Presentations Abstracts

A First Pass at Evaluating Potential Human Health Risks from Estrogens in Surface Water
Paul D. Anderson (Presenter) - AMEC Earth and Environmental, Westford, MA
Daniel J. Caldwell - Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ

Estrogens fall into three general classes: endogenous (e.g., estrone (E1), estradiol (E2)); synthetic (e.g., ethinylestradiol (EE2)); and phytoestrogens (e.g., genistein). Detection of low levels of estrogens has raised concerns because of their potential to affect both aquatic and human health. A recent study found that estrogens derived from therapeutic use are predicted to be present in drinking water at less than 0.0001% of total estrogen exposure for all age groups studied. Phytoestrogens (present in surface water at 322 ng/L) dominate drinking water exposure, followed by naturally produced E1, E2 and E3 (present at a total of 6.4 ng/L), endogenous estrogens used in HRT (present at 0.3 ng/L), and the synthetic EE2 (0.02 ng/L). Estrogens from HRT in drinking water are predicted to account for <0.002%, while EE2 accounts for <0.0001% of total estrogen exposure in drinking water. However, the biological activities of these different estrogenic compounds on a mass basis are not equivalent and, as recent research demonstrates, are not determined solely by receptor binding affinity. The ability of a compound to elicit a response varies greatly from one organ, tissue, and endpoint to another. Evaluating the combination of these different biological responses requires an integrated measure of potential effects. One way to assess the overall impact of estrogens in surface water on human health is to compare measured or predicted concentrations to safe exposure levels that have been developed to protect workers occupationally exposed and evaluate the margin of safety (MOS). Preliminary calculations for prescribed E2 and EE2 indicate MOS of 640 and 3300, respectively. These values can be put into perspective by comparing them to the phytoestrogen, genistein, with a MOS >5000, and total drinking water exposure (all sources combined) of naturally occurring hormones (E1, E2, and E3) with a MOS of no less than 30.

Protecting Our Wetlands & Water Resources Through Innovative Stormwater Management “Cohasset Rain Garden Project”
Mark S. Bartlett (Presenter) - Norfolk Ram Group, LLC; John McNabb - Town of Cohasset

Cohasset is a South Shore community in which approximately 90 percent of the drinking water supply comes from the Lily Pond surface water treatment plant. Lily Pond is shallow and currently eutrophic. The reduction of nutrient loads and control of in-lake vegetation were identified as goals in the development of pond and water supply management strategy. Low Impact Development (LID) Techniques were instituted to treat roadway runoff within the water supply watershed prior to discharge to the pond. The stormwater Best Management Practices selected include bioretention cells (rain gardens) and vegetated bioretention swales. As a first step a demonstration rain garden was constructed at the Water Department parking lot – to serve as an educational tool for the community. Twenty rain gardens and two vegetated bioretention swales have been constructed so far within roadway rights-of-way. Twenty-nine additional rain gardens will be constructed in Spring of 2008. The runoff filters through specially engineered soil reducing pollutant and nutrient levels, reducing elevated temperatures of stormwater during summer months, and attenuating peak flows. The treated stormwater is collected by under-drains and returned to the stormwater system or infiltrated back into the ground. The Cohasset Rain Garden Project is an example of applying LID techniques to retro-fit existing drainage systems in a developed watershed. 

LID is an innovative approach to stormwater management involving site design that duplicates the hydrologic features of an undeveloped watershed. Instead of conveying, managing and treating stormwater in large, costly facilities located at the bottom of drainage areas, and often outside of the natural watershed, LID simulates natural hydrologic cycles by addressing stormwater through small, cost-effective landscape features located at the lot level. These landscape features include permeable paving, bio-retention cells / rain gardens, grass swales, filter strips, disconnected impervious areas, and cistern collection systems. Rain gardens represent a low-cost, low-maintenance technique to improve the quality of stormwater that enters the water supply.

Wild Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Density as an Indicator of Stream Flow Condition and Applicability Towards Streamflow Classification in Connecticut
Chris Bellucci (presenter), Mike Beauchene, Mary Becker (presenter), Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Planning and Standards Division; Neal Hagstrom, Bureau of Natural Resources, Inland Fisheries Division, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) is in the process of revising minimum streamflow regulations pursuant to Public Act 05-142. One important aspect of streamflow regulations development in Connecticut pertains to the assigning a streamflow class to each perennial river and stream in the state. To accomplish this goal, CTDEP has proposed using the Hydrologic Stressor Index (HSI), an index comprised of four metrics -impervious cover, diversions, dams and return flow. These four metrics were chosen because of their potential to modify natural streamflow and because statewide data layers were available to calculate the metrics for these four parameters.

After calculating initial HSI scores, the streamflow class may be modified using a list of additional factors that indicate the existing or future streamflow condition. These additional factors will be outlined in the streamflow regulations and will be used to modify the HSI to develop a preliminary streamflow class map for public comment. One such "additional factor" being considered is density of a native fluvial specialist fish species, the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). This presentation will explain how these "additional factors" can be used to modify initial HSI scores to develop streamflow class maps for public comment using brook trout as an example.

The Nuts and Bolts of Manufactured Treatment Systems:  An in-depth Look at Critical Design Variables
Derek Berg (Presenter, Regional Regulatory Manager) - CONTECH Stormwater Solutions

The use of manufactured stormwater treatment systems to mitigate the adverse impacts of urban runoff has become commonplace. Not surprisingly, as the demand for manufactured treatment systems has grown the number of available options has followed suit. The typical stormwater professional could make deciphering the various performance claims, sizing methodologies and other supposed benefits marketed with each device a full time job, but most have little time for such endeavors. The majority of state and local agencies have not established sizing criteria for manufactured treatment systems, so agencies often rely on the manufacturers' sizing recommendations. However, manufacturers' sizing methods tend to be unique to each device, making it virtually impossible to directly compare competing technologies to one another. Unfortunately, limited knowledge of critical sizing assumptions on the part of engineers and reviewers as well as fierce competition among vendors is resulting in the installation of undersized and poorly sited systems. Establishing uniform sizing criteria creates a level playing field from which to compare manufactured systems to one another and to other types of treatment systems, and ensures that devices are sized to meet applicable standards. 

This paper explores the fundamental unit processes that govern the performance of manufactured devices and the sizing variables often manipulated by vendors to make their units seem superior or more financially attractive to the end user. Examples of common sizing methodologies and associated assumptions are presented in a manner that allows the reader to make informed decisions regarding device selection and sizing. Standardized sizing methodologies that are already in use by a number of state and local agencies are also discussed.

