|
OCTOBER 2005 WATER-CONDITIONS STATEMENT |
|
SPECIAL FLOOD STATEMENT Two intense periods of rainfall on October 8 to 9 and 13 to 15 in southern and central New England created significant flooding in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Flood- recurrence intervals at many streamflow gaging stations with 20 or more years of record throughout the two-state region ranged from 2 years to 25 years, with several stations recording flood-recurrence intervals ranging from 100 years to 200 years. New high groundwater levels for October were measured at 45 of 125 wells with 10 or more years of record. During the period October 18 to 21, USGS hydrographers provided emergency assistance to Federal, State, and city of Taunton engineers in evaluating streamflow rates in the Mill River, upstream and downstream of a 173-year-old wooden dam, about 2 miles upstream from downtown Taunton. The Whittenton Street Dam was in danger of collapsing from the high river flows and no flow data were available. The efforts of the USGS hydrographers and the data they provided, along with other information related to the October 2005 flood, are described in a news release on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science Center (WSC) Flood Web page. According to the following Climatic Summary from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), precipitation totals for October measured at four long-term precipitation-recording stations either set new October record highs or were the second highest October totals since records have been maintained. *Monthly Climatic Summary information for October 2005* |
|
|
Groundwater Conditions
Groundwater levels at the end of October 2005 were above normal (highest 25 percent of levels for October) in Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, and in Rhode Island. No measurements were available for the Becket 12 well, Nantucket 228 well, Sunderland 7 well, and Tiverton 274 well. Please refer to the October Groundwater Conditions map for individual well conditions and other information. New high groundwater level records for the month of October were measured in 45 of 125 wells in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that have records of 10 or more years. In Massachusetts, measured groundwater levels in 35 wells set new record highs for the month of October, and water levels in six wells set new record high levels for all months. In Rhode Island, measured groundwater levels in 16 wells set new record highs for the month of October. No water levels in Rhode Island wells set new record high levels for all months. A table of groundwater levels for October 2005 shows these records. This assessment is based on the evaluation of 125 wells with 10 or more years of record. The data sources for variables OWc, OWmax, and OWr, which are used in conjunction with USGS Open-File Report 80-1205 to estimate high groundwater levels at sites in Massachusetts, are identified on the Groundwater-Data Web page. Reservoir Conditions Borden Brook/Cobble Mountain, Quabbin, and Scituate (Rhode Island) Reservoirs were 77-, 97-, and 90-percent full, respectively, at the end of October. In comparison, these reservoirs were 60-, 91-, and 74-percent full, respectively, at the end of September. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Water Supply Protection, provides reservoir figures for Borden Brook/Cobble Mountain Reservoirs and Quabbin Reservoir. The Providence Water Supply Board provides reservoir figures for Scituate Reservoir. |
Surface-Water Conditions
Surface-water flows at the end of October 2005 were above normal (highest 25 percent of flows for October) for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. New maximum monthly mean discharge values for October were recorded at 28 stream-gaging stations in Massachusetts and 6 stream-gaging stations in Rhode Island, all of which have 20 or more years of record. Three stations in Massachusetts recorded new peak discharges for their periods of operation. The Mill River station at Northampton, MA (01171500) recorded a peak discharge of 8,860 cubic feet per second on Oct. 9, 2005. The West Branch Westfield River station at Huntington, MA (01181000) recorded a peak discharge of 27,900 cubic feet per second on Oct. 9, 2005. The East Branch Housatonic River station at Coltsville, MA (01197000) recorded a peak discharge of 6,510 cubic feet per second on Oct. 9, 2005. These new monthly mean values are based on provisional data and are subject to revision. Additional information regarding peak streamflows during the October 2005 flood are available on the WSC Flood Web page. These include a flood-statistics table that presents peak flows at stations where flood-recurrence intervals equaled or exceeded 2 years, and an October monthly mean discharge table showing stations where recorded discharges equaled or exceeded the maximum October monthly mean discharge for the station’s period of operation. No new minimum monthly mean discharges were recorded at any stations in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. This assessment is based on monthly flow statistics (30-year period from 1971 to 2000) from 22 near-real-time stations with 30 or more years of record. No surface-water-flow data are available for Cape Cod. Please refer to the October Surface-Water Conditions map for more information. |
| For additional surface-water, groundwater, and water-quality information, please continue to consult the USGS Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science Center web page --http://ma.water.usgs.gov | |
|
Last modified: October 6, 2008 URL: http://ma.water.usgs.gov/water_const/water_conditions_200510.htm |