The Blackstone River
A Geoscience Tour

- Day 2 -
The Blackstone River,
Environmental Status & Issues

Background

Introduction

Blackstone River Watershed
From: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Environmental Affairs

The Blckstone River begins in Worcester, MA, where the Middle River and Mill Brook meet, and continues south through Pawtucket, RI, then flows into Narragansett Bay under several different names.  Where the Blackstone River drops over the falls at Pawtucket, its name changes to the Seekonk River.  The Seekonk's water is brackish, as salt water from Narragansett Bay mixes with the fresh water of the river.

The watershed's basement rock is composed of granitic and metamorphic rock formed from tectonic processes associated with the region (see background reading from Day 4).  The overburden, the earth overlying the basement rock, was depositied by outwash from retreating glaciers as they melted.  Sand and gravel were doposited over the entire coastal plane of Massachusetts (see background reading from Day 3), with finer deposits of sands and clays laid down in short-lived lakes and ponds.

As precipitation infiltrates into the (unpaved) ground of the Blackstone watershed, it easily percolates through the unsaturated zone (vadose zone) into the saturated zone (phreatic zone) or "water table" of the overburden.  The water table marks the level below which wells can draw water for drinking and irrigation, and is also known as an aquifer.  The ease with which water can move through the overburden is due to the porosity (void space) and permeablity (interconnectedness of void space eases movement through the materials) of the sands and gravels left behind by the glaciers.  Acquifers in the Blackstone watershed can support municipal wells that pump hundreds of gallons per minute.

In 1986, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor was established by Congress to preserve and interpret the significant historic and cultural lands, waterways, and structures within the valley.  In 1988, the state of Massachusetts reported to Congress that the entire river was polluted and not suitable for bathing.  The 16 miles of river located downstream in Rhode Island was categorized as not suitable for boating and other secondary contact recreation, or for fish and wildlife habitat, or for industrial water supply.  The National Park Service has been working with Massachusetts (and Rhode Island) to develop parks along the River and to coordinate a valley-wide land use strategy.  Today, the Blackstone River is classified as suitable for boating and other secondary contact recreation, as well as industrial processing and cooling along much of its length.

This site offers an environmental geoscience tour of the Blackstone River highlighting its history of use over the years and the subsequent environmental challenges of today.  We begin with a brief historical description of the river's use, and then take a look at more recent activity taking place today.

The Birth of the Industrial Revolution in the US

One River, Many Uses

Since colonial times, circa 1635, people and industries have dumped refuse into the river, including oils, paints, sewage, and chemicals from tanneries.  Early in its history, the Blackstone was used for transporation, irrigation, and as a water supply for livestock and humans.  As time passed, the river was given over to primarily industrial use. In 1635, Rev. William Blaxton (Blackstone) founded what would become the town of Cumberland, RI., when he decided to settle there, and because of the usefulness of the river, the valley was quickly settled.  The Blackstone provided power to the textile mills that gave birth to the industrial revolution in this country during the 1800s, with the very first cotton mill, Slater Mill, having been erected in 1793.  At one time in its history, the Blackstone boasted one dam for every mile of its length, as well as the lengths of its major tributaries.  Because of the almost continuous damming of the waterway, the Blackstone Canal was constructed to allow for the easier transportation of goods and passengers from Worcester to Providence.  Almost as soon as the 45-mile long canal was completed, it closed as result of the initiation of rail service via the Providence and Worcester Railroad. From the 1870s to the 1920s, there were more than 1,000 textile and cotton mills in operation along the Blackstone.  Nearby residents could predict the upcoming season’s popular colors for clothing by watching the dyes passing by the banks of the river.  In addition to the thriving textile industry, the Blackstone valley hosted numerous other manufacturing industries, as well as the population necessary to supply these industries with labor, not to mention the services and business required to support this labor force.  Beginning in the 1920s, however, the cotton and textile mills began to close leaving to the watershed the accumulation of over one hundred years of industrial buildings, dams, and waste. In 1971, the Audubon Society labeled the Blackstone "one of America’s most polluted rivers."

