Little River

The Hellgrammite Fight Club

Hypothesis Through our research of dams we learned that they hold back sediment and keep certain fish from returning to their spawning grounds.

We hypothesised that the Little River would be biologically, physically, and chemically impacted by the Waterbury Dam.

Research Questions ● Does the Waterbury Dam impact the water quality and

ecological health of the Little River?● Why is the Waterbury Dam there? ● What are the flow characteristics of the Little River?

Dam History and How it Works● Zoned earthen embankment dam:● Construction 1935-1938● Civilian Conservation Corps

(CCC), supervised by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers● 1953, 1957-1958, 1981, 1984, 2002-2006:

modifications, repairs, additions ● 1960’s: recreation facilities added to reservoir

Circa 1930 one of three flood control dams put into areas of high risk to control flooding. This dam, the Waterbury Dam reduced Little Rivers flood potential.

Land Use The LR has a watershed size of 112 sq mi and it’s 21 mi long

Forested

Agriculture

Developed/Urban

Water

Wetland

Location/maps

Above dam location watershed = 67 sq. miles

Below dam location watershed = 109 sq. miles

Location/Maps

Location/Maps

What we looked forPhysical:- Riparian Habitat Assessment- Velocity

Chemical:- DO - pH - Nutrients - Conductivity- Temperature

Biological:- Multi - Metric index of Macroinvertebrates- EPT Index

Velocity / Flow- Speed, Amount, Path that water travels- Varies between pool and riffle habitats - Flow Below Waterbury Dam:

○ 33 cubic feet per second pre dam release ○ 377 cubic feet per second post dam release

Riparian Habitat Assessment Factor Definition Above Dam Below Dam

Bank Vegetative Protection

Amount of banks covered by vegetation

9-optimal(90%)

4-marginal(50-70%)

Channel Flow

Amount of water filling the channel and amount of rocks exposed

18-optimal 13-suboptimal

Velocity/Depth

Combinations of velocity and depth in a river

18-optimal(4 combinations)

13-suboptimal(3 combinations)

Embeddedness

How much rocks are surrounded by silt or mud on the bottom of the stream

18-optimal(0-25%)

18-optimal(0-25%)

Sediment Deposition

Amount of sediment accumulated in stream and islands created by sediment

18-optimal(less than 5%)

18-optimal(less than 5%)

Riparian Habitat AssessmentFactor Definition Above Dam Below Dam

Bank Stability How stable the bank is

(L) - 9, optimal (<5%)(R) - 6.5, Suboptimal(5-30%)

(L) - 5.25, Marginal(30-60%)(R) - 6.5, Suboptimal(5-30%)

Epifaunal Substrate

Habitats for animals to live in

13 - suboptimal(40% diversity)

65% diversity, suboptimal

Vegetation Zone

How far away human habitation is

9 - Optimal(>18 meters away)

4 - Marginal(6-12 meters away)

Channel Alteration

Stream path has been changed

18 - Optimal(channel has not been straightened)

18 - Optimal(channel has not been straightened)

Riffle Frequency

Shallow fast moving water

8 - Marginal(riffles 15-25ft apart)

13 - Suboptimal(riffles 7-15ft apart)

The End ResultsThe factors are added together and the stream's health is assessed. <80 = poor habitat conditions80 to 129 = Marginal habitat conditions130 to 152 = Suboptimal habitat conditions>153 = Optimal Habitat conditions

Our Results:Above the Waterbury Dam the Little River got a score of 154, which is optimal. Below the Waterbury Dam the Little River got a score of 133.5, which is suboptimal.

DO and Temperature● Our DO Results:

○ Above dam: 73.65% ○ Below dam: 62.5% ○ After Release (below dam):

64.2%

● Relationship between temperature and dissolved oxygen○ Colder temperature creates

more dissolved oxygen○ Warmer temperature creates

less dissolved oxygen

● Lack of plants and aeration in the hypolimnion layer

● Lake turnover leads to colder water travelling to the bottom during the summer

State Regulations● All the Standards used to measure the water quality of the Little River

are for a Class B river.

● The huge temperature flux above and below the dam lead to the Department of Environmental Conservation designating the Little River as a “temperature impaired” stream.

State DO Regulations Must be greater than 60% DO

Above Dam DO Percentage 73.5%

Below Dam DO Percentage 62.5%

Effects of Acidic or Alkaline Water● Fish death when the pH drops below 5 ● devoid of fish after a drop to 4.5 ● alkaline (9.5) death of fish, damage to their

outer surfaces like gills, eyes, and skin and an inability to dispose of metabolic waste

● Fish lose their “slime coat” at a pH of 9● pH out of the range of 6-8 for fresh water is

subpar condition aquatic life

pH results Above Dam 7.6

Below Dam 8.6

After Release

7

Explanation of Alkaline and Acidic WaterAcidic

● Depths don’t allow vegetation growth

● Sinking and decomposing vegetation

● Low O2 levels and higher CO2 levels

● CO2 is in a dissolved state in water, but also reacts with water to create a carbonic acid CO2 + H2O <=> H2CO3

● Release of Hydrogen ions causes acidic water

Alkaline● Measures the ability

to neutralize acidic substances

● After releases of acidic dam water, the below water over corrects, and becomes slightly alkaline

Explanation of Conductivity ● Measurement of ions in water and ability

to conduct electricity● Sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium● higher conductivity comes from higher

temperature and dissolved chemical level● A sign of urbanization and

industrialization● Aquatic life is structured towards

certain conductivity levels ● Drop in temperature and conductivity

impacts aquatic life of Little River

Conductivity ResultsAbove Dam 80 ppm

Below Dam 25 ppm

After Release 30 ppm

Nitrates and Phosphates

How Do They Get There?

