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Research about Massachusetts

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Massachusetts.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Measured and simulated runoff to the lower Charles River, Massachusetts, October 1999–September 2000

The lower Charles River, the water body between the Watertown Dam and the New Charles River Dam, is an important recreational resource for the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area, but impaired water quality has affected its use. The goal of making this resource fishable and swimmable requires a better understanding of combined-sewer-overflow discharges, non-combined-sewer-overflow stormwater runoff, and constituent loads. This report documents the modeling effort used to calculate non-combined-sewer-overflow runoff to the lower Charles River. During the 2000 water year, October 1, 1999–September 30, 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey collected precipitation data at Watertown Dam and compiled data from five other precipitation gages in or near the watershed. In addition, surface-water discharge data were collected at eight sites—three relatively homogenous land-use sites, four major tributary sites, and the Charles River at Watertown Dam, which is the divide between the upper and lower watersheds. The precipitation and discharge data were used to run and calibrate Stormwater Management Models developed for the three land-use subbasins (single-family, multi-family, and commercial), and the two tributary subbasins (Laundry and Faneuil Brooks). These calibrated models were used to develop a sixth model to simulate 54 ungaged outfalls to the lower Charles River. Models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey at gaged sites were calibrated with up to 24 storms. Each model was evaluated by comparing simulated discharge against measured discharge for all storms with appreciable precipitation and reliable discharge data. The model-fit statistics indicated that the models generally were well calibrated to peak discharge and runoff volumes. The model fit of the commercial land-use subbasin was not as well calibrated compared to the other models because the measured flows appear to be affected by variable conditions not represented in the model. A separate Stormwater Management Model of the Stony Brook Subbasin previously developed by others was evaluated with the newly collected data from this study; this model had a model fit comparable to the models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The total annual runoff to the lower Charles River during the 2000 water year, not including contributions from combined-sewer-overflows except from the Stony Brook Subbasin, was 16,500 million cubic feet; 92 percent of the inflow was from the Charles River above Watertown Dam, 3 percent was from the Stony Brook Subbasin, 2 percent was from the Muddy River Subbasin, and less than 1 percent was from the combined inflows of Laundry and Faneuil Brooks. The remaining ungaged drainage area contributed about 2 percent of the total annual inflow to the lower Charles River. Excluding discharge from the Charles River above Watertown Dam, total annual runoff to the lower Charles River was 1,240 million cubic feet; 39 percent was from the Stony Brook Subbasin, 27 percent was from the Muddy River, which includes runoff that drains to the Muddy River conduit, 7 percent was from the Laundry Brook Subbasin, and 4 percent was from the Faneuil Brook Subbasin. Flow from the ungaged areas composed about 23 percent of the total annual inflow to the lower Charles River, excluding discharge from the Charles River above Watertown Dam. Runoff to the lower Charles River was calculated for two design storms representing a 3-month and a 1-year event, 1.84 and 2.79 inches of total rainfall, respectively. These simulated discharges were provided to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority for use in a receiving-water model of the lower Charles River. Total storm runoff to the lower Charles River was 111 and 257 million cubic feet for the 3-month and 1-year storms, respectively. Excluding discharge from the Charles River above Watertown Dam, total runoff to the lower Charles River was 30 and 53 million cubic feet for the 3-month and 1-year storms, respectively. Runoff from the various tributary areas for the design storms was about in the same proportion as that for the annual runoff.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

Streamflow, water quality, and contaminant loads in the lower Charles River Watershed, Massachusetts, 1999-2000

