Taunton River - Massachusetts Time of Travel Studies 1969 - 1970 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region I Surveillance and Analysis Division 240 Highland Avenue Needham, Massachusetts ------- Acknowledgemen t s This paper was prepared with the aid and cooperation of the U.S. Geological Survey, Boston, Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources. ------- OCLC Connexion Page 1 of 1 Local File C:\Users\LHOLTMAN\AppData\Roaming\OCLC\Connex\Db\DefaultBib.bib.db OCLC 1143764656 Held by EHA - no other holdings Save File 1 Rec stat n Entered 20200310 Replaced 20200310 Type a ELvl K Srce d Audn Ctrl Lang eng BLvl m Form Conf 0 Biog MRec Ctry mau Cont GPubf LitF 0 Indx 0 Desc i Ills ab Fest 0 DtSt s Dates 1970 , 040 EHA #b eng *e rda *c EHA 088 EPA 901-R-70-002 099 EPA 901-R-70-002 049 EHAD 245 0 0 Taunton River -Massachusetts time of travel studies/ #c U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region I, Surveillance and Analysis Division. 264 1 Needham, Massachusetts : *b U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region I, Surveillance and Analysis Division, *c [1970] 300 14 leaves : *b figures, tables, maps ; *c 28 cm 336 text *b txt +2 rdacontent 337 unmediated *b n #2 rdamedia 338 volume *b nc #2 rdacarrier 500 Cover title. 651 0 Taunton River (Mass.) 650 0 Stream measurements #z Massachusetts #z Taunton River. 710 1 United States. *b Environmental Protection Agency. *b Region I. #b Surveillance and Analysis Division, *e issuing body. Delete Holdings- Export- Label- Submit- Replace- Report Error- Update Holdings-C Validate-C Source-Derived Workflow-In Process about: blank 3/10/2020 ------- TAUNTON RIVER BASIN TIME OF TRAVEL STUDIES By definition, the Taunton River is said to extend from the Massachusetts-Rhode Island State boundary to the confluence of the Hatfield and Town Rivers, at which point the Matfield, and later the Salisbury Plain River, become extensions of the Taunton River.^ Therefore, figures and tables relating to the Taunton River will also contain reference points along the Matfield and Salisbury Plain Rivers. Similarly, for the purpose of the report, the Rumford River is considered to be an extension of the Three Mile River. Tables I and II provide river mile reference points and selected drainage areas in the basin. During September-October 1969 and March-April 1970, time of travel studies were conducted in the non-tidal portion of the Taunton River Basin. A fluorescent dye, Rhodamine BX, was injected and traced to determine the time required for dissolved or suspended materials to be transported downstream. Starting at a downstream river reach, the dye was added at the head of the reach and a fluorometer was used at the downstream end to measure the dye concentrations passing out of the reach. This procedure was followed in a step-wise fashion to the headwaters. In this manner, simultaneous dye dosings in several reaches could be traced without causing dye patterns to overlap. Studies were conducted in only those sub-basins which were considered to have a significant effect on the water quality of the major basin. 1-See Figure 1. ------- 2 The periods of study were selected to gain information about both the low and high flow conditions. The September-October period was the low flow condition, and the March-April study was the high flow condition. During these study periods, dye dosings were restricted to periods of stable river flow. If precipitation interrupted a study, the study was not resumed until surface runoff had returned to a near constant level. During the March-April studies, the U.S. Geological Survey made flow measurements at selected sites throughout the basin. Using the results of these measurements and established gages in the basin, flows were projected back for the low flow period. The Massachusetts Division of Water Resources used measured flows to develop the one-in-ten year, 7-day low flows which are shown in Figure 2. Table III contains U.S. Geological Survey flow data which has been adjusted and projected. It also contains time of travel data. Limited time of travel and flow data for the Town, Nemasket, and Wading