Implications of Anthropogenically Driven Surface Water Fluctuations on Ground Water Surface Water Exchange Zones
David Boutt, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Geosciences

Ground water and surface water features in the humid northeast are intimately connected to one another. Rapid changes in surface water stage through flooding events or anthropogenic changes are transferred directly to the ground water reservoir. In the Deerfield River watershed of northwestern Massachusetts the mainstem of the Deerfield is highly impacted by a number of small hydroelectric dams that manage the river stage with scheduled releases of water. River stage fluctuates on a daily basis with magnitudes up to 1.5 meters in large events. We have been studying the impacts of these releases on resulting ground water surface water interactions with an emphasis on quantifying the water exchange between the two systems. Through the instrumentation of multi-level piezometers to measure head and dedicated multi-level temperatures measurements we have inferred the distribution of the mixing zone of ground and surface waters. This zone appears to be a strong function of the river stage change and has implication for surface and ground water temperature distributions and nutrient transformations in the hyporheic zone. 

Silver Lake Low Impact Development Demonstration Project
Andrea Braga (Presenter, CPESC, Water Resources Engineer), Steven P. Roy, LEED AP®, Associate - Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.

As part of a comprehensive restoration project for the Ipswich River Watershed, the Town of Wilmington hired Geosyntec Consultants to develop stormwater treatment designs for the Silver Lake town beach parking lot and three stormwater outfalls that discharge to the lake. The project is one of nine demonstration projects funded by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (MA-DCR) through a Targeted Watersheds grant from the US-EPA. Silver Lake is a 28.5-acre kettle-hole lake with a watershed area of 132 acres, which drains to Lubbers Brook, a tributary of the Ipswich River. The Silver Lake water quality and resource improvement project involved installation of several Low Impact Development (LID) practices to treat stormwater in the Silver Lake watershed. The project is located in a residential area and within the vicinity of the Silver Lake town beach parking lot.

The project involved the replacement of existing pavement along the street perimeter with “porous” pavers with underlying infiltration beds, the construction of several raingardens on residential properties, the restoration and enhancement of a stormwater outfall entering Silver Lake, replacing the paved town beach parking lot with "porous" pavers and “pervious” asphalt systems and bioretention cells and the construction of two vegetated swales to daylight stormwater outfalls adjacent to the town beach. 

This presentation will provide a summary of the LID components of the project including both the design and construction. The poster will present the LID elements that were implemented, provide summaries of the infiltration results collected on the porous surfaces, and summarize the findings along with recommendations for LID implementation.  

Development of a Dynamic Reservoir Flow Model: Sensitivity of Policy Impacts to Changing Hydrologic Conditions
Patricia Bresnahan (Presenter), Glenn Warner, Kynoch Reale-Munroe - Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, University of Connecticut

In a stream with a managed impoundment, the frequency, magnitude and duration of flows may be altered. Reservoir release policies attempt to preserve the essential quality of the aquatic environment while simultaneously satisfying the needs of a growing human population. The Connecticut Institute of Water Resources (CTIWR) has developed a simulation model to help resource managers quantify the impacts of release policies on both downstream flows and water supply reliability.  

The model, developed using STELLA, contains a single artificial reservoir with configurable rating curves. Input flows are simulated using either actual streamflow data, or by a synthetic flow with the hydrologic attributes expected to exist in some future climate change scenario. Water leaves the reservoir in one of four ways:  direct evaporation, withdrawal for human use, spillage, or through an actively managed release.

The current version of the model contains three main types of release rules and each rule has several configurable settings that control the amount and timing of release flows. A “Fractional Release” rule sets the managed release to some percent of the natural inflow, with the percent perhaps varying by season. A “Fixed Release” rule sets the release to some constant rate, regardless of the amount of flow into the reservoir, but that rate may vary by season. A “Pulse Release” rule requires the manager to punctuate periods of very low release with a few days of higher flows.

The model may be used to estimate safe yield for each configured system, for either current conditions or some future hydrologic regime. Other model outputs such as the downstream hydrographs and storage timeseries may be post-processed to quantify the frequency of drought conditions and the degree of alteration in flows and storage resulting from each policy.

Model outputs for selected release scenarios and Connecticut basins will be presented.

Integrating Hydrogeology Field Training with Real World Applications
Jennifer Cole (Presenter, Director Environmental Studies Program) - Northeastern University, Boston, MA
 
Northeastern is an urban university and there is a strong practice-oriented education mission. In the Earth and Environmental programs, access to field sites for course laboratories is a goal, but a challenge. Installing a network of monitoring wells for teaching was not an option. However, there exists a number of groundwater monitoring wells installed as part of the engineering studies for construction and rehabilitation of campus buildings. These wells have been used for water level and water quality monitoring, and are typically capped at the completion of the project. The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES) arranged ongoing permission to access these wells, and to obtain long-term data from the wells through both University Physical Plant office and the geotechnical engineering firm who installed the wells. Students in hydrogeology thus have the opportunity to learn in an applied sense about water quality issues, construction and excavation issues, historical water table issues in the Back Bay, Boston, MA, and the geological history of the campus and of the Boston region, through the hydrologic data. Monitoring wells are used as labs in the upper-undergraduate Hydrogeology course and for demonstration in introductory environmental geology courses. Since the logistics of getting into the field is resolved, a number of independent student projects have been completed which investigate surface water/ groundwater interactions, including: investigating a possible tidal influence on the wells; discovering a water main leak under campus, and documenting structural imperfections in campus buildings and relating them to declining groundwater levels and resultant settling. As the monitoring continues through class laboratories, the long-term database of the hydrogeology of campus is growing, and students recognize that their class laboratory exercises involve contributing real data that will have increasing value in the future.

Seagrass Monitoring as a complement to water quality monitoring in coastal embayments of southern Massachusetts
Charles T. Costello (Presenter), Division of Watershed Management, MA Department of Environmental Protection; W. Judson Kenworthy, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research NCCOS, NOS, NOAA

Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows play an important role in coastal environments by stabilizing sediments, sheltering and nourishing fish, shellfish and wildlife, and preserving water quality while filtering sediments and recycling nutrients. Because they grow in nearshore environments, eelgrass beds are vulnerable to coastal development and since they are responsive to perturbations they can be used as an indicator of ecosystem health. In order to study the correlation  between wastewater discharges of nitrogen, degrading water quality and eelgrass declines in southeastern MA, MADEP undertook a long-term statewide mapping program (commencing in 1994) to evaluate the status and trend of eelgrass abundance. Within MADEP the eelgrass mapping project is being closely coordinated with the Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP), a multi-year $12 million collaboration among coastal communities designed to address the impact of excess nutrient loading in Massachusetts coastal watersheds.  