Streamflow data and dry-weather and stormwater water-quality samples were collected from the main stem of the Charles River upstream of the lower Charles River (or the Basin) and from four partially culverted urban streams that drain tributary subbasins in the lower Charles River Watershed. Samples were collected between June 1999 and September 2000 and analyzed for a number of potential contaminants including nitrate (plus nitrite), ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc; and water-quality properties including specific conductance, turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand, fecal coliform bacteria, Entero-coccus bacteria, total dissolved solids, and total suspended sediment. These data were used to identify the major pathways and to determine the magnitudes of contaminants loads that contribute to the poor water quality of the lower Charles River. Water-quality and streamflow data, for one small urban stream and two storm drains that drain subbasins with uniform (greater than 73 percent) land use (including single-family residential, multifamily residential, and commercial), also were collected. These data were used to elucidate relations among streamflow, water quality, and subbasin characteristics. Streamflow in the lower Charles River Watershed can be characterized as being unsettled and flashy. These characteristics result from the impervious character of the land and the complex infrastructure of pipes, pumps, diversionary canals, and detention ponds throughout the watershed. The water quality of the lower Charles River can be considered good-meeting water-quality standards and guidelines-during dry weather. After rainstorms, however, the water quality of the river becomes impaired, as in other urban areas. The poor quality of stormwater and its large quantity, delivered over short periods (hours and days), together with illicit sanitary cross connections, and combined sewer overflows, results in large contaminant loads that appear to exceed the river's assimilative capacity. Annual contaminant loads from stormwater discharges directly to the lower Charles River are large, but most dry-weather and stormwater contaminant loads measured in this study originate from upstream of the Watertown Dam and are delivered to the lower Charles River in mainstem flows. An exception is fecal coliform bacteria. Stony Brook, a large tributary influenced by combined sewer overflow, contributed almost half of the annual fecal coliform load to the lower Charles River for Water Year 2000. Much of this fecal coliform bacteria load is discharged from Stony Brook to the lower Charles River during rain-storms. Estimated stormwater loads for future conditions suggest that sewer separation in the Stony Brook Subbasin might reduce loads of constituents associated with sewage but increase loads of constituents associated with street runoff. The unique environment offered by the lower Charles River must be considered when the environmental implications of large contaminant loads are interpreted. In particular, the lower Charles River has low hydraulic gradients, a lack of tidal flushing, a lack of natural uncontaminated sediment from erosion of upstream uncontaminated soils, and an anoxic, sulfide-rich bottom layer that forms a non-tidal salt wedge in the downstream part of the lower Charles River. Individually and in combination, these characteristics may increase the likelihood of adverse effects of some contaminants on the water, biota, and sediment of the lower Charles River.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

Simulated changes in the sources of ground water for public-supply wells, ponds, streams, and coastal areas on western Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, developed a three-dimensional ground-water-flow model to simulate sources of water to public-supply wells, ponds, streams, and coastal areas for average and changing pumping and recharge conditions on western Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Understanding the changing sources of water that flows to these discharge areas under changing hydrologic conditions and stresses is needed to help water-resource managers protect the quality of the drinking water and the water resources of western Cape Cod. The interconnection of hydrologic features through the ground-water-flow system on Cape Cod complicates the determination of the sources of water for changing pumping and recharge conditions. When pumping and recharge conditions change, the numerical model can help evaluate changes in the recharge areas to pumped wells, ponds, streams, and coastal areas. The steady-state recharge area and time-of-travel zones to a pumping well represent the source of water and time of travel from the water table to the well once all of the water discharging to the well entered the aquifer after pumping began. Initially, the water that discharges to a pumped well over a specified period consists of a blend of waters that entered the aquifer over time. When pumping begins, a deep well may capture water that entered the aquifer many years earlier at a great distance from the well; therefore, determining the source of water discharging to a well for specified pumping times may be more important for protecting public-water supplies than determining only the steady-state recharge area and time-of-travel zones to the well.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

Detection of fresh ground water and a contaminant plume beneath Red Brook Harbor, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2000

Trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene were detected in ground water in a vertical interval from about 68 to 176 feet below sea level beneath the shoreline where the contaminant plume emanating from a capped landfill on the Massachusetts Military Reservation intersects Red Brook Harbor. The highest concentrations at the shoreline, about 15 micrograms per liter of trichloroethene and 1 microgram per liter of tetrachloroethene, were measured in samples from one well at about 176 feet below sea level. The concentrations of nutrients, such as nitrate and ammonium, and trace metals, such as iron and manganese, in these same samples are typical of uncontaminated ground water on Cape Cod. Fresh ground water (bulk electrical conductance less than 100 millisiemens per meter) is present beneath the harbor at 40 of 48 locations investigated within about 250 feet of the shoreline. Fresh ground water also was detected at one location approximately 450 feet from shore. The harbor bottom consists of soft sediments that range in thickness from 0 to greater than 20 feet and overlie sandy aquifer materials. Trichloroethene was detected at several locations in fresh ground water from the sandy aquifer materials beneath the harbor. The highest trichloroethene concentration, about 4.5 micrograms per liter, was measured about 450 feet from shore.