Rivers are included in the tables. Figures 3 and 4 are time of travel for the Taunton and Three Mile Rivers, respectively. The time of travel curves may be used to predict transport times at stream discharges which are greater than the 1969 flow regime and less than the 1970 one. The curves are based upon incremental flows being added to the stream from the surrounding drainage area as the initial unit of water moves downstream. Because the flows from the wastewater treatment plants do not fit this criterion, because they constitute a major portion of the flow in the headwaters during low flow conditions, and because their flows are relatively constant, all river flows in Table III and in Figures 3 and 4 were corrected to eliminate ------- 3 contributing flows from wastewater treatment plants. In effect, the flows from the treatment plants are a water sub-layer which, for the purposes of this report, are being treated as the stream bed. Directions for the use of Figures 3 and 4 are appended. ------- 4 TABLE I TIME OF TRAVEL STUDY TAUNTON RIVER BASIN SELECTED REFERENCE POINTS REFERENCE POINTS U RIVER LOCATION KILOMETER MILE Taunton Brightman's Bridge 6.1 3.8 Pierces Point 15.2 9.5 Berkley Bridge 20.9 13 .;0 Confluence w/Three Mile River 23.7 14.7 Taunton Waste Water Treatment Plant 25.9 16.1 Mass. Rte, 24 34.9 21.7 East Taunton Bridge 39.7 24.7 Confluence w/Nemasket River 54.5 33.9 Confluence w/Town & Matfield River 66.8 41.5 Matfield Confluence w/Satucket River 4.2 2.6 Confluence w/Salisbury Plain R.&Beaver Brook 9.3 5.8 Salisbury Brockton Waste Water Treatment Plant Plain 4.2 2.6 Three Mile Harodite Finishing Company Dam 1.9 1.2 Oakland Reservoir Dam 11.3 7.0 Confluence w/Wading &• Rumford River 19.5 12.1 JL/ Taunton River reference points are from the Mass. - R.I. State line. All other mile points are from the stream's confluence with its main stem. ------- 5 TABLE I (continued) REFERENCE POINTS 1/ RIVER LOCATION KILOMETER MILE Rumford Cross St. Bridge 4.2 2.6 Norton Reservoir Dam 7.4 4.6 Mass. Rte. 140, Entrance to Norton Res. 10.0 6.2 Mass. Rte. 140 at Fulton Pond Dam 13.7 8.5 Wading Mass.Rte.140, Norton near USGS gage 1.6 1.0 Barrowsville Pond Dam 5.1 3.2 Confluence w/Chartley Brook 8.0 5.0 Nemasket Murdock St. Bridge U.S. Rte. 44, Middleborough 4.0 8.5 2.5 5.3 ------- 6 TABLE II TAUNTON RIVER BASIN TITLE DRAINAGE AREAS AREA WATERSHED SQ. KILOMETER SQ. MILES Matfield River and Salisbury Plain River 200 77.3 Town River 157 60.8 Winnetuxet River (+ a small amount of Taunton River) 125 48.1 Nemasket River 189 72.8 Mill River 116 44.7 Taunton River - State Farm gage to confluence with Three Mile River 161 62.1 Rumford River 57 22.0 Wading River 111 42.7 Three Mile River 57 22.2 Assonet River 90 34.9 Taunton River - mouth to Three Mile River 107 41.5 DRAINAGE AREA ALONG TAUNTON RIVER REFERENCE POINT AREA LOCATION KILOMETER MILE SQ. KILOMETER SQ. MILES Taunton at head 66.3 41.2 358 138.1 Taunton at State Farm Gage 52.9 32.9 673 260.0 Taunton at confluence with Three Mile River 22.0 13.7 1157 446.6 Taunton near Battleship Cove 6.0 3.7 1354 522.9 ------- TABLE III TIME OF TRAVEL STUDIES TAUNTON RIVER BASIN 1969 1970 Flow Flow Station to Station jirVsec. (cfs) Time of Travel m /sec. (cfs) Time of Travel (R.M.) (R.M.) In Out (hours) In Out (hours) Brockton WWTP Confluence of Matfield .08 .85 2.3 10.4 & Satucket R. (2.8) (30) 23.2 (82) (368) • 00 Confl. of Hatfield High St. Bridge .85 .88 10.4 10.8 & Satucket River (30) (31) 31.4 (368) (383) 5.4 High St. Bridge Geo.O.Jenkins Dam .88 1.44 10.8 17.8 (31) (51) 32.4 (383) (628) 3.9 Geo.O.Jenkins Dam Confl. of Taunton & ,1.44 1.52 17.8 18.9 Nemasket R. (51) (54) 42.6 (628) (668) 10.3 Confl. of Taunton East Taunton Bridge 1.76 2.03 24.0 27.0 & Nenasket River (62) (72) 48.8 (848) (954) 10.0 1 HREE MILE RIVER BAS IN .11 .12 1.6 1.6 Norton Reservoir Dam Cross St.,Norton (3.9) (4.2) 15.0 (57) (58) 4.5 Cross St. Confl. of Wading & .12 .17 1.6 2.8 Rumford River (4.2) (6.0) 13.0 (58) (98) 9.1 Conf. of Wading & Norton Avenue .51 .65 5.5 6. 