BMPs In Sturbridge Massachusetts

Throughout this article I will be discussing the best management practices, otherwise known as BMPs, in my local watershed of Sturbridge Massachusetts. 

When it comes to discussing best management practices in watersheds, the practices can be broken down into several different categories that are outlined by the United States Environmental protection agency (EPA). These categories include; Land Use Planning, Land Conservation, Aquatic Buffers, Better Site Design , Erosion and Sediment Control , Stormwater Best Management Practices, Non-Stormwater Discharges and Watershed Stewardship Programs (Kwon and others, 2021).. It is crucial for a watershed planner to take all of these categories of BMPs into consideration when dealing with a watershed, in order to properly care and protect the watershed in question. 

My local watershed of Sturbridge Massachuserrt is illustrated by Figure One, and is outlined in the highlighted section. This image was captured using the application “Streamstats” on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website. In Figure Two you can also dive into the basic characteristics of the watershed including the drainage area, percent of developed line, soil permeability, etc…. 

Figure One: Map of Watershed 

Figure 2: Basin Characteristics for Figure 1 Watershed (USGS, 2016)

Best Management Practices being  Practically Applied 

Watershed Stewardship Programs in Action

If you take a drive through Sturbridge in the summer season of May 1st through September 30th, you will notice signs stating that there is a mandatory water ban for the town. This ban goes in accordance with the Quabbin reservoir in an effort to conserve water, especially in the dryer months. There is also a voluntary water ban that suggests that houses with even numbers water lawns on even days and odd numbered houses water on odd days, as well as limiting outside watering to the hours of 8AM-5PM. Below in Figure 3 you can see a sign that promotes one of these water bans  Both of these acts fall in accordance with the BMP outlined as Watershed Stewardship Program, where in doing these bans, gets the local landowners of Sturbridge aware of Watershed maintenance and why it matters (Sturbridge Water Department 2017). There is also a report that goes out for the Town of Sturbridge in regards to Drinkingwater that points readers into the direction of selectmen’s meetings that specifically discusses the communities decisions when it comes to drinking water. This can also be considered a way of a Watershed Stewardship program as a way of sharing information with the public. Below in Figure four you can see an example of the report that is shared with the town. I think, although mandatory at some points, this gets the citizens of Sturbridge involved in water management and gets them asking questions about why and how this is happening. 

Figure 3: Picture of water ban sign for town of Sturbridge

Figure 4: Example of Drinking Water Quality Report

One of the best management practices that can not only be seen in this watershed, but also throughout the town of Sturbridge is the protection of the natural lands that surround these watersheds. In this watershed, you can find that much of the land is still uninhabited and forests occupy most of the space. This is important to the watershed as it allows it to not have additional human interference. In this watershed lies 57 acres of protected land that is known to be the site of the former Tantasquites mine that was owned originally by the Nipmuc tribe who used the leads to make paints (Tantiusques 2022).  This not only is important from a historical standpoint but also when water is considered as well as this area of 57 acres will never be industrialized or used to build houses on, which will ultimately protect the water. In Figure 5 you can see the sign for the reservation as you enter the trail. This is one of the many trails in Sturbridge that is on protected land and will benefit water sources and in turn the  population of Sturbriidge for many years to come.

Figure 5: Sign from the entrance to the Tantiusques reservation 

The last best management practice I will discuss is the buffer that is given to all water sources in Sturbridge from impervious covers. According to a report done by the town of Sturbridge, a zoning law assists in source protection by prohibiting the removal of earth within 6 feet of historically high groundwater levels that have been recorded. This goes for all areas of land in the town and can be illustrated in an example through Figure 6 that exhibits how specifically in this watershed, the land coming off of a water source is 6 feet, in this example, from a road. This benefits water sources as it leaves space for contamination (Sturbridge Water Department 2017).

Figure 6 :  Example of how the zoning law in Sturbridge prohibits an impervious cover from being 6 feet from a water source.

Overall, the town of Sturbridge seems to be well informed when implementing BMPs in their local watersheds. The three that were mentioned above, (Watershed Stewardship Program, Land conservation, and the use of buffers from Impervious land covers), all suggest that a great deal of time and thought has been put into protecting these waters. It is vital that the officials of Sturbridge continue to do so as BMPs are of the utmost importance as they keep the health of watersheds in good condition. In doing so will not only protect the aquatic life and nature surrounding the water, but the citizens that inhabit these areas safe as well.