1793 Slater Mill, Present Day From: Areaparks.com Website Opening of the Blackstone Canal, October, 1828 From: Blackstonedaily.com

The Blackstone Today

Same River, Changing Views

It is fair to say that the Blackstone today is in far better shape than during the time of our forefathers.  However, the Blackstone continues to receive runoff from storm drains, domestic and industrial discharge from the City of Worcester (where the Blackstone is relatively small and, for the most part, built over by city streets), as well as the majority of its flow (~56 million gallons a day) from the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District during the summer months, essentially providing a new baseflow for the river.  This facility is impressive in size and represents a visible change in how we view resources like the Blackstone River today.  This facility makes for an impressive tour and the quality of outflow is as clear as tap water, although the employees would not recommend drinking it without further "municipal-style" treatment.

Upper Blackstone Water Polltuion Abatement District From UBWPAD - Web Site

Though the Blackstone plant effectively treats ~90% of the biological contaminants during normal operations, it accounts for ~75% to ~85% of the metals (cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, and zinc) discharged into the Blackstone River in Massachusetts. The Blackstone plant serves seven communities, including Worcester, MA, the 2nd largest city in Massachusetts and 3rd largest in New England.  The output of this facility is the discharge of treated wastewater into the Blackstone River, and the burning of the sludge that is removed from the wastewater during treatment.  This facility can be viewed as a mechanism for aggregating NPS into a point-source that is then subject to the type of monitoring and control we have learned to do well over the past few decades.  Compared to the alternative of thousands of septic systems left to the upkeep of individuals and businesses, the Blackstone plant is a benefit to the river.  However, the Blackstone plant only treats some categories of NPS being aggregated and needs upgrades and improvements to keep pace with regional development.

The Blackstone River is now slowly returning to multiple use, but the its past is still affecting the present, as is the increasing population's demand upon the waterway and its watershed.

The Blackstone River continues to show high concentrations of many pollutants including fecal coliform bacteria, nitrogen, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), and many metals (cadmium, copper, nickel, chromium, and lead) where it discharges into upper Narragansett Bay.  If point sources are eliminated, NPS accounts for much of this pollution in the river originating from sewage discharges (washing the car, fertilizing the lawn and garden), sewer overflows (pavement and disturbed areas being "washed" by the rain), urban and agricultural runoff, and leaching from active and abandoned landfills.

The Blackstone itself, by virtue of its history, can also be a source of some of these pollutants, most notably from continamted sediments located adjacent to dams from the Blackstone’s early days during the industrial revolution, as well as from the contaminated grounds around these long-used industrial locations.

Fisherville Mill - Grafton, MA

This 16-acre EPA Superfund Site is located on the west bank of the Blackstone River in Grafton, Massachusetts, and is surrounded by a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential land use.  Fisherville Mill was in continuous use for over 100 years, from 1832 until 1986, manufacturing lawn furniture, textiles, and machine parts.  It was also used for general warehouse storage. This mill is one of the 5 remaining 19^th century mills within town limits.

Fisherville Mill is representative of the many former industrial manufacturing sites along the Blackstone.  These mills were often the center of a local "village" that grew up around it providing housing and services for the workforce.  Typically, these villages came to ce called by thier own names and often operated as semi-autonimous townships. Today, these areas are essentially neighborhoods surrounding the mill site that is either open space, the site of redevelopment, or vacant buildings left to the elements.  The Fisherville Mill Site was abandoned property left by the previous businesses that once owned and operated the mill over the years, but no longer exist.  Fisherville Mill fell victim to a suspected arsonist's fire in 1999 requiring an emergency responce from the EPA and the MA Dept. of Environmental Protection. The mill building itself presented an environmental hazard because of its construction materials including asbestos, and the various fuels used to operate and heat the mill have been casually treated over the years contaminating the ground in and around the complex.  Also, the materials used in the manufacture of various products at the mill have contaminated the mill complex and the surrounding area. The Blackstone Canal forms the western boundary to the site.  The canal's current water level must be maintained to ensure a hydraulic gradient sufficient to keep the groundwater plume from moving towards the residential area to the west and southwest. Two public water supply wells serving the South Grafton Water District, the present-day expression of the village centered around the mill, are located approximately 350 meters south of the Fishervill Mill site near the banks of the Blackstone River.