6 Rumford River (18) (23) 27.0 (195) (234) 7.8 Norton Avenue Oakland Reservoir Dam .68 .90 6.6 7.5 (24) (32) *39.0 (234) (265) 6.0 ^Estimate - dye dissipated in weeds and was not c etected a t the dam. m^/sec - cubic meters per second cfs - cubic feet per second ( ------- TIME OF TRAVEL STUDIES TAUNTON RIVER BASIN 1969 1970 Flow Flow Station to Station pa^/sec. (cfs) Time of Travel m /sec. (cfs) Time of Travel (R.M.) (R.M.) In Out (hours) In Out (hours) .90 .99 7.5 8.3 Oakland Reservoir Dam Route 44, Taunton (32) (35) 14.0 (265) (292) 6.1 Rte. 44, Taunton Harodite Fin. .99 .99 8.3 8.3 Tidal Dam (35) (35) 37.0 (292) (294) 5.7 NEMASK :et RIVER Rte. 44 Murdock St. .28 .28 5.1 5.1 Middleborough (10) (10) *14.0 (180) (180.) 3.8 Murdock St. Conf 1." with .28 .31 5.1 5.2 Taunton River (10) (11) 46.6 (180) (182) 4.5 TOMS RIVER Bridgewater WWTP Geo.O.Jenkins Dam .48 1.44 5.9 16.1 (17) (51) 66.0 (209) (640) 7.8 WAD If G RIVER Rte. 123, Chartley Dam at Barrowsville 2.2 2.9 Pond - - - (77) (101) 14.5 Dam at Barrowsvi-lle USGS Gage, Norton 2.9 3.1 Pond (101) (111) 3.2 *Approximate value t i oo ------- 9 I WEYMOUTH TAUNTON RIVER BASIN HOLBROOK v AVON SHARON 'STOUGHTON BROCKTON FOXBOROUGH WRENTHAM I 0RIDGEWATER > ^ MANSFIELD I EASTON WEST BRIDGEWATER HANSON PLAINVILLE I 8RI0GEWATER NORTON ATTLE80R0'\ L TAUNTON MIDDLEBOROUGH \ CARVER DIGHTON (0 MSt*"ommser POHO REHOBOTH I BERKLEr COLE, KICKAMU1T AND LEE RIVER BAS/N / LAKEV1LLE r eurmcAS PQMOfSj I ROCHESTER SWANSEA FREETOWN WARREN * FALL f RIVER BRISTOL r XOOfOutCM** ¦rvCR unoimaowO WATUPPA PONDS DRAINAGE BASIN WESTjPORT \ 7 LOCATION UfAP SCALE IN MILES TIVERTON LIMIT/OF STUOY PRUDENCE IS. PORTSMOUTH (^-indicates River Mile To convert to kilometers multiply by 1.6, T. HOPE BAY WATERSHED TAUNTON RIVER STUDY AREA with Reference Points FIGURE 1 ------- I A 30 f.Z /.o S JJ o OA o.Z BROCKTON WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT NEMASKET RIVER SAWMILL BROOK TAUNTON WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT J_HREE MILE RIVER ASSONET RIVER BRIGHTMANS BRIDGE ii ^ i groundwater inflow- ~\ 4 I 2 0 4 I 2 0 40 SALIS8URY PLAIN RIVER-j MATFIEl^O RtVER J 5 0 3 0 38 36 34 32 — i« • " " — — I €0 I 50 28 26 | 24 22 20 TAUNTON RIVER 18 18 14 12 10 i" 1 r"ir 40 * 30 I 20 I to SVST. HOPE BAY WATERSHED I - IN-10 YEAR, 7 DAY LOW FLOW TAUMTOM RIVER STUDY 4 RIVER MILES 5 KILOMETER O ------- TIME OF TRAVEL STUDY "" TAUNTON RIVER TIME OF TRAVEL vs DISCHARGE 1969- 1970 400 300 200 100 60 60 40 30 20 Brockton WWTP (cfs+ i.o) 3 | (mVsec+0.03) 0.1 20 40 60 80 100 2.0 3.0 200 300 600 ICOO 0.2 0.3 0.5 5.0 10.0 20.0 DISCHARGE FIGURE 3 ------- TIME OF TRAVEL STUDY THREE MILE RIVER TIME OF TRAVEL vs DISCHARGE 1969- 1970 300 200 100 80 60 }v/ 20 Norton Reservoir dam 1000 20 30 40 60 80 100 200 300 600 10.0 3.0 5.0 20.0 2.0 0.2 0.3 0.5 DISCHARGE FIGURE 4 ------- 13 APPENDIX A Directions for Use of Graphs Assume one wishes to determine the time of travel from the Brockton Wastewater Treatment Plant to a point one third the distance from the confluence of the Matfield and Tovm Rivers to the confluence of the Nemasket River. In addition, the river flow just downstream from the confluence of the Town and Matfield Rivers is 2.8 m^/sec (99 c after correction to eliminate the contributing flows from wastewater treatment plants. See Figure A-l. On each of the curves provided, locate a point which is one-third the curve length between the Town and Matfield confluence and the Nemasket River confluence. Connect the two points. Locate the 2.83 m^/sec (2.8 + 0.03 [100 cfs (99 +1)] discharge point on the downstream side of the Town and Matfield River confluence. From this point draw a curve which parallels the two curves provided. Locate the intercept of the drawn curve and the line drawn in Step 2. On the ordinate, read the time of travel for the intercept point. Read the time of travel at Brockton WWTP and subtract the two. The result is the time of travel to the point in question at the flow specified. Answer: 50 hours - 1 hour - 49 hours ------- TIME OF TRAVEL STUDY TAUNTON RIVER TIME OF TRAVEL vs DISCHARGE 1969- 1970 14 + < a h- U- O IxJ 2 50 Hrs Brockton WWT 80 100 (cfs + 1.0) 3 (mVsec.+¦ 0.03) 0.1 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I I 0.2 0.3 0.5 DISCHARGE 200 300j 5.0 10.0 1000 20.0 CirsilDC A.I ------- |