References 

Developing Areas, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Watershed Academy Web,

accessed April 18, 2022 at https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/moduleFrame.cfm?parent_object_

Operated by – sturbridge.gov. Sturbridge.Gov. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://www.sturbridge.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3881/f/uploads/2017-ccr_final_pdf.pdf 

Tantiusques. The Trustees of Reservations. (2022, February 14). Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://thetrustees.org/place/tantiusques/ 

USGS, 2020, StreamStats Report for 41.85479, -72.35982, StreamStats

Application version 4.3.0, U.S. Geological Survey, accessed April 8th, 2022 at

https://streamstats.usgs.gov/ss/

Yeong Kwon, H., Winer, R, Schueler, T., 8 Tools of Watershed Protection in

Taking A Closer Look At The Changes In My Local Watershed

In nature, things are expected to change over a period of time, especially when it comes to water. A river will carve a path through a landscape, the power of the ocean will change the shape of the coastline, glaciers from thousands of years ago formed the lakes that we now utilize today, among endless amounts of other examples. While these all seem like large changes that will never affect us in this lifetime, smaller changes are happening all around us everyday. These changes can be natural as I just described, however they can also be human based and in turn be harmful to our environment.

In this article I’m going to dive into the changes that have occurred in my local watershed that lies in Sturbridge Massachusetts and how that can and will affect the community around me. I will be including images to help aid the information as well as illustrate my watershed. In Figure 1, you can see the total area of my Watershed that I will be discussing, and it may also be helpful to refer to Figure 2 as it includes the basin characteristics of the watershed. The area that is being focused on is in the southernmost part of Sturbridge Massachuseetts and almost borders the Connecticut state line. The application I used to find this detailed map of my watershed was that of “Streamstats” which I accessed using the website USGS.gov (USGS, 2016).

(Figure 1) 

 (Figure 2)

What’s going on in the Watershed? 

There were three main differences that I have noticed rather recently to this specific watershed. The litter along the side of the road has increased, there have been four new houses that have recently been built right down the road from this watershed, and the increased amount of salt used to control slippery roads during the winter season. 

Litter Bugs!

The first change that has occurred at and around this watershed has been the litter. To put it into perspective for those unfamiliar with the area, this watershed is located right off a road called RT 15 that connects to the highway interstate I-84 (see Figure one for reference). This is relevant to the watershed because a lot of truckers/tourists use this road instead of the entrance to the interstate. With it not being their town with no affect to them if they litter or not, or simply they have little to no regard for the environment, there becomes a lot of trash on the side of the road that makes its way into the water. In Figure 3 you can see a photo that was taken right before the entrance to I-84. Below Figure 3 in Figure 4  you can see the zoomed in image of Figure 3 that shows trash that has made its way into the waterway. 

Litter can bring a plethora of harm to waterways. Litter can drastically affect the environment and its aquatic life. The litter can be ingested and can also become hazards to birds, fish, and animals that live around or near the water source. Once plastic is broken down until it can’t be degraded anymore, it becomes microplastics which ultimately becomes impossible to clean up (EPA, 2022).  

This trash is a noticeable change to the environment as the town used to keep this area clean and seemed to pay closer attention to the disregard of people who were just passing through. I remember being younger and always seeing volunteers or people who worked for the towns

(Figure 3)

(Figure 4)

Picking up the trash on the side of those roads. Now as I took these pictures I realized it had been years since I saw someone picking up these roads.  

New Comers

  A very recent change that has occurred right near this watershed about a ¼ mile up the road from where Figure 3 was taken was four new houses that were built along RT 15. New houses are a great sign that the economy is still growing in Sturbridge and so much so that all of these houses sold almost right away. 

However all of these homes are extremely close to the watershed and the building of them all at once may have temporary undesired effects on the water. Prior to the houses being built, the lots were all wooded areas. Now that there are four new families living in the area that was just recently woods, the natural waterflow of the area will ultimately be affected. With new construction, there is a loss in the base flow of the water which has the possibility to decrease the size of streams or dry them out completely ( Impacts of Developments on Our Waterways).