MADEP is using remote sensing techniques and ground truthing to develop a database of seagrass distribution and abundance and has 12 years of mapping data showing that eelgrass has declined in a majority of 30 estuaries inventoried over a period of 10-12 years. Rates of decline average 3%/y with some declines as fast as 5-8%/y. During the 12 year period eelgrass has completely disappeared from some embayments. These declines are accompanied by a loss of important positive naturally occurring feedback loops for maintaining good water quality which led  to changes in the bio-physical state of these embayments. MADEP has also been in the forefront of water quality investigations by evaluating the utility of incorporating an optical water quality model into future eelgrass conservation and restoration programs. The optical water quality model is being developed to link eelgrass declines with factors such as chlorophyll, suspended material and dissolved organic matter that influence water transparency and may be responsive to management actions. 

DEP’s Regional Bacteria Source Tracking Program - From Search to Solution 
Christine Duerring (Presenter, Environmental Analyst), Matthew Poach, Daniel Kurpaska, Jennifer Sheppard, Tracie Beasley, Jenny Birnbaum, Katherine Zink - Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management

The MassDEP/DWM has begun regionally based water quality monitoring activities within the DEP Regional Offices. Since pathogens are by far the most common cause of water quality impairments listed in Massachusetts, finding and eliminating sources of bacteria contamination in surface water is a priority focus for the new regional monitoring coordinators.

Each regional office now has surface water sampling equipment as well as an in-house laboratory for bacteria analyses (IDEXX enzyme substrate system for E. coli (Coli-lert®) and Enterococci (Entero-lert®)). The DWM office located within the CERO of DEP in Worcester conducted bacteria source tracking studies during 2004 - 2006 that were used to develop sampling protocols and evaluate various bacteria source tracking strategies and methods. These projects included a pilot study in the Blackstone and Sudbury River watersheds, a beach bacteria source tracking study, and a collaborative, multi-agency bacteria source tracking study in the Shawsheen River watershed.

The strategies and protocols include intensive field reconnaissance and sampling for E. coli and Enterococci occasionally coupled with “high tech” methods such as analyses for human markers and personal care products (conducted at DEP’s Wall Experiment Station) to locate hot spots and identify sources of bacteria contamination. An important component is the collaboration with local watershed groups and municipal officials to gather subwatershed information and collect the samples.

Using these strategies and protocols, the regional monitoring coordinators have conducted bacteria source tracking surveys in over 50 subwatersheds throughout Massachusetts since 2006. Approximately 45 bacteria hot spots have been identified so far. Source tracking activities have found that over 60% of these are due to illicit sewage discharges. Solutions for remediation, directed by the DEP regional offices, range from the responsible parties collaborating with DEP to pinpoint the problem and fix it voluntarily, to DEP enforcement orders that result in a legally binding schedule for compliance and possibly fines.

Use of Bioretention Systems to Control Non-Point Sources of Nitrogen
Sarina J. Ergas (Presenter, 1), Sukalyan Sengupta (2), Ryan Siegel (1), Yifu Yao (2) and Arka Pandit (2)
(1) Dept. Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
(2) Dept. Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Control of non-point sources of nitrogen to prevent surface water eutrophication and groundwater contamination is a major challenge faced by water quality managers.  Critical non-point sources of nitrogen include animal wastes, on-site wastewater treatment systems, atmospheric deposition, combined sewer overflows and urban and agricultural runoff. A number of best management practices (BMPs) have been used for control of non-point pollutants, including grassed swales, infiltration and detention basins, media filters, and wetland systems. Little information is available; however, on the design, performance and optimization of stormwater BMPs for total nitrogen removal. This research investigated a denitrifying bioretention system for total nitrogen removal. In the denitrifying bioretention system, runoff is conveyed to a ponding area and gradually infiltrates through a nitrifying sand filter. The nitrified stormwater travels through a submerged denitrification zone, which is supplied with an electron donor, where nitrate is reduced to nitrogen gas by anoxic heterotrophic or autotrophic bacteria. Two pilot scale reactors were tested, which utilized either wood chips or elemental sulfur as electron donors for denitrification. Influent and effluent BOD5, COD, pH, alkalinity, total N, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, phosphate and solids concentrations were measured over time during selected storm events. Tests performed under controlled laboratory conditions with simulated runoff resulted in 90% total N removal after system acclimation. Results of field tests under varying operating conditions with runoff from a dairy farm in Putnam, Connecticut will be presented at the conference. 

VOC Emission Reduction and Water Reuse in Chemical Manufacturing Using MBR
Sarina Ergas, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Kyungnan Min, Jones Edmunds Engineers, Architects, Scientists, Gainesville, FL

In the U.S. the organic chemical industry is ranked third in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, after the petroleum refining and ground transportation. VOCs are a significant health concern because of atmospheric reactions to form ozone. Many VOCs are also air toxics regulated under the USEPA Clean Air Act Amendments. This research investigated the performance of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for treatment of wastewater containing VOCs from synthetic resin manufacturing. In Phase I, a mathematical model was developed to simulate volatilization, adsorption and biodegradation of three VOCs, acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde and vinyl acetate, at varying solids residence times (SRT), organic loading rates (OLR) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. Model results showed that biodegradation is maximized and volatilization minimized for suspended growth systems operated at high SRT and OLR, typical MBR operating conditions. A bench scale MBR was operated with synthetic chemical industry wastewater at varying OLRs (1.1 to 2.0 kg COD m-3 d-1). Greater than 99 % BOD5 and COD removal was achieved at all OLRs. Biodegradation was the main removal mechanism, with <12.5% acetaldehyde, <2.0% butyraldehyde and <14.0% vinyl acetate removal due to volatilization.  The model predicted greater volatilization than the bench scale results, possibly due to the use of literature values for biodegradation kinetic parameters, rather than site specific measurements.

The effect of DO concentration on membrane filtering resistance, soluble organic matter (SOM) and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) characteristics was investigated in Phase II of this study. The bench scale MBR was operated and under DO limited (0.2 mg L-1) and fully aerobic (3.7 and 5.4 mg L-1) conditions. Membrane filtering resistance was determined for the MLSS and resuspended microbial biomass after removing the SOM. Regardless of DO concentration, the cake resistance (Rc) was approximately 95% of the total resistance (Rt) and cake resistance decreased significantly after removing the SOM. Under DO limited conditions, SOM contained a larger amount of high molecular weight compounds, leading to higher cake resistance than under fully aerobic conditions. Organic carbon and protein concentrations in the bound EPS were linearly correlated with total membrane resistance (Rt) of the resuspended microbial biomass.

Relationship Between Watershed Impervious Cover Estimates and Peak Streamflow
Christiana Gerstner (Presenter, Masters Candidate), Dr. Richard Vogel - Tufts University Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Estimates of watershed impervious cover are widely used in research, engineering, and policy studies that examine the hydrologic and environmental impacts of urbanization. Increasing availability of GIS tools and datasets has led to the development of many different methods of estimating the amount of impervious cover in an area. Four commonly used impervious estimation methods are compared for 25 watersheds in Eastern Massachusetts exhibiting a wide range of urban cover. Relationships between flood flows and percent imperviousness from each method are explored to document the impact of the choice of method on discharge estimates.  In addition, a meta-analysis is presented comparing studies that show a correlation between watershed imperviousness and peak streamflow.

