. Model input data were extended through 2018 to update present day conditions represented by the previously calibrated and validated HSPF model. The updated model was then used to simulate the following scenarios: present day climate conditions and future climate change conditions assuming high greenhouse gas emission or low greenhouse gas emission. For each scenario, total phosphorus loads were calculated by town and compared to phosphorus load reduction goals specified in the US EPA Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit. Generally, an increase in total phosphorus loads was observed in future scenarios when compared to present day conditions. Increased precipitation had the greatest impact on phosphorus loads throughout the watershed. Overall, a decrease in loads from almost all towns within the upper and middle watershed would be needed in order to meet the required water quality targets for phosphorus in most scenarios. This study serves as an indication of possible future upward trends in phosphorus loads to be expected from towns in the Upper and Middle Charles River Watershed and recommends that projected climate change impacts on phosphorus loads be considered when towns implement phosphorus management and mitigation plans

Water Quality Trading and Offset Initiatives in the U.S.: A Comprehensive Survey

This document summarizes water quality trading and offset initiatives in the United States, including state-wide policies and recent proposals. The following format was used to present information on each program. We attempted to have each program summary reviewed by at least one contact person for program accuracy. In the cases where this review occurred, we added the statement "Reviewed by.." at the end of the case summary

Fresh Water and Smarter Growth: Restoring Healthy Land-water Connections

The paper describes water resources in the United States, discusses the principles of the land-water connection, outlines the current regulatory framework, and explains the impact of climate change. It also introduces the concept of low impact development while providing examples, and highlights how funders are having an impact on sustainable water management. With bibliographical references

Investigating uncertainty of phosphorus loading estimation in the Charles River Watershed, eastern Massachusetts

Thesis advisor: Noah P. SnyderEstimating annual phosphorus (P) loading in impaired fresh water bodies is necessary to identify and prioritize management activities. A variety of monitoring programs and water quality models have been developed to estimate P loading in impaired watersheds. However, uncertainty associated with annual riverine P loads tends to receive less attention. This study addresses this gap by exploring the range in annual total phosphorus (TP) loads from two common load estimation methods using data collected in the Charles River watershed (CRW) in eastern Massachusetts. The CRW has two P Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports due to impairments with respect to excessive summer algal growth. Three estimation methods are used in this thesis to quantify annual TP loads (LY): the concentration-discharge relationship (CQ), the land use coefficient (LUC) method, and the average concentration, continuous discharge (ACQ) method. LY derived using the LUC method spanned an average relative percent range of 214% at each site, whereas LY results from the concentration-discharge method spanned an average relative percent range of 56%. While results of the CQ method produced a narrower range of LY, the CQ relationship is subject to seasonal dependencies and inconsistency through time. Seasonal terms in the LOADEST program, a publicly available and commonly used statistics tool, do allow the model estimates to capture trends through time, an advantage over the LUC method. Results of an interlaboratory comparison of P concentrations demonstrate the potentially large role of analytical uncertainty in LY estimation. Significant discrepancies between the results of each method for a single location and time suggest that loading estimates and consequently management priorities may be dependent on the estimation technique employed.Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2018.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences

Managing stormwater in Watertown, MA : overcoming obstacles to change

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-68).As effective imperviousness increases with urbanization, the impacts of stormwater runoff on local water systems and aquatic life are more and more deleterious. Stormwater runoff carries pollutants into nearby water bodies, alters stream banks, reduces stream base flows and bypasses infiltration processes that both clean and recharge groundwater. While these consequences are still invisible to the average citizen, human life is wholly dependent on adequate quantity and quality of water resources, which polluted stormwater runoff threatens. This link has motivated more widespread attention to and effort in stormwater management, yielding new technologies, initiatives and solutions. As this new paradigm for stormwater management grows better established and more broadly accepted, the struggles to minimize the impact of runoff have shifted from the technology to implementation. A deeper understanding of the challenges and barriers to the adoption of new best management practices will allow us to better target efforts to overcome those obstacles. Conducting a case study of Watertown, MA, I interviewed local officials, planners and activists. Through these conversations, I identified four primary barriers: funding shortages, disagreement over implementation mechanisms, knowledge limitations and site constraints. Despite these limitations, educational programs, codified local regulations coupled with design guidelines and a flexible local funding source can help localities surmount those hurdles.by Shutsu K. Chai.M.C.P