 I also noticed that all of the new construction had to be raised so all of the houses were sat on an elevated plot. This made me think that without the elevation, the houses may have the possibility of flooding. Another reason that made me think of this was because when I was younger I remember the road flooding slightly after a tornado hit our town in 2011 and caused a back up in the water way. You can refer to Figure 5 to see just how easy the lake could flood into the road, as it is very flat and there are little to no natural barriers to prevent a flood.

(Figure 5)

Salt and Sand Galore 

 The third change in my watershed that I have noticed is the uptake in salting this section of the road during winter conditions. This section of the road connects to the highway and is a state road so it is one of the first to be treated and re-treated as needed throughout winter weather. While taking pictures I realized this was one of the only places I had seen this amount of remnants of sand in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. As this was right near the entrance to I-84 as I mentioned, I could only imagine what gets kicked off of the tires of cars and trucks traveling on the interstate into the water. Salt that is used on roads is detrimental to the environment and can kill or make wildlife sick, increase the erosion of soil in the affected areas, and potentially contaminate drinking water (EPA 2020). In Figure 5  you can see the amount of salt and sand that is still left over on the side of the road even though there hasn’t been snow that required that amount of treatment in weeks since that photo was taken. 

Wrapping Things Up

Prior to the research revolving around this watershed, I often overlooked this body of water. It is hidden behind a treeline, and to those traveling through Sturbridge, only to see it once, it is not surprising it does not get taken into consideration when it comes to issues such as littering. I would like to hope there have been positive changes that have gone into this watershed without my knowing, since the three changes I have discussed were negative. All of these changes polluted or disrupted the watershed that is so close to the place I called home for so long. Regardless, it is important to understand your watershed for these reasons, just to see how a small change can not only impact you but a whole community and ecosystem around you. 

References 

Dorworth , L., & McCormick, R. (n.d.). Impacts of Developments on Our Waterways. Purdue.edu. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-257-W.pdf 

Environmental Protection Agency. (2020, November). Winter is Coming! And with it, tons of salt on our roads. EPA. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/snep/winter-coming-and-it-tons-salt-our-roads#:~:text=Road%20salt%20can%20contaminate%20drinking,needed%20to%20mitigate%20these%20drawbacks 

Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, February 4). Learn About Aquatic Trash. EPA. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters/learn-about-aquatic-trash 

StreamStats (2022). Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://streamstats.usgs.gov/ss/ 

Delineating and Describing Sturbridge Massachusetts Watershed 

By Madalyn Lowell 

Diving Into the World of Watersheds & The Tools to do so

We drive by them every day, swim in them in the summer, ice fish in them in the winter,  and use them to survive on a daily basis. These “things” are rivers, lakes, brooks, streams, etc.. that are all part of a watershed.  A watershed is an area in which rain and snow falls downhill usually into a stream or river and then to an outlet which could be an ocean or reservoir (U.S. Dept. of Commerce 2017). 

My name is Madalyn Lowell and I’m from Sturbridge Massachusetts, and in this article, I’m going to dive into my local watershed. Upon researching my watershed, it was extremely eye-opening to see just how readily available all of the information is to the public and would urge everyone to take advantage of this information, as watersheds can have a large impact on everyone’s lives whether we realize it or not. As mentioned before, the impact of a watershed can affect recreational activities, drinking water, and the ecosystems that inhabit these waterways. The research that I conducted and will be sharing throughout this article was gathered through three main sources. The first resource I used was the  “USGS Science in Your Watershed: Locate Your Watershed” website, where I found the 8-digit hydrologic unit in which I live, as well as the major waterways that feed the reservoir that supplies Sturbridge (USGS, 2021).  I also used the “US EPA How’s My Waterway” website to identify the 12-digit hydrologic unit in which I live, and will dive into the differences between the two units later in this article (EPA, 2021). The last source that was used was the “USGS StreamStats” website to precisely map out the waterways that were directly by my home (Streamstats, 2022). By using only these three sources I was able to gather an extensive wealth of knowledge of my local watershed. 