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USGS2002

Potential effects of structural controls and street sweeping on stormwater loads to the lower Charles River, Massachusetts

The water quality of the lower Charles River is periodically impaired by combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and non-CSO stormwater runoff. This study examined the potential non-CSO load reductions of suspended solids, fecal coliform bacteria, total phosphorus, and total lead that could reasonably be achieved by implementation of stormwater best management practices, including both structural controls and systematic street sweeping. Structural controls were grouped by major physical or chemical process; these included infiltration-filtration (physical separation), biofiltration-bioretention (biological mechanisms), or detention-retention (physical settling). For each of these categories, upper and lower quartiles, median, and average removal efficiencies were compiled from three national databases of structural control performance. Removal efficiencies obtained indicated a wide range of performance. Removal was generally greatest for infiltration-filtration controls and suspended solids, and least for biofiltration-bioretention controls and fecal coliform bacteria. Street sweeping has received renewed interest as a water-quality control practice because of reported improvements in sweeper technology and the recognition that opportunities for implementing structural controls are limited in highly urbanized areas. The Stormwater Management Model that was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the lower Charles River Watershed was modified to simulate the effects of street sweeping in a single-family land-use basin. Constituent buildup and washoff variable values were calibrated to observed annual and storm-event loads. Once calibrated, the street sweeping model was applied to various permutations of four sweeper efficiencies and six sweeping frequencies that ranged from every day to once every 30 days. Reduction of constituent loads to the lower Charles River by the combined hypothetical practices of structural controls and street sweeping was estimated for a range of removal efficiencies because of their inherent variability and uncertainty. This range of efficiencies, with upper and lower estimates, provides reasonable bounds on the load that could be removed by the practices examined. The upper estimated load reduction from combined street sweeping and structural controls, as a percentage of the total non-CSO load entering the lower Charles River downstream of Watertown Dam, was 44 percent for suspended solids, 34 percent for total lead, 14 percent for total phosphorus, and 17 percent for fecal coliform bacteria. The lower estimated load reduction from combined street sweeping and structural controls from non-CSO sources downstream of Watertown Dam, was 14 percent for suspended solids, 11 percent for total lead, 4.9 percent for total phosphorus, and 7.5 percent for fecal coliform bacteria. Load reductions by these combined management practices can be a small as 1.4 percent for total phosphorus to about 4 percent for the other constituents if the total load above Watertown Dam is added to the load from below the dam. Although the reductions in stormwater loads to the lower Charles River from the control practices examined appear to be minor, these practices would likely provide water-quality benefits to portions of the river during those times that they are most impaired-during and immediately after storms. It should also be recognized that only direct measurements of changes in stormwater loads before and after implementation of control practices can provide definitive evidence of the beneficial effects of these practices on water-quality conditions in the lower Charles River.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

Simulation of ground-water flow and evaluation of water-management alternatives in the upper Charles River basin, eastern Massachusetts