The Measurement and Fate of Trace Organic Compounds in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents
Kimberly A. Groff (Presenter), Senior Environmental Engineer, P. Anderson, M. Hoyt, B. Pugh, J. Samuelian - AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc.

Approximately 785 million gallons of treated sewage is discharged into the surface waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts each day by 126 state and federally permitted facilities. Many communities that rely on groundwater or surface water for their public water supplies are finding that current demand is approaching the limit of their available resources. Thus, water is a limited resource around the world as well as right here in Massachusetts. As a result, the protection of our water resources is one of the most essential environmental issues facing the Commonwealth.

Nation-wide concerns have been raised over the adverse impacts on human and ecological health effects resulting from numerous chemicals used by society. Some of the most frequently detected compounds included DEET (insect repellent), caffeine (stimulant), triclosan (antimicrobial disinfectant), and tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (fire retardant). Prescription pharmaceuticals and antibiotics also have been detected. Household chemicals, pharmaceutical and personal care products as well as hormones produced by our bodies are released directly to the environment after passing through wastewater treatment plants or domestic septic systems which were not specifically designed to remove these chemicals.

This paper explores the ways that researchers in the United States and abroad are looking at the myriad of trace organic chemicals in common use today and their presence in municipal wastewater and surface water. Methods used to quantify the measurement of anthropogenic trace organics in wastewater and surface will be reviewed along with their occurrence and fate in municipal wastewater treatment facilities.

The effect of precipitation variability on root depth and the partitioning of hydrologic fluxes
Andrew J. Guswa, Picker Engineering Program, Smith College

The depth of the root zone affects and is affected by the dynamics of water in the shallow subsurface. Using a stochastic model of soil-moisture dynamics along with a carbon cost-benefit analysis, a water-optimal root depth is determined as a function of climate, soil, and vegetation characteristics. Changes to precipitation intensity, frequency, and amount affect this depth and the partitioning of soil moisture among evaporation, transpiration, and recharge fluxes. For a given climate – fixed average precipitation and potential evapotranspiration – the optimal root depth and recharge flux both decrease with increasing precipitation frequency (and decreasing intensity). Evaporation increases as the frequency of precipitation increases, and the transpiration flux often displays a maximum for intermediate values of precipitation frequency.

Defining Abiotic and Biotic Contributions to Metal Sequestration within Acidic Mine Drainage in Appalachia
Colleen M. Hansel (presenter), Cara Santelli, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University; Bill Burgos, Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University

Acidic mine drainage (AMD) is a significant environmental problem worldwide. In Appalachia, for instance, more than 700 mine sites are undergoing treatment to remove extreme concentrations of heavy metals, including Mn, Zn, and Cu. Passive treatment of AMD via in situ oxidation of Mn(II) within limestone treatment beds presents a promising means of water purification and environmental remediation. In these systems, stimulated oxidation of water containing elevated (>150 mg L-1) concentrations of Mn(II) results in the precipitation of highly reactive Mn(III/IV) oxide phases, which serve as powerful sorbents and repositories of accompanying metals. While the oxidation of Mn(II) by molecular oxygen is thermodynamically favorable at circumneutral pH, the reaction is kinetically limited in the absence of mineral surface or enzyme catalysts. In particular, the oxidation of Mn(II) is catalyzed by the activity of microorganisms and has primarily been attributed to a phylogenetically diverse group of bacteria. In an attempt to improve the Mn(II) oxidation capacity of limestone treatment beds, we have investigated the abiotic and biotic Mn(II)-oxidizing components of 8 systems in Appalachia. Here we reveal that the role of fungi in metal oxidation has been grossly underestimated within these systems. In fact, not only is the Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterial community sparse in regions undergoing active Mn(II) oxidation, the total bacterial community appears to be stunted in comparison to the diverse fungal community. We further highlight that surface associated autocatalysis is significant in these systems. Together, we find that in passive AMD treatment systems in Appalachia the traditional assumption that bacterially-mediated processes control Mn(II) oxidation is disobeyed but rather fungal and mineral catalysis dominate the sequestration of metals in these systems.

Characterizing and Interpreting Fish Consumption Rates for Developing Human Health Water Quality Criteria
Russell E. Keenan, Patrick O. Gwinn (Presenter), Elizabeth R. Algeo - AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. Portland, ME; Paul D. Anderson - AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. Westford, MA
     
Derivation of water quality standards for substances that bioaccumulate in fish tissue is largely dependent on the selection of a fish consumption rate because the magnitude of the water quality standard is inversely proportional to the magnitude of that rate. While there is enormous variability in the amounts of fish that people consume, an examination of fish consumption data demonstrates an important unifying trend. That is, as the fish consumption rate increases, the number of consumers decrease. As a result, the selection of a fish consumption rate for deriving water quality standards involves an implicit risk management decision. It is important that the variable levels of protection afforded by the selection of fish consumption rates are understood and quantified, so that the technical and economic implications of competing choices can be evaluated in an informed and transparent manner.

Integrating Ecosystems Costs and Benefits into Water Resources Planning
Brian Joyce, Senior Scientist - Stockholm Environment Institute; Paul Kirshen (Presenter, Research Professor) - Civil & Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, MA; David Mitchell, Jack Sieber
 
While financial costs are an important component in water resource planning and management, it is rare for water resource planning to thoroughly identify and calculate all costs and benefits, including both environmental costs and the true costs of water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and systems. Added to this shortfall of knowledge is the reality that environmental impacts have not traditionally been a significant factor in assessments and are challenging to isolate and quantify.  Long term operation, maintenance, upgrades and replacement costs of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems are key variables in a thorough assessment though they are too often overlooked or under-represented. This study considered an integrated approach to water resource planning – one incorporating wastewater, potable water and stormwater – that accounted for the costs and benefits of water management across all sectors. Of particular interest was the incorporation of short and long term economic and ecological costs and benefits of viable water resource management options. The study team collaborated with water managers in the town of Sharon, Massachusetts to conduct a thorough and comprehensive environmental and economic cost benefit analysis of their water resources system. The Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) system was used as the analytical platform to evaluate the physical and financial implications of management alternatives. The town of Sharon was selected as a test case for applying a more broadly applicable water planning methodology because it has a mix of water resources issues that are representative of the challenges that other municipalities face. This case study provides a transferable example of methods to help a community or region with their water resource planning and decision making process.

Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load
Susannah King (Presenter), B. Card - New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission; T. Iott, P. Stacey - Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection; A. Fisk, B. Mower - Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection; D. Dunn, R. Isaac, C.M. Smith - Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection; G. Comstock - New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services; J. Bloomfield, R. Draper, R. Entringer, S. Quinn - New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation; S. Ribas, E. Scott - Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management; T. Clear, N. C. Kamman - Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Elevated levels of mercury in freshwater fish have been a concern in the Northeast states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont) for many years. All of the states have fish consumption advisories that recommend their residents limit the amount of fish they consume from the states’ waters. Over the past decade, these states have made tremendous progress in reducing mercury from in-region sources. Between 1998 and 2003, in-region mercury emissions decreased by approximately 70 percent. However, fish mercury levels remain high because a significant portion of mercury deposited in the region originates from sources outside of the region.

 Due to the need for greater mercury reductions to eliminate fish consumption advisories, the Northeast states and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission embarked on the development of the first ever multi-state Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for mercury-impaired waters. Modeled closely after the Minnesota Statewide Mercury TMDL, the Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL uses 1998 as a baseline year and states that fish tissue concentrations must be reduced by 74 to 91 percent from 1998 levels to meet fish tissue goals in each of the states.  To meet this goal, anthropogenic atmospheric deposition of mercury must be reduced by 98 percent from all sources. The TMDL outlines the necessary reductions from in-region and out-of-region sources and recommends that more stringent federal controls are placed on coal-fired power plants and other mercury sources. A three-phase implementation plan is proposed for both in-region and out-of-region sources.

The draft TMDL was released for public comment on April 11, 2007. Taking into consideration comments received, the TMDL was revised and the final version was submitted to EPA on October 23, 2007. On December 20, 2007, the final TMDL was approved by EPA Regions 1 and 2.

Exciting New Developments in Stormwater Policy and Remediation
Ira W. Leighton,  Deputy Regional Administrator,  U.S. EPA, Region 1

The “Stormwater Challenge” is a call to action. It is an opportunity for key stakeholders and others to become drivers in program development, decision making tools, and the evaluation process. The challenge will be to assist municipalities, commercial and institutional facilities and regulatory agencies in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the scientific, technical and policy decision making on stormwater.

The keynote will mention stormwater challenges in light of the history of the water program. It will discuss the MS4 universe and potential trend information. A variety of suggested links to other environmental issues and entities will be thought provoking for the conference attendees. In addition, the link between a short term approach and longer term strategies for stormwater issues will be explored.

Use of Streamflow and Habitat Studies in Massachusetts Water Management Act Permitting Policy
Duane LeVangie, MADEP 

The Massachusetts Water Management Act (WMA), administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), was enacted in 1985 and requires regulation of water withdrawals above a threshold volume of 100,000 gallons per day. After an initial registration period between 1981 and 1985 for water users withdrawing over the threshold volume, permits were required for existing users that had increased water use or added new sources, and new users above the threshold volume. In its review and issuance of permits, MassDEP must consider the environmental impact of proposed withdrawals, including the impact on the safe yield of the water basin. WMA Regulations 310 CMR 36.00 previously included a specific methodology for calculating basin safe yield that was later found to inadequately balance the competing water needs of humans and the environment.

MassDEP, recognizing the problems in the original basin safe yield calculations and with increasing concern over low streamflows in the Ipswich River Basin, contracted with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a number of hydrologic assessment reports between 2000 and 2004 in the Ipswich River Basin. These studies confirmed that water withdrawals were having a significant impact on streamflow in the basin. One of these reports, which focused on habitat and streamflow requirements for the basin, indicated that the decreased flow regime observed in the basin caused a shift in the fish community structure from cold-water fluvial fish to warm water generalist species. In response to these studies, MassDEP modified the permits issued in the Ipswich River Basin to include a number of conservation measures, including the condition that nonessential outside water uses, in particular, lawn irrigation, cease when streamflows reach specific levels identified in the USGS reports.  

Recently the Department of Conservation and Recreation has developed index streamflows for Massachusetts based on a USGS report that identified the least impacted streamflow gaging stations within southern New England. The index streamflows provide information specific to Massachusetts watersheds that can be used to assess near natural flow conditions. This data supplements the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Base Flow values that are representative of the greater New England area. Use of the index flows in WMA permitting policy will allow MassDEP to further the goal of balancing competing water needs and uses by requiring outside water use restrictions triggered by index streamflow values that are more pertinent to Massachusetts streams.

Cracks in the Clay: The Role of Fractures and Macropores in Critical Zone Hydrology
Larry McKay, Jones Professor of Hydrogeology in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Tennessee

Fine-grained geologic deposits often contain extensive networks of fractures, root holes and other macropores which can strongly influence groundwater flow and contaminant transport. The extent and depth of these features vary greatly according to the origin and geologic/pedologic history of the material. Rootholes typically persist to depths of only a few meters, although in some clays they can be found at much greater depths. Desiccation fractures, which are common in glaciolacustrine deposits, also tend to rapidly decrease with depth, but fractures caused by sub-glacial stresses may be pervasive throughout thick till sequences. Recent research in weathered clay-rich residuum developed on sedimentary rocks in east Tennessee shows evidence of fractures and fracture-induced flow to depths of up to 40 m. Fractures and macropores can also act as pathways for transport of natural and anthropogenic constituents to underlying aquifers. Solutes are transported by advection along the fractures/macropores but can also be strongly attenuated by diffusion into the fine pore structure. In contrast, mineral colloids and microorganisms are largely size-excluded from the fine-pore structure and hence can travel at much faster rates than solutes. Field tracer experiments in fractured clays in Canada, Denmark and Tennessee showed colloid transport rates of a few m/day to >100 m/day at sites where solute tracers were transported at  rates that were 100s of times slower. Immiscible phase liquids, such as industrial solvents or coal tar, can enter some fractures or macropores, even in relatively low hydraulic conductivity materials and can lead to extensive contamination. These immiscible liquids dissolve and diffuse into the fine pore structure, where they can act as long term sources of contamination to adjoining streams or underlying aquifers. Although there has been substantial progress over the past 25 years in developing a better understanding of the role of fractures in controlling flow and transport in clay-rich deposits, considerable work remains to be done. This includes better education of geo-environmental researchers and professionals, as well as development of better conceptual and numerical models of fracture origin, vadose and saturated zone flow, and contaminant transport.

Analysis of long term rainfall to develop stormwater quality flow rate design criteria
Daniel Nason (Presenter), National Engineering Manager) - Imbrium Systems Corp.

The intent of stormwater quality best management practices (BMPs) is to preserve and/or improve the existing quality of our water resources by achieving a water quality outcome. The water quality outcome is often expressed as a desired level of annual total suspended solids (TSS) removal and by a minimum volume of runoff that must be stored called the water quality volume (WQV), (USEPA, 2004). 

