June 2008 Water-Conditions Statement

Surface-Water Conditions

Surface-water flows at the end of June 2008 were generally normal (between lowest and highest 25 percent of flows for June) in most of Massachusetts. Flows were above normal (highest 25 percent of flows for June) in the Housatonic and Farmington River Basins in western Massachusetts. Flows were below normal (lowest 25 percent of flows for June) in the Nashua River Basin in Massachusetts and for all river basins in Rhode Island. This assessment is based on monthly flow statistics (30-year period from 1971 to 2000) for 54 near-real-time streamflow-gaging stations with 30 or more years of record. No record-high or record-low monthly mean discharges were recorded during the month of June. No surface-water-flow data are available for Cape Cod.

All data are provisional and subject to revisions. Please refer to the Surface-Water Conditions map for more information.

Ground-Water Conditions

Ground-water levels at the end of June were generally normal (between highest and lowest 25 percent of levels for June) in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. However, ground-water levels ranged from above-normal (highest 25 percent of levels for June), normal, and below-normal (lowest 25 percent of levels for June) levels which resulted in mixed conditions for wells in both states. Please refer to the June Ground-Water Conditions map for conditions of individual wells and other information.

A new record-low ground-water level for the month of June was measured in the Cranston City 439 well in Rhode Island. No other record-low ground-water levels were measured in any other wells in Massachusetts and Rhode Island during the month of June.

The Foxborough 3 well, installed in 1965, was destroyed in early June 2008 by construction near the old Foxborough State Hospital. There are no current plans to replace the well.

This assessment is based on the evaluation of 124 wells with 10 or more years of record. The data sources for variables OWc (monthly well reading), OWmax (historical high water level for period of well record), and OWr (maximum annual range for period of well record), which are used in conjunction with USGS Open-File Report 80-1205 to estimate high ground-water levels at sites in Massachusetts, are identified on the Well Characteristics Web page of the Ground-Water-Data Web page.

Reservoir Conditions

Borden Brook/Cobble Mountain, Quabbin and Scituate Reservoirs were 94-, 97-, and 96-percent full, respectively, at the end of June. In comparison, Borden Brook/Cobble Mountain, Quabbin, and Scituate Reservoirs were 93-, 99- and 103-percent full, respectively, at the end of May.

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.