The U.S. Geological Survey streamflow and observation-well network in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey began systematic streamflow monitoring in Massachusetts nearly 100 years ago (1904) on the Connecticut River at Montague City. Since that time, hydrologic data collection has evolved into a monitoring network of 103 streamgage stations and 200 groundwater observation wells in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (2000 water year). Data from this network provide critical information for a variety of purposes to Federal, State, and local government agencies, engineering consultants, and the public. The uses of this information have been enhanced by the fact that about 70 percent of the streamgage stations and a small but increasing number of observation wells in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been equipped with digital collection platforms that transmit data by satellite every 4 hours. Twenty-one of the telemetered streamgage stations are also equipped with precipitation recorders. The near real-time data provided by these stations, along with historical data collected at all stations, are available over the Internet at no charge. The monitoring network operated during the 2000 water year was summarized and evaluated with respect to spatial distribution, the current uses of the data, and the physical characteristics associated with the monitoring sites. This report provides maps that show locations and summary tables for active continuous record streamgage stations, discontinued Measuring discharge on the Saugus River at the Saugus River Ironworks, Saugus, Massachusetts (station number-01102345). Introduction 3 (RIDEM), and the Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB). The USGS also receives non-monetary services from the Cape Cod Commission, the Cooperative Extension of Martha's Vineyard, and the Nantucket Land Council to support the observation-well network in those areas. The authors are grateful to USGS employees Peter Steeves and Tomas Smieszek for compiling geographic information for the hydrologic monitoring network. Previous Studies Much of the information in this report was compiled from information provided in the USGS annual data reports (for example, Socolow and others, 2001). The annual data reports contain information on station descriptions; hydrologic conditions for the year; dailystreamflow values; daily, bimonthly, or monthly groundwater-level data; and statistical information about the current year's data relative to the historical data collected at a site. Annual data reports also provide information on discontinued stations, partial record sites, and miscellaneous measurements made during the current water year, water-quality data, and information about how the data were collected. Partial-record sites and miscellaneous measurements provide data to augment the continuous monitoring network; partial-record sites are typically operated for specific hydrologic investigations for relatively short periods and, therefore, are not described further in this report. The USGS does not operate a long-term water-quality monitoring network in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Water-qualit...

Effects of alternative instream-flow criteria and water-supply demands on ground-water development options in the Big River Area, Rhode Island

“…The Saugus River Basin is part of the seaboard lowland section of the New England physiographic province (Fenneman, 1938, pl. 1), and is estimated to be about 42 percent stratified deposits by area (Zarriello and Socolow, 2003), which is comparable to the Big River Basin (table 3). estimated that the Saugus River Basin receives about 94 percent of the annual average precipitation received in the Big River Area, Rhode Island.…”

“…1); has comparable precipitation and evapotranspiration (Randall, 1996, pl. 2); and has a comparable percentage of stratified deposits (about 42 percent by area; Zarriello and Socolow, 2003) to the Big River Area. The MDEP (2003) established minimum-flow thresholds of 0.42 ft 3 /s/mi 2 for June through October and 1.00 ft 3 /s/mi 2 for November through May (table 9) for surface-water permits (Zarriello, 2004).…”

One Hundred Years of Streamflow Measurements in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

“…1). The total number of stations in both states reached a maximum of 114 in 1973, at which time some stations were discontinued because of changes in water-resource-management needs (Zarriello and Socolow, 2003). The total number of stations from 1973 until the present has fluctuated around 100, and now stands at 112.…”

“…Stage and discharge data are usually available to the public on the World Wide Web within 4 hours of the time measurements were taken (Zarriello and Socolow, 2003). Data on the World Wide Web also include all historical records of daily mean streamflow.…”

“…Computer models can simulate the effects of alternative water-management scenarios on the availability of water. In addition, the USGS has developed regional relations to estimate streamflow data for ungaged sites (Zarriello and Socolow, 2003). Such relations have been refined and expanded to many ungaged areas to provide complete regional sets of streamflow data to the public.…”