Looking at The Big Picture

 The first resource I used was, “USGS Science in Your Watershed: Locate Your Watershed” website, I was able to find out that I reside in the hydraulic unit code labeled 01100001. This unit identifies different areas of watershed, and my watershed includes parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. I live in the northern part of the watershed that is included in Massachusetts and found it interesting that someone that lives an hour or more away shares the same watershed as I do. Below you can find the map that identifies the hydraulic code (USGS, 2021) (Figure 1). 

 (Figure 1)

The major rivers included in this watershed were the Quinebaug River and the Five Mile River. The Natachaug river also pokes slightly into the north western border of the watershed. There were also two unnamed waterways in this watershed, one in the southernmost part of the watershed that connects to the Quinebaug River and another one that also spans off of the Quinebaug River in the north central part of the watershed. As I mentioned before, I found this information through the “USGS Science in Your Watershed: Locate Your Watershed”. This application was easy to use and just by simply scrolling over the rivers and streams, I was able to find out the names of each waterway. I found further information under the map in a tab labeled, “additional information for this watershed”. Some information I found was that the reservoir has a watershed area of 119,940 acres, which includes the reservoir’s surface area (USGS, 2021).

Looking Closer to Home 

The next resource I used was an application on EPA’s website called “How’s my Waterway?”. In this application I found my hometown’s 12- digit hydraulic unit, which was 011000010103 and belongs to Sturbridge Massachusetts. The difference between this code from the previous 8-digit hydraulic unit that I had previously mentioned is this 8- digit hydraulic code is specific to a watershed that holds multiple towns . Whereas this 12- digit hydraulic code is specific to only one town. Below in Figure 2 you can see the different water bodies throughout the town of Sturbridge. Most were impared in some way, excluding Breakneck Pond and Hamant Brook, which are highlighted in green towards the bottom of the map. The rest were either unknown or were impaired by a range of factors. Some of these factors included; Nuisance Plants or Animals (Foreign), Temperature, Bacteria and Other Microbes, Trash, Aquatic Weeds, Murky water, and one source even contained mercury (EPA, 2021). I found this part of the research as well as this tool to be extremely helpful in regards to understanding the waterways around me. As I was rolling over some of the rivers and lakes, it was interesting to see which ones I have personally interacted with growing up and how they could have potentially been unsafe. 

(Figure 2) 

Right in my Own Backyard 

The final resource I used to research my watershed was the USGS StreamStats which was created by the U.S. Geological Survey. This application was extremely user friendly and allowed me to access information about waterways right in my backyard. Below in Figure 3 , you can see the water way the application analyzed for me and Figure 4 will outline the statistics that were provided for that waterway (Streamstat, 2022) .  

The information that was provided from Figure 4 was interesting as it gave statistics such as ;  the mean elevation of 783 feet, the percentage of land that was urbanized which was 21.3%, the total length of the mapped streams which was 3.41 miles, average percentage of impervious area being 3.2%, the average precipitation which was 50.9 inches, how much of the land that was mapped was wetlands which ended up being 7.36% and finally the area that drains to a certain point on the stream which was 1.16 square miles (Streamstats, 2022). 

 (Figure 3) 

(Figure 4). 

Prior to this research, I had no idea that this information was readily available to me. These applications made it easily accessible and also made the process interesting as moving through the different resources, gradually brought the information closer to home. These tools are not only great educators in regards to watersheds, I believe they can open peoples eyes of how communal impact can affect towns hours away from them in regards to water. Now educated about this matter, I can inform others of how and where this information is available and how it can affect the waters around us. 

References 

     EPA. (2021). How’s My Waterway? EPA. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://mywaterway.epa.gov/community/3%20Fountainhead%20Road%20Terryville/overview 

     StreamStats. (2022). Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://streamstats.usgs.gov/ss/ 

     U.S. Department of Commerce. (2017, November 30). What is a watershed? Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/watershed.html Wilson, W. E., Burke, E. L., & Jr., C. E. T. (2012, April 22). Water Resources Inventory of Connecticut part 5: Lower housatonic river basin. Connecticut Water Resources Bulletin. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70038245    

US EPA, 2021, How’s My Waterway version 2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed January 27, 2022 at https://mywaterway.epa.gov/community/23%20W%20Forest%20Dr,%20Enfield,%20CT,%2006082,%20USA/protect