Fisherville Mills, Grafton, MA, 1832 From: Postcard, Courtesy of Mark Liasson 1999 Fisherville Mills Fire From: Worcester Telegram & Gazette

The variety of materials that were transported by the Blackstone River from the numerous mills along its banks to Narrangansett Bay is documented in a 1936 report and summarized below:

Clearly the Blackstone River is not being directly used in the same fashion today as it has been is years past, but the stresses on the watershed are often no less damaging.  The above list from 1936 includes metals, chemicals, animal wastes, etc.  By definition, non-point source polltuion includes metals, animal waste, bacteria, road salt, lawn runoff, and sediment, as well as turbidity - a mesure of how turbid, or cloudy, the water is.  It becomes a trivial exercise to place the various NPS pollutants of today with the point-sources of the past into the same categories. For example, the "Chemical" category would include the "Lawn Runoff" of Today and the "Waste Feed" or "Ammonia By-products" of the 19^th century.

Summary

As noted in the introduction, the Blackstone River has a long, hard-working history that includes the birth of the Industrial Revolution in this country.  The Blackstone valley has always been a scenic region that has much to offer those who live and visit.  The perception of what the river has to offer, however, has changed from that of the 17^th century as evidenced by the establishment of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridore and the regulation of what is discharged into the river.  With the overview of Blacktone presented above, it becomes evident that this river offers an opportunity to study the complexities of long-term human impact on the 7^th largest river system in the Northeast and the progress of the various remediation efforts underway.

What Next?

The information presented here is meant to provide a context to better understand two specific locations presented during the Field Trip available on this site.  During the field trip, additional information detailing the environmental issues of the locations visite, as well as the river itself, will be presented.

Field Trip

Resources on the Web

References

Kimball, Douglas, 2002,
   Blackstone Valley Education Network: Environmental History and River Ecology
   Massachusetts Audubon Society/Broad Meadow Brook, Worcester, MA

Kevin C. Klyberg, circa 2001,
   General History of the Blackstone Valley
   John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor/National Park Service

Goody, Clancy & Associates; and Carol R. Johnson Associates; 1997,
   Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment
   The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission

WPA Project No. 65-14-8071, 1936,
   Report on Sources of Pollution: Blackstone River Valey, Massachusetts:
   Sponsored by Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA

Wright, Nolan, Pincumbe, Hartman, Viator, 2001,
   Water Quality Analysis of the Blackstone River
   Under Wet and Dry Weather Conditions
   Blackstone River Initiative, EPA New England

US Army Corps of Engineers, 1997,
   Blackstone River Watershed Reconnaissance Investigation, Volume 1 of 2
   Blackstone River Initiative, EPA New England
   Massachusetts and Rhode Island - Main Report and Appendices

US Army Corps of Engineers, 1997,
   Blackstone River Watershed Reconnaissance Investigation, Volume 2 of 2
   Blackstone River Initiative, EPA New England
   Massachusetts and Rhode Island - Additional Appendices

US Army Corps of Engineers, 1994,
   Blackstone River Restoration Study
   Section 22 - Planning Assistance to States Program

Weinstein, Kennedy, Colonna-Romano, et al., 2001,
   Blackstone River Basin 1998 Water Quality Assessment Report
   Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection,
   Division of Watershed Management, Worcester, MA

US EPA Blackstone Team, 1995,
   Blackstone River Watershed Resource Assessment and Management Plan
   Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection,
   Office of Watershed Management and US Environmental Protection Agency

© 2006 Stephen C. Daukas