Ground water is the primary source of drinking water for towns in the upper Charles River Basin, an area of 105 square miles in eastern Massachusetts that is undergoing rapid growth. The stratified-glacial aquifers in the basin are high yield, but also are thin, discontinuous, and in close hydraulic connection with streams, ponds, and wetlands. Water withdrawals averaged 10.1 million gallons per day in 1989?98 and are likely to increase in response to rapid growth. These withdrawals deplete streamflow and lower pond levels. A study was conducted to develop tools for evaluating water-management alternatives at the regional scale in the basin. Geologic and hydrologic data were compiled and collected to characterize the ground- and surface-water systems. Numerical flow modeling techniques were applied to evaluate the effects of increased withdrawals and altered recharge on ground-water levels, pond levels, and stream base flow. Simulation-optimization methods also were applied to test their efficacy for management of multiple water-supply and water-resource needs. Steady-state and transient ground-water-flow models were developed using the numerical modeling code MODFLOW-2000. The models were calibrated to 1989?98 average annual conditions of water withdrawals, water levels, and stream base flow. Model recharge rates were varied spatially, by land use, surficial geology, and septic-tank return flow. Recharge was changed during model calibration by means of parameter-estimation techniques to better match the estimated average annual base flow; area-weighted rates averaged 22.5 inches per year for the basin. Water withdrawals accounted for about 7 percent of total simulated flows through the stream-aquifer system and were about equal in magnitude to model-calculated rates of ground-water evapotranspiration from wetlands and ponds in aquifer areas. Water withdrawals as percentages of total flow varied spatially and temporally within an average year; maximum values were 12 to 13 percent of total annual flow in some subbasins and of total monthly flow throughout the basin in summer and early fall. Water-management alternatives were evaluated by simulating hypothetical scenarios of increased withdrawals and altered recharge for average 1989?98 conditions with the flow models. Increased withdrawals to maximum State-permitted levels would result in withdrawals of about 15 million gallons per day, or about 50 percent more than current withdrawals. Model-calculated effects of these increased withdrawals included reductions in stream base flow that were greatest (as a percentage of total flow) in late summer and early fall. These reductions ranged from less than 5 percent to more than 60 percent of model-calculated 1989?98 base flow along reaches of the Charles River and major tributaries during low-flow periods. Reductions in base flow generally were comparable to upstream increases in withdrawals, but were slightly less than upstream withdrawals in areas where septic-system return flow was simulated. Increased withdrawals also increased the proportion of wastewater in the Charles River downstream of treatment facilities. The wastewater component increased downstream from a treatment facility in Milford from 80 percent of September base flow under 1989?98 conditions to 90 percent of base flow, and from 18 to 27 percent of September base flow downstream of a treatment facility in Medway. In another set of hypothetical scenarios, additional recharge equal to the transfer of water out of a typical subbasin by sewers was found to increase model-calculated base flows by about 12 percent of model-calculated base flows. Addition of recharge equal to that available from artificial recharge of residential rooftop runoff had smaller effects, augmenting simulated September base flow by about 3 percent. Simulation-optimization methods were applied to an area near Populatic Pond and the confluence of the Mill and Charles Rivers in Franklin,

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

Simulation of reservoir storage and firm yields of three surface-water supplies, Ipswich River Basin, Massachusetts

A Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model previously developed for the Ipswich River Basin was modified to simulate the hydrologic response and firm yields of the water-supply systems of Lynn, Peabody, and Salem-Beverly. The updated model, expanded to include a portion of the Saugus River Basin that supplies water to Lynn, simulated reservoir system storage over a 35-year period (1961-95) under permitted withdrawals and hypothetical restrictions designed to maintain seasonally varied streamflow for aquatic habitat. A firm yield was calculated for each system and each withdrawal restriction by altering demands until the system failed. This is considered the maximum withdrawal rate that satisfies demands, but depletes reservoir storage. Simulations indicate that, under the permitted withdrawals, Lynn and Salem-Beverly were able to meet demands and generally have their reservoir system recover to full capacity during most years; reservoir storage averaged 83 and 82 percent of capacity, respectively. The firm yields for the Lynn and Salem-Beverly systems were 11.4 and 12.2 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), respectively, or 8 and 21 percent more than average 1998-2000 demands, respectively. Under permitted withdrawals and average 1998-2000 demands, the Peabody system failed in all years; thus Peabody purchased water to meet demands. The firm yield for the Peabody system is 3.70 Mgal/d, or 37 percent less than the average 1998-2000 demand. Simulations that limit withdrawals to levels recommended by the Ipswich River Fisheries Restoration Task Group (IRFRTG) indicate that under average 1998-2000 demands, reservoir storage was depleted in each of the three systems. Reservoir storage under average 1998-2000 demands and IRFRTG-recommended streamflow requirements averaged 15, 22, and 71 percent of capacity for the Lynn, Peabody, Salem-Beverly systems, respectively. The firm-yield estimates under the IRFRTG-recommended streamflow requirements were 6.02, 1.94, and 7.69 Mgal/d or 43, 64, and 34 percent less than the average 1998-2000 demands for the Lynn, Peabody, and Salem-Beverly systems, respectively. Simulations that limit withdrawals from the Saugus River to a less stringent set of restrictions (based on an Instream Flow Incremental Methodology study) than those previously simulated indicate that the firm yield of the Lynn system is about 31 percent less than the average 1998-2000 withdrawals (7.31 Mgal/d).