Traditional structural BMPs such as wet ponds and wetlands are designed based on the WQV which is defined by a depth of rainfall that represents treating the 80th to 90th percentile volume of the annual runoff. However, the design basis for the WQV is often applied generically to all types of stormwater management BMPs without considering unit process limitations to manufactured BMPs.

Manufactured BMPs are intended for water quality improvement and are designed for space constrained sites. The design criteria for manufactured BMPs are flow based and performance is dependent on a prescribed particle size gradation. Therefore, applying the WQV design methodology to manufactured BMPs would be contrary to a flow based design principle and problematic when land for large detention facilities is not available. Flow based sizing, however does not mean treatment of design storms (i.e., 2 to 100 year storms which are typically applied for quantity control design) but rather treating the flows that contribute to the majority of the average annual runoff volume.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a sizing methodology for manufactured BMPs called the water quality flow (WQF). An overview of the “first principles” used to determine a WQV is discussed and a similar approach to determine a WQF is proposed.  Like the WQV, the WQF is selected based on treating the 80th to 90th cumulative percentile volume of the annual runoff.

Impact of Wastewater Metals on Bioflocculation of Activated Sludge and Its Effect on Wastewater Effluent Quality
Chul Park (Presenter), Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

It is believed that more than 35 billion gallons of wastewater are treated daily in public treatment facilities in the United States and discharged to receiving waters including streams, lakes, and oceans. The consistent and efficient wastewater treatment is therefore tremendously important for conserving our precious water resources. In this study, wastewater samples including influent wastewater, activated sludge, and process effluent were collected from nine different activated sludge plants (the most common type of wastewater treatment facility) and the relationships between metals, bioflocculation, and effluent quality were investigated. None of the facilities performed external metal addition to the plant reactors so that all the metals detected from the samples originated from the raw sewage. The study showed that the effluent quality, designated with effluent chemical oxygen demand and effluent biopolymers (sum of proteins and polysaccharides), was well correlated with the level of metal ions in influent wastewater. Among the metals investigated, higher concentrations of iron and aluminum corresponded to effective flocculation of activated sludge and good effluent quality, which indicated that they are critical components in bioflocculation of activated sludge and are responsible for the quality of facility effluent. The further characterization of wastewater effluent also revealed that protein is more abundant than any other organic matter tested. Consequently, better understanding of the role and fate of protein in the activated sludge process and its relation to metals and effectiveness in bioflocculation would be an important future topic for investigation. The current effort on metaproteomic characterization of wastewater effluent (separating and identifying proteins) will also be discussed in the final proceeding.

Using Water Budgets to Assess Impacts on Streamflow
Nigel Pickering (Presenter), Charles River Watershed Association, Weston, MA; Greg Rowe - ESS Group, Providence, RI; Christian Jacqz - MassGIS, Boston, MA; John Clarkeson - Executive Office of Energy and the Environment, Boston, MA

The statewide water budgets project is designed to assess the human impact on streamflow in communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The assessments are intended to provide a framework for long-term water resources planning and protection of essential aquatic ecosystems.
     
The water budgets analyses will be performed on approximately 2,200 small subbasins in Massachusetts that average about 5 square miles in area. Water use impacts cover the public, private and commercial sectors and include water withdrawals, wastewater discharges, septic tank return flows, import/export of water via pipe networks, evaporative losses from irrigation, and lost recharge from impervious surfaces. The approach focuses on the impacts to baseflow and presents the results for both the wet and dry periods of the year.
     
The approach identifies basins that are hydrologically out of balance and provides an estimate of the impact relative to natural streamflow. Reports on the subbasin water budgets are summarized by community (for local use) and major watershed (for state use). Results from completed studies of major watersheds will be presented.

Sustainable Water Resources Management in Massachusetts
Martin Pillsbury, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston, MA

Based on research by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in collaboration with the 495/MetroWest Partnership, the challenges of sustainable management of water resources in one of the state’s fastest growing regions, the 495/MetroWest corridor, are explored. Innovative water management techniques that address water supply, wastewater, and storm water issues are evaluated. Case studies in three areas are included: Low Impact Development, water reuse, and seasonal peak water demand, focusing on examples of successful implementation as well as challenges and obstacles.

Like many growing regions, the 495/MetroWest corridor faces challenges in three key aspects of water resources management: increasing water demand to serve growing residential and commercial/industrial customers, stormwater management in urbanizing watersheds, and wastewater management in communities with constraints on both infrastructure capacity and permitted discharges. To help communities meet these challenges, MAPC and the 495/ MetroWest Partnership recently completed the 495/MetroWest Water Resources Strategy project, funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The project’s research into innovative water management techniques informed the creation of a WaterSmart Tool Kit, which presents the findings in a series of accessible manuals and guides geared towards practical implementation at the local level. Components of the project include the Guide to Water Reuse in Massachusetts, the Guide to Peak Summer Water Demand Management, and the Massachusetts Low Impact Development Tool Kit, which was awarded Best Project by the Massachusetts chapter of the American Planning Association. The project also includes the WaterSmart Indicators, a regional database that tracks trends in water supply, wastewater, and stormwater in the 32 communities in the 495/MetroWest Corridor. Finally, the project features collaborative research by the U.S. Geological Survey, which conducted hydrological modeling of the projected impacts of year 2030 population growth on the water resources of the Charles and Assabet River watersheds, using MODFLOW groundwater models. 

Proteins as Important Reactive Compounds in Drinking Water Treatment
David A. Reckhow (Presenter), Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Junsung Kim - City of Tampa Water Department, FL

Climate change is likely to result in substantial changes in autochthonous production of organic carbon. One important feature of this material is its relatively high abundance of proteins, polypeptides and amino acids. This could affect the quality of treated drinking water in significant ways. The common amino acids comprise 22 compounds, all of which may form disinfection by-products (DBPs) and TOX during disinfection with chlorine. This research focused on regulated DBP formation from the chlorination or chloramination of amino acids and related compounds. For chlorination, model compound solutions (2 mg∙C/L) were adjusted the desired pH and then dosed with chlorine at 20 mg Cl2/L. Samples were then incubated head space-free for 2 days at 20°C. After collecting the samples for DBP analysis, quench reagents were added to the bottles and the samples were stored at 4°C.  Trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) were analyzed using standard gas chromatographic methodology. Total organic halide (TOX) was determined and from this we calculated the unknown TOX. Asparagine, aspartic acid, proline, tryptophan and tyrosine were found to produce high TOX yields by chlorination.  Some amino acids were major producers of haloacetonitriles. Tests with polypeptides and purified proteins revealed the role of peptide bonds on reactivity and byproduct formation. These data will be discussed and interpreted within the context of changing autochthonous carbon levels, drinking water quality and human health.

