MS4 Flow and Precipitation Monitoring Project Progress Report

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1 MS4 Flow and Precipitation Monitoring Project Progress Report February 6, 2018 Dave Braun (Stone) and Joe Bartlett (FEA) 1

2 Stormwater-impaired streams in Chittenden and Franklin Counties Stream Allen Brook Bartlett Brook Centennial Brook Englesby Brook Indian Brook Morehouse Brook Munroe Brook Potash Brook Rugg Brook Stevens Brook Sunderland Brook Municipality Williston South Burlington, Shelburne South Burlington, Burlington Burlington, South Burlington Essex Winooski, Colchester Shelburne, South Burlington South Burlington, Burlington St. Albans Town, St. Albans City St. Albans City, St. Albans Town Colchester, Essex Junction 2

3 Streamflow and precipitation monitoring stations 3

4 Flow duration curve for Stevens Brook, St. Albans, VT TMDL to Address Biological Impairment in Stevens Brook, Franklin County, Vermont. October VTDEC 4

5 Stream gauge installation at Allen Brook 5

6 Indian Brook stream gauge 6

7 Stevens Brook Rather typical gauge installation 7

8 Sunderland Brook stream gauge 8

9 Weir plates at Munroe Brook 9

10 Weir plate at Morehouse Brook 10

11 Repairing old USGS weir at Englesby Brook 11

12 Written deliverables during project start up 12

13 2017 Monitoring Year in Review: Tasks Discharge measurements Annual gauge elevation survey Calibrated tipping bucket rain gauges Routine maintenance (approximately monthly) Timelapse camera downloads and battery replacement Staff gauge readings and pressure transducer calibration Desiccant replacement Cleared debris from channel Non-routine maintenance Reed switch replacement on multiple tipping buckets Munroe Brook pressure transducer replacement (kinked cable) Englesby Brook sediment (raised pressure transducer and installed snorkel) Rugg Brook pressure transducer installed lower (exposed) Battery swaps at Potash Brook (winter) Beaver discouragement Data management, including QA/correction of raw rainfall and stage data Web site hosting 13

14 Potash Brook in winter Timelapse camera image 14

15 Wading discharge measurement at Munroe Brook March 28,

16 High flow discharge measurement at Indian Brook using SonTek RiverSurveyor S5 16

17 Low flow discharge measurement at Englesby Brook using collapsible cutthroat flume 17

18 Low flow discharge measurement at Morehouse Brook using volumetric method 18

19 Low flow discharge measurement at Munroe Brook using volumetric method 19

20 Low flow discharge measurement at Allen Brook using continuous rate salt addition 20

21 Discharge measurements Allen Brook Date Time Method Staff Stage Flow (cfs) 8/12/ :35 CRA /28/ :45 CRA /3/ :15 Pygmy /31/ :00 Pygmy /4/ :30 Pygmy /1/ :30 AA /31/ :45 AA /31/2017 7:50 AA /4/ :30 AA /30/2017 9:55 AA /26/ :40 AA /7/2017 9:30 S /30/2017 8:50 S

22 2017 Monitoring Year in Review Good No major instrument damage or dislocation during ice out and high flows No vandalism Conditions allowed reinstallation of pressure transducers in late February and ice cleared out rather early Good data up time (>99%) Weir plates installed at Munroe Brook and Morehouse Brook performed as intended and repairs to the Englesby Brook weir held Discharge measurements generally successful through spring Relatively few problems with backwater conditions created by beavers and debris jams Bad Tipping bucket reed switches needed replacement, with some loss of data Twisted or kinked pressure transducer cable at Munroe Brook resulted in poor stage measurement in the early spring Too slow to remove sediment at Englesby Brook, resulting in dampening of hydrograph peaks between May 25 and July 12, 2017 The water level at the Rugg Brook gauge fell below the pressure transducer in August, resulting in a several days of invalid data. The conduit was repositioned at a lower elevation The pressure transducer at the Morehouse Brook gauge was destroyed when we attempted to remove it in December Beavers created backwater conditions at Sunderland and Stevens Brooks for short periods 22

23 Beaver at Sunderland Brook gauge, caught in the act Dams found in May and November,

24 Modification at Englesby Brook gauge, July 12,

25 2017 Monitoring Year in Review Stage comparisons 25

26 Stage comparisons, Englesby Brook 26

27 PRISM 800-m precipitation grid in Chittenden County 27

28 What we are planning to do differently in 2018 Measurements Develop electronic field form for staff gauge readings and maintenance activities Perform gauge surveys early in spring Perform tipping bucket calibrations in spring Place a bottomless bucket around staff gauges for better readings under turbulent conditions Data management/reporting Timely review of timelapse photographs to identify deviations from recorded stage Complete stage-discharge ratings for all sites by summer Finalize daily mean flow estimation method in winter conditions 2017 annual report Maintenance Routine flushing of pressure transducer conduits to remove sediment Repositioning timelapse cameras at certain stations Cleaning staff plates on every maintenance visit Close watch for beaver activity at known trouble spots Move a solar panel at Potash Brook to increase solar exposure 28

29 MS4