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

Simulated pond-aquifer interactions under natural and stressed conditions near Snake Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

A numerical model was used to simulate pond-aquifer interactions under natural and stressed conditions near Snake Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Simulation results show that pond-bottom hydraulic conductivity, which represents the degree of hydraulic connection between the pond and the aquifer, is an important control on these interactions. As this parameter was incrementally increased from 10 to 350 feet per day, the rate of ground-water inflow into the pond under natural conditions increased by about 250 percent, the associated residence times of water in the pond decreased by about 50 percent, and ground-water inflow to the pond shifted closer to the pond shore. Most ground-water inflow (90 to 98 percent) was in the upper model layer, which corresponded to shallow, near-shore areas of the pond, over the entire range of pond-bottom hydraulic conductivity. Ground-water flow paths into the pond became more vertical, the contributing area to the pond became larger, and the pond captured water from greater depths in the aquifer as the hydraulic conductivity of the pond bottom was increased. The pond level, however, remained nearly constant, and regional ground-water levels and gradients differed little over the range of pond-bottom hydraulic conductivity, indicating that calibrated models with similar head solutions can have different pond-aquifer interaction characteristics. Hydrologic stresses caused by a simulated plume-containment system that specifies the extraction and injection of large volumes of ground water near the pond increased the pond level by about 0.4 foot and ground-water inflow rates into the pond by about 25 percent. Several factors related to the operation of the simulated containment system are affected by the hydraulic conductivity of the pond bottom. With increasing pond-bottom hydraulic conductivity, the amount of injected water that flows into Snake Pond increased and the amount of water recirculated between extraction and injection wells decreased. Comparison of simulations in which pond-bottom hydraulic conductivity was varied throughout the pond and simulations in which hydraulic conductivity was varied only in areas corresponding to shallow, near-shore areas of the pond indicate that the simulated hydraulic conductivity of the pond bottom in deeper parts of the pond had little effect on pond-aquifer interactions under both natural and stressed conditions.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2002

New shoreline change data and analysis for the Massachusetts shore with emphasis on Cape Cod and the islands: Mid-1800s to 1994

That shorelines change, oftentimes dramatically in short periods of time, is an accepted fact for those who live along the shore. However, when two-thirds or approximately 512 miles of a state's ocean-facing shore exhibits a long-term erosional trend, in some locations eroding at an average annual rate of 12 feet per year, as is the case in Massachusetts, shoreline property owners, prospective shorefront property owners, and coastal managers need to pay particular attention to the future location of the shoreline to avoid physical and economic disasters. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Sea Grant Program, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension recently completed an update and statistical analysis of historical shoreline change along approximately 1,000 miles of Massachusetts' ocean-facing shore, of which 754 miles were statistically analyzed (Thieler, O'Connell and Schupp, 2001; Schupp, Thieler & O'Connell, 2001). The project was funded by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. In general, four to five shoreline positions mapped between the mid-1800s to 1994 were used to analyze changes along the Massachusetts shore. Seventy-six shoreline change maps with accompanying data tables and a Technical Report were produced. The results of this study reveal that approximately two-thirds of the Massachusetts shore is eroding, with 68% of the shore exhibiting a long-term erosional trend, 30% showing long-term accretion, and 2% showing no net change. ln some areas, erosion rates have accelerated based on a comparison study of previous data that was conducted in 1997 (O'Connell, 1997). Ironically, coastal property that commands some of the highest real estate values in the Commonwealth also exhibits the highest consistent long-term average annual erosion rates. This paper describes the data sources used to map historic shorelines in Massachusetts, the methodology used to both plot a new shoreline and analyze the long-term historical data, and describes cautions necessary when interpreting and applying shoreline change data, with site-specific examples along the Massachusetts shore.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Effects of growth hormone and cortisol on Na+-K+-2C1-cotransporter localization and abundance the gills of Atlantic salmon

The hormones responsible for the regulation of the teleostean gill Na + –K + –2Cl − cotransporter have not been elucidated. With Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, Na + –K + –2Cl − cotransporter abundance and localization were examined in the gills of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) following 2-week treatment with growth hormone (GH; 5.0 μg · g −1 ), cortisol (50 μg · g −1 ), and both hormones in combination (GH+cortisol). GH and cortisol treatments increased gill Na + –K + –2Cl − cotransporter abundance over levels seen in controls, and both hormones together (GH+cortisol) produced a greater effect than either hormone alone. Gill Na + ,K + –ATPase activity was also elevated by all three hormone treatments. Compared to controls, Na + –K + –2Cl − cotransporter immunoreactive chloride cells on the primary filament were greater in number and size following all three treatments. Although the number of immunoreactive chloride cells on the secondary lamellae did not differ among the treatment groups, GH+cortisol increased their size. These data indicate that GH and cortisol increase gill Na + –K + –2Cl − cotransporter abundance through chloride cell proliferation and differentiation in the gills of Atlantic salmon and are likely the hormones responsible for Na + –K + –2Cl − cotransporter regulation during smolting and seawater acclimation.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Fish species and community distributions as proxies for sea-floor habitat distributions: the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary example (northwest Atlantic, Gulf Of Maine)