Fate and Transport of Road Salt During Snowmelt through a Calcareous Fen:  Kampoosa Bog, Stockbridge, MA      
Amy L. Rhodes (Presenter), Associate Professor, Geology, Smith College, Andrew J. Guswa, Ann Pufall

Kampoosa Bog is the largest and most ecologically diverse calcareous lake-basin fen in Massachusetts. Situated within a 4.7 km2 drainage basin, the open fen consists of a floating sedge mat that overlies peat and lake clay deposits. Mineral weathering of marble bedrock supplies highly alkaline ground and surface waters to the fen basin. The natural chemistry has been greatly altered by road salt runoff from the Massachusetts Turnpike.  The purpose of this study is to characterize the hydrologic and chemical response of the wetland during snowmelt events to understand the fate and movement of road salt (NaCl). Concentrations of Na and Cl in the fen groundwater are greatest close to the Turnpike. Concentrations decrease with distance downstream but are still greatly elevated. During snowmelt events, the fen's outlet shows a sharp rise in Na and Cl concentrations at the onset of melting that is soon diluted by the added meltwater. The Na and Cl flux, however, is greatest at peak discharge, suggesting that high-flow events are significant periods of export of dissolved salts from the fen. Pure dissolution of rock salt produces an equal molar ratio between Na and Cl, and sodium and chloride imbalances in stream and ground waters suggest that ~20% of the Na is stored on cation exchange sites within the peat. The largest imbalances between Na and Cl occur deeper within the peat, where the peat is more compact and groundwater has a longer residence time. CEC measurements show that Ca>Mg>Na>K on exchange sites and suggest that Na in groundwater preferentially displaces Mg. Management questions to be addressed include what percentage of applied salt is flushed through the fen during snowmelt each year? How much salt is retained in the fen? For how long would salt concentrations remain elevated if salt application were to cease?

Defining Ecological Sustainable Yields for water Supply Reservoirs
Mark P. Smith (Presenter), The Nature Conservancy, Colin Apse, Brian Joyce, Yongxuan Gao, Richard Vogel, Stacey Archfield, Jack Sieber

Our project focuses on defining what can be considered a ‘sustainable yield’ for water supply reservoirs. We define ‘sustainable yield’ as “the amount of water that can be reliably supplied to meet human needs while meeting key downstream ecological flow requirements”. We use an existing water allocation decision support model to quantify the trade-offs of various reservoir release policies on the water yield for human uses.  We describe the different types of downstream flow alterations caused by different size reservoirs and therefore require different release policies to be ‘sustainable’. We also demonstrate how a comprehensive approach that includes clearly defining flow requirements and strategically using water conservation and drought management is able to meet the ecological and human water needs. As a case study we demonstrate how our decision support system, and similar efforts by others, is helping the state of Connecticut DEP to develop state flow protection policies. By examining a spectrum of typical release and demand management policies we are able to demonstrate that a ‘sustainable yield’ for a water supply reservoir can be quantified and that this yield is often 55-80% of the yield predicted by more traditional definitions of ‘safe yield’ that include no ecological flow requirements. We also show how drought management can restore most of these decreased yields.

Examine the distribution and transport of dissolved organic carbon in watersheds and adjacent coastal waters using swat model
Yong Q. Tian (1), Robert F. Chen (1), Wei Huang (1), Qian Yu (2), Bernie Gardner(1)
(1) Department of Environmental, Earth & Ocean Science, University of Massachusetts at Boston
(2) Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

We introduce a GIS-based integrative modeling approach to examine the sources and transport mechanisms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from terrestrial ecosystems to coastal oceans. The modeling is based on a set of in situ measurements collected monthly over the last two years. A soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was adopted as a framework for studying DOC transport processes and linking them with terrestrial biophysical properties. First, the paper discusses a statistical analysis of in situ measurements of freshwater DOC endmember samples and examines their spatial variability with precipitation, season, hydrological processes, and soil physical characteristics. Then we present a predictive model describing the seasonal and spatial patterns of terrestrial DOC sources as well as daily fluxes to coastal water. Our study shows that terrestrial sources of DOC to estuaries can be associated with biophysical and climate conditions that are obtainable using GIS and remote sensing. The model has been tested in the Neponset and Hudson watersheds in the northeast USA.

Modeling Hydrodynamics and Water Quality Modeling for Wachusett Reservoir
John Tobiason, David Ahlfeld, Mary Serdakowski and Christina Stauber -
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst

The purpose of this paper is to present applications of long-term and multi-faceted approaches undertaken for the Division of Water Supply Protection of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in modeling hydrodynamics and water quality in Wachusett Reservoir. The modeling work is part of a larger effort focused on the two reservoir (Quabbin and Wachusett) source of currently unfiltered drinking water for the Boston metropolitan area, with the long term research goal of providing a rational basis for watershed and reservoir management decisions through measurements of water quality and modeling of significant transport and transformation processes. Modeling of reservoir hydrodynamics and water quality has included extensive use of CEQUAL W2, a two dimensional (longitudinal segments, depth layers, lateral homogeneity) finite difference model available in the public domain. Assessment and calibration of annual water budgets have highlighted strengths and weaknesses of available data in properly characterizing water quantity. Wachusett, the terminal supply reservoir, can be significantly affected by transfers from the larger, more pristine, Quabbin reservoir; modeling has illuminated key impacts of this transfer. Another aspect of the project has been to assess inputs and transformations of natural organic matter (NOM) due to its influence on subsequent oxidant/disinfectant demands and by-product formation. The current modeling work is directed as assessing potential impacts of contaminant spills (sewage, hydrocarbons) into the reservoir on water quality in the overall reservoir and at the Cosgrove water supply intake. Impacts of spill date (season) and location as well as contaminant type are being investigated through use of both the two dimensional CE QUAL W2 model and a three dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model developed for the Thomas Basin. This paper will summarize and highlight key findings from the recent contaminant spill modeling work. 

