Massachusetts’ Rivers Response to Tropical Storm Irene

Massachusetts’ Rivers Response to Tropical

Storm IreneCarrie Banks, Division of Ecological

Restoration

Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Ford Brook, Bug Hill Road, Ashfield

Source: You Tube


Ford Brook, Bug Hill Road, Ashfield

Source: You Tube


Station Drainage (mi^2)

Irene Peak Flow

Previous Peak

Date of Previous Peak

Special Remarks

North River 89.0 53,100 cfs

18,800 cfs

10/9/2005

72 yrs flow record, <0.2% probability

South River 24.1 12,800 cfs

8,770 cfs 10/9/2005

45 yrs flow record, 0.5-1% probability

Deerfield River (Charlemont)

361 53,900 cfs

56,300 cfs

9/21/1938

98 yrs flow record, 1-2% probability

Deerfield River (West Deerfield)

557 103,000 cfs

61,700 cfs

4/5/1987 71 yrs flow record, flow regulated, 0.2-0.5% probability

Green River (Colrain)

41.4 17,500 cfs

6,540 cfs 10/9/2005

44 yrs flow record, 0.2% probability

Mill River (Northampton)

52.6 7,020 cfs

6,300 cfs 8/19/1955


West Branch Westfield River

94.0 36,200 cfs

28,000 cfs

10/9/2005

76 yrs flow record, 0.5-1% probability

Westfield River (Westfield)

497 26,200 cfs

70,300 cfs

8/19/1955


USGS Provisional Data, Streamflow Peaks Resulting from Hurricane Irene Rainfall

Annual Exceedance Probability: 0.2% = 500-year, 0.5% = 200-year, 1% = 100-year, 2% = 50-year, 4% =25-year, 10% = 10-year recurrence interval


Peak Flow at USGS Gage in Charlemont, ~53,900 cfs


Peak flow at Fife Brook Dam, ~58,329 cfsPeak Flow at USGS Gage in Charlemont, ~53,900 cfs



Rivers used their floodplains.


Protect floodplains from development.


Scour on the outside of

Deposition on inside of bends

Rivers erode and deposit.


Deerfield River, Charlemont




River and stream changed their channels.






Rivers remember where they have been.


Rivers remember where they have been.


South River, Conway (July 2011)Wednesday, June 6, 2012


Rivers downcut, especially in areas where not able to access floodplains.

Clesson Brook, Buckland

~ 2-3 Feet


Swift River, Cummington

Photo: Matthew Grallert

Photo: NRCS

Photo: NRCS

Bank hardening transfers energy downstream.


Swift River, Cummington

Photo: Matthew Grallert

Photo: NRCS

Photo: NRCS

Bank hardening transfers energy downstream.


Extreme impacts at pinch points


Green River, Water Supply Dam,


Walker Brook, Becket

(10/06/05)

Minor Barrier Aquatic Score: 0.79462249989

Undersized culverts block river processes.


11/16/2010

Moderate Barrier Aquatic Score: 0.518504180114

6/30/2011


Post Irene



Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards

www.streamcontinuity.org/publicationspublications

Establish minimum criteria necessary to facilitate fish and wildlife movement and maintain stream continuityUse of these standards alone will not satisfy the need for proper engineering and design.



www.streamcontinuity.org/publicationspublications

Establish minimum criteria necessary to facilitate fish and wildlife movement and maintain stream continuityUse of these standards alone will not satisfy the need for proper engineering and design.


• General Standards

– Open-bottom span preferred

– If culvert, then embedded:• Min. 2ft (and at least 25% for

round pipe culverts)• Include substrate >15 inches

in diameter, depths at least 2x D84 of embed material

– Min. 1.2x bankfull width– Matches stream substrate– Openness: 0.25m– Banks on both sides of

stream, match horizontal profile of existing stream and banks

• Optimum Standards– Bridge– Min. 1.2x bankfull width– Matches stream

substrate– Openness: 0.5-0.75m,

Height: 6-8ft– Banks on both sides of

stream, match horizontal profile of existing stream and banks, sufficient headroom for wildlife



These or similar standards are required to be met under:

• U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' Massachusetts General Permit (July 2011)

• Massachusetts 401 Water Quality Certification (314 CMR 9.00, June 2009)

• Further, the performance standards in the Wetlands Protection Act (310 CMR 10.00, June 2009) require crossings to maintain the carrying capacity of the channel.

• DEP Regulatory Reform – include permit streamlining for ecological restoration, including culvert replacements


• 2- 10 foot box culverts washed out in 2003. Road was closed to all traffic.

• Culvert had a history of clogging with debris

Bronson Brook, Worthington

Design with the river in mind!


Bronson Brook During Irene


Bronson Brook Post Irene

• A channel spanning tree located upstream of this culvert prior to the storm was mobilized and easily passed through this crossing.

• Road remained open and passable.


Green Mountain National ForestFR17A/Jenny Coolidge Brook

Bottomless Arch Outlet

Competed Channel Construction 2010

Post TS Irene September 2011

Lost largest boulders near outlet and roughness along stem walls. Structure and road undamaged.


Green Mountain National ForestFR54/ Sparks Brook Bottomless Arch Inlet and Outlet

Pre-Irene July 2011 Post TS Irene September 2011

Flood Stage


“Being in the floodplain is like sitting down in the

bathtub” ~Robert Hunter

Take home messages:•Use up-to-date data for sizing culverts and locating infrastructure

•Increase infiltration wherever possible

•Design with the river in mind


Documents

Massachusetts’ Rivers Response to Tropical Storm Irene