Defining the habitats of fishes and associated fauna on outer continental shelves is problematic given the paucity of data on the actual types and distributions of seafloor habitats. However many regions have good data on the distributions of fishes from resource surveys or catch statistics because of the economic importance of the fisheries. Fish distribution data (species or communities) have been used as a proxy for the distribution of habitats to develop precautionary conservation strategies for habitat protection (e.g., marine protected areas, fishing gear restrictions). In this study we assessed the relationships between the distributions of fish communities and species derived from trawl survey data with the spatial distribution of sediment types determined by sampling and acoustic reflectance derived from multibeam sonar surveys in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Fish communities were correlated with reflectance values but all communities did not occur in unique sediment types. This suggests that use of community distributions as proxies for habitats should include the caveat that a greater number of communities within an area could indicate a greater range of habitat types. Single species distributions showed relationships between abundance and reflectance values. Trawl catches with low abundances had wide variations in reflectance values while those with high abundances had narrower ranges indicating habitat affinities. Significant non-random frequency-dependent relationships were observed for 17 of 20 species although only 12 of 20 species had significant relationships based on rank correlation. These results suggest that species distributions based on trawl survey data can be used as proxies for the distribution of seafloor habitats. Species with known habitat associations can be used to infer habitat requirements of co-occurring species and can be used to identify a range of habitat types.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Aquatic vegetation and trophic condition of Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA) kettle ponds

The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes was evaluated in five Cape Cod, Massachusetts, freshwater kettle ponds, representing a range of trophic conditions from oligotrophic to eutrophic. At each pond, aquatic vegetation and environmental variables (slope, water depth, sediment bulk density, sediment grain size, sediment organic content and porewater inorganic nutrients) were measured along five transects extending perpendicular to the shoreline from the upland border into the pond. Based on a variety of multivariate methods, including Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), an indirect gradient analysis technique, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), a direct gradient approach, it was determined that the eutrophic Herring Pond was dominated by floating aquatic vegetation (Brasenia schreberi, Nymphoides cordata, Nymphaea odorata), and the algal stonewort, Nitella. Partial CCA suggested that high porewater PO4-P concentrations and fine-grained sediments strongly influenced the vegetation of this eutrophic pond. In contrast, vegetation of the oligotrophic Duck Pond was sparse, contained no floating aquatics, and was dominated by emergent plants. Low porewater nutrients, low sediment organic content, high water clarity and low pH (4.8) best defined the environmental characteristics of this oligotrophic pond. Gull Pond, with inorganic nitrogen-enriched sediments, also exhibited a flora quite different from the oligotrophic Duck Pond. The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes provide good indicators of the trophic status of freshwater ponds and should be incorporated into long-term monitoring programs aimed at detecting responses to anthropogenically-derived nutrient loading.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Sensitivity of Atlantic salmon eggs to mechanical shock during the first six hours after fertilization

Eggs from six domestic adult Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and six sea-run kelts (wild adults held over for a second spawning season) were tested at 0.5 to 6 h after fertilization for sensitivity to mechanical shock produced by dropping eggs from measured heights. Estimates of drop height and force causing 10% (lethal tolerance, LT90) and 25% (LT75) mortality were used to project egg sensitivity to handling while collecting, disinfecting, and transporting eggs to incubation facilities. Differences in LT90 and LT75 drop height or force were not significant among sample times up to 6 h postfertilization. The LT90 estimates of drop heights and force were 23.5–26.9 cm and 5,200–6,000 ergs for domestic eggs and 17.5–38.5 cm or 3,500–7,700 ergs for kelt eggs. The LT75 estimates of drop height and force were 46.1–60.3 cm and 10,200–13,400 ergs for domestic stock eggs and 43.7–65.1 cm and 8,800–13,100 ergs for kelt eggs. Variability in egg shock sensitivity among individual females was high and similar to differences in 24-h mortality observed in eggs transported for incubation. Our results show that a single dropping of eggs from a height of 17.5–38.5 cm could cause 10% egg mortality before eggs are incubated.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Reappraisal of the federal fish health recommendation for disinfecting eggs of Atlantic salmon iodophor