● farm runoff○ fertilizers○ animal wastes

● industrial runoff● decomposition of organic matter

What Do Nitrates And Phosphates Do?

● essential/limiting nutrient for plants

● excess nutrients can cause algal blooms

● create dead zones(no oxygen)when they die

What Effect Do Dams Have On Nitrates And Phosphates?

Dams: ● impound sediments

○ nutrients accumulate there● create reservoirs

○ increased shoreline = more runoff

● The Waterbury Dam releases its water from the bottom of the reservoir, which allows sediments to pass through the dam○ Those sediments contain

nutrients (phosphorus binds to sediment)

ResultsEPA Standards For Class B Streams: nitrogen: 5.0 mg/L

phosphorus: 3.375 mg/L

While the quantity of both nutrients increased in the water below the dam, they never surpassed the EPA standards

EPT-Ephemeroptera (Mayfly)

-Plecoptera (Stonefly)

-Trichoptera (Caddis Fly)

Mayfly

StoneFly

CaddisFly

Other MacroinvertebratesDiptera (Flies)

Odonata (Dragon/Damselflies)

Mollusks

Crustaceans

Macroinvertebrate Metrics Data• Macroinvertebrate Multimetric index = a way to judge the health of a body of water through macroinvertebrate biodiversity.

• The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation did a similar study concluding the river is acceptable

• EPT index compares with a 48.72% above the dam and a 26.86% below.

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Data

Our Data

Current Solutions for Water Quality ● Runoff - Farms, roads, construction sites, and parking

lots can release concentrated nutrients, pollutants etc…

into waterways.

○ Farms - Farms can use small particle soils in fields

creating less and clearer runoff.

○ Pavements - Communities individually design runoff

systems/paths.

● Run of river - Matching the river flow above and below

the impoundment.

● Dam removal pros and cons

○ Pros - Restoration of the environment which creates a

desired environment for wildlife.

○ Cons - Releasing sediment, build up, and disturbing the

downstream environment.

Waterbury Dam

Wastewater treatment plant

Conclusion and Recommendation

Physical, Chemical, Biological: above dam > below dam

Manage river system so post dam = pre dam.

Works Cited● Bunten, Craig. A Historic Look at The Damming of The Winooski Watershed. N.p.: n.p.,

123451956. Web.● Bushman, Steve. "Waterbury Dam Tour." Personal interview. 28 June 2016.● "Dam Removal." Untitled Document. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2016.● "Department of Environmental Conservation." Vermont Clean Water Initiative. N.p., n.d.

1234 Web. 30 June 2016.● "Environmental Impacts of Dams." International Rivers. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2016.● Kemsley, Tamarra. "Rivers in Eastern US Becoming Alkaline, Affecting Water Supplies."

1234 Nature World News RSS. Nature World News, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 01 July 2016.● Little River Corridor Plan. Durham, NC: Dept., 2001. Www.lcpcvt.org. Bear Creek

1234 Environmental, 28 June 2010. Web. June-July 2016.● McCully, Patrick. "Dams and Water Quality." International Rivers. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 h

1234 June 2016.● "Natural Resources Atlas." Vermont Natural Resource Atlas. Vermont Agency of Natural

1234 Resources, n.d. Web. 1 July 2016.● "NEW ENGLAND DISTRICT." Waterbury Reservoir Risk Management Project. U.S. Army Corps

1234 of Engineers, 11 June 2015. Web. 01 July 2016.

Works Cited Continued● "NEW YORK DISTRICT." FACT SHEET-Waterbury Dam, Waterbury New York District Fact Sheet

1234 Article View. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Feb. 2016. Web. 30 June 2016.● "Nitrates and Their Effect on Water Quality." Wheatley River Improvement Group.

1234 Partnership For Environmental Education and Rural Health, n.d. Web. 30 June 2016.● Offices, DEP. " Habitat Assessment." Habitat Assessment. 2016 West State of Virginia,

1234 n.d. Web. 01 July 2016.● PH of Water - Environmental Measurement Systems." Environmental Measurement Systems.

1234 Fondriest, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 01 July 2016.● "Stream Team Program." Water Quality FAQs. Missouri Stream Team, n.d. Web. 30 June

1234 2016.● "USGS Current Conditions for USGS 04289000 LITTLE RIVER NEAR WATERBURY, VT." USGS

1234 N.p., n.d. 12345Web. 30 June 2016.● Upcoming 2015 2016." Below What Is The Ph Number Of Water. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 July

1234 2016.● Vermont Water Quality Standards. Montpelier, Vt.: Board, 2014. 30 Oct. 2014. Web.

Thank you!