The Undergraduate Component of The Arsenic Project
Julian Tyson, Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst

In response to calls from agencies, such as the NSF and NAS, for the introduction of authentic research experiences early in the undergraduate science curriculum [1], and for the provision of opportunities for students “acquire literacy in [STEM] subjects by direct experience with the methods and processes of inquiry” [2], I have created an undergraduate component of The Arsenic Project. The Arsenic Project has grown out of my interests in the environmental chemistry of arsenic, and the first offshoot was a program for middle school students in STEM Connections, funded by the NSF’s Graduate Student in K-12 Education program. The undergraduate component of The Arsenic Project consists of a one-credit, independent study Honors Colloquium involving several small groups, each of which consists of one graduate student mentor, one student taking a junior-level analytical chemistry course, and several students taking freshman chemistry. The program, which started in fall of 2004 and so far has involved about 220 freshmen and 55 juniors, is designed to have many of the characteristics of an authentic research project. It takes place over a significant time period, allowing students the opportunity (a) to become familiar with the relevant big picture, detailed background, and previous work, (b) to conduct a series of experiments, in which the designs of the later ones can be based on the outcomes of earlier ones, (c) to draw conclusions, summarize the findings, make suggestions for further work, and (d) write a report containing the findings of interest to the broader community. Each group (a) researches background topics, which I select, and writes about their findings, (b) works on a project that I select in conjunction with the graduate student mentor, (c) writes a proposal and final report, and (d) makes 2 or 3 oral presentations to the other groups. Most of the projects involve taking environmental samples and measuring the arsenic content, which can be done either with a simple test kit or in my research laboratory. Feedback indicates that participants acquired relevant content knowledge and skills, and that they were motivated to look for further research experiences.

A Dozen Undergraduate Research Projects on the Westfield River: A Meta-Analysis of Student Findings about Human Impacts on the Westfield River Ecosystem
Michael Vorwerk, Associate Professor, Environmental Science Program, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA

At Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, a capstone environmental research project is required for Environmental Science majors. While the subject of the research is open and determined by each student, many chose to study impacts of human activities on the Westfield River, in Western Massachusetts. Some of this work has been presented at previous WRRC conferences including work to: determine the impact of parking lot runoff on the Westfield River; model the impact of dams on river temperature; and use flow records to calculate watershed primary productivity.  Other student work has been presented at various undergraduate research conferences in the Northeast and includes research on: the effects of a small dam on aquatic macro-invertebrates; effects of an adjacent highway on river temperatures; whether pH or temperature are limiting factors in Atlantic Salmon habitat; and the existence of Atlantic Salmon micro-habitats during periods of adverse conditions on the Westfield River.

Here, I present a meta-analysis of the students’ findings and identify commonalities in their results. For instance, several studies supported the hypothesis that even small impoundments (~1-2 km, dams < 10m) cause significant impacts on water quality.  Other studies refuted the students’ hypotheses that human development (roads, parking lots) caused detectable changes in water temperatures. Two studies found that the river appears to be marginal habitat for salmonoids, while a third found that suitable refuges exist in the river throughout the year. Finally, I discuss common benefits and pitfalls of undergraduate student research projects.

Total Maximum Daily Loads and Future Storm Water Management Challenges, Issues, and Opportunities: Case Example – The Lower Charles River Nutrient TMDL
Mark Voorhees, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region I

Storm water runoff from developed watershed areas causes and/or contributes to excursions of State Water Quality Standards in waterbodies throughout New England (New England States Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Lists). Storm water runoff from development causes water quality impacts due to increased watershed pollutant loadings and alters hydrologic regimes which decrease habitat suitability because of more frequently occurring excessive storm flows and depleted stream base flows. In accordance with Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, the New England States are establishing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for waterbodies to address water quality impairments caused by storm water runoff. A TMDL defines the amount of pollution that a waterbody can receive and still attain Water Quality Standards and support the designated uses (e.g., aquatic life and recreation) of the water.  

Since 1995, EPA has promoted the "Clean Charles" initiative, working closely with other government agencies and private organizations, with the common goal of making the lower Charles River from the Watertown Dam to Boston Harbor fishable and swimmable by Earth Day 2005. EPA, as part of the initiative, and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) cooperatively developed a TMDL for phosphorus for the Lower Charles River located in the metropolitan Boston area in eastern Massachusetts. The Lower Charles River is a 9-mile, mostly impounded, segment that drains a 308 square mile watershed covering area in 35 communities before flowing into Boston Harbor at the New Charles River Dam. Severe algal blooms have been documented to occur in the Lower Charles during each growing season (1998-2007) since EPA began a core water quality monitoring program in 1998. Also, severe toxic cyanobacteria (blue green) blooms have occurred in 2004, 2006, and 2007. The blooms are caused by excessive nutrient loading from the watershed in combination with long hydraulic residence times in the impounded lower segment. The major sources of phosphorus to the Charles River are storm water drainage systems serving urban and suburban areas, wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) located in the upper watershed, and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that occasionally discharge to the Lower Charles.

In many ways, the water quality problems of the Lower Charles River are typical of many river segments in New England that are impounded because of dams and that drain developed watershed areas. In fact, nutrient-related water quality problems are not limited to the Lower Charles but exist throughout the upper Charles River watershed and are presently the subject of a second TMDL study that is nearing completion. The Lower Charles phosphorus TMDL will be presented as an example for waters where storm water impacts represent a substantial contributing factor to existing water quality problems.

The technical approach used to develop this TMDL will be briefly summarized and details of the approaches used to generate phosphorus loading estimates, including a GIS-based land cover phosphorus loading analysis for the Charles River watershed, will be described. The talk will present estimates of needed phosphorus load reductions from existing developed areas by both subwatershed area and by land use categories. The recommended implementation plan as it pertains to storm water discharges will be presented including the relationship between the TMDL pollutant load allocations and NPDES storm water permits. Finally, ongoing work to refine storm water management approaches including further analyses of watershed characteristics (e.g., impervious cover) and a project to estimate long-term cumulative performance of selected storm water best management practices (BMPs) will be addressed.

Regional Planning for the Great Bay Estuary Watershed: Evaluation of Wastewater Management Alternatives for the New Hampshire Seacoast Region
Aaron Weieneth (Presenter), Project Environmental Planner, Betsy Shreve-Gibb - Metcalf & Eddy, Inc.

The Great Bay Estuary, known as the “jewel of the New Hampshire seacoast,” is located in one of the fastest-growing regions in New England. Increasing population growth resulting in substantial land development is contributing to increased wastewater generation and some increased nutrient loadings to the Great Bay Estuary. Seventeen wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) discharge to the Great Bay watershed. Some of the WWTF discharges do not meet current limits and others are not able to meet future limits, which are expected to include nitrogen and phosphorus. Important concerns that guided development of the wastewater management alternatives for this study included water quality protection, habitat protection, and sustainable growth management within the 44-community study area. The study resulted in the selection of four alternatives for the New Hampshire Seacoast Region: a regional centralized collection system with local treatment and subsequent offshore discharge to the Gulf of Maine; upgrading existing WWTFs and discharging treated effluent to existing surface water discharge locations; requiring decentralized wastewater treatment and local discharge for a significant portion of all new growth; and treating wastewater locally and discharging to local land application sites. The study does not recommend a particular alternative to implement. Rather, the intent of the study is to present a number of issues and impacts associated with the implementation of the four alternatives and allow stakeholders to subsequently decide on the next steps for wastewater management for this region.