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service federal protocol for dual disinfection of fish eggs in 50 mg/L iodine solution for 30 min followed by a secondary disinfection in 100 mg/L iodine for 10 min was investigated during six spawning cycles of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar held at the Richard Cronin National Salmon Station (Sunderland, Massachusetts). This population of salmon had undergone an epizootic of furunculosis, and the surviving fish maintained a persistent infection of Aeromonas salmonicida throughout the course of study. Eggs from 20 individual paired matings of salmon were obtained annually during the first 2 weeks of November in each spawning cycle from 1995 through 2000 except for 1999, when fertilized eggs from 35 pairs of salmon were examined. Aeromonas salmonicida was isolated from 19 of the total 135 groups of fertilized eggs investigated during this study. In those cases, all isolations of the pathogen were made only in fertilized eggs that had not yet undergone disinfection in iodophor. In contrast to the results produced in the field, in vitro assays showed that A. salmonicida was not completely killed when initial concentrations of the bacterium ranged between 1.0 × 10 7 and 1.2 × 10 8 colony forming units (CFU)/mL. However, even when bacterial concentrations exceeded 1.0 × 10 7 CFU/mL, no A. salmonicida remained viable in eggs treated first with 50 mg/L iodine for 30 min and then with 100 mg/L iodine for 10 min, as prescribed in federal policy. Results of the current analysis also provided further evidence that A. salmonicida is not transmitted vertically through intra-ovum infection.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Guidance of yearling shortnose and pallid sturgeon using vertical bar rack and louver arrays

Some populations of shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum and pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus have been divided by hydroelectric dams, and migration downstream past the dams likely continues. No protection for downstream migrants is presently available, and the behavior of sturgeon to guidance structures has not been studied. We conducted experiments in a 5.4-m-long × 1.5-m-wide flume with a water depth of 37 cm to determine the guidance efficiency and behavior of yearling shortnose and pallid sturgeon to two guidance structures, a bar rack and a louver array. We tested one vertical bar rack configuration with slats spaced 3.9 cm apart (clear spacing). The bar rack slats were oriented directly into the approach flow, and the row of slats was oriented at a 45° angle to the flow. We tested two louver array configurations, one with slats spaced 3.9 cm apart and one with slats spaced 9.0 cm apart (clear spacing). Louver slats were oriented at a 90° angle to the flow, and the row of slats was oriented at a 20° angle to the approach flow. Mean approach velocity to both structures was 31–34 cm/s. Eighteen shortnose sturgeon tagged with passive integrated transponders were tested once in each configuration; 24–38 pallid sturgeon were tested in each configuration. Shortnose sturgeon showed some behavioral differences due to experience with the bar rack, but experience did not affect the percent guided. Both sturgeon species were guided efficiently by the louver array (96–100%) but less efficiently by the bar rack (58–80%). Shortnose sturgeon were more likely to contact the bar rack at night than during the day ( P = 0.01) and at night were more likely to contact the bar rack than the louver array ( P = 0.006). Bar racks guided fewer individuals at night than during the day. For pallid sturgeon, the percentages guided by day and night were 80 and 58, respectively; for shortnose sturgeon, the percentages were 80 and 67. Both species used vision to avoid structures because both increased contact with structures at night. Shortnose sturgeon were superior to pallid sturgeon at swimming off the bottom and avoiding structures.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2001

Sea floor maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topographic imagery, and backscatter intensity of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region off Boston, Massachusetts

This data set contains the sea floor topographic contours, sun-illuminated topographic imagery, and backscatter intensity generated from a multibeam sonar survey of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts, an area of approximately 1100 square nautical miles. The Stellwagen Bank NMS Mapping Project is designed to provide detailed maps of the Stellwagen Bank region's environments and habitats and the first complete multibeam topographic and sea floor characterization maps of a significant region of the shallow EEZ. Data were collected on four cruises over a two year period from the fall of 1994 to the fall of 1996. The surveys were conducted aboard the Candian Hydrographic Service vessel Frederick G. Creed, a SWATH (Small Waterplane Twin Hull) ship that surveys at speeds of 16 knots. The multibeam data were collected utilizing a Simrad Subsea EM 1000 Multibeam Echo Sounder (95 kHz) that is permanently installed in the hull of the Creed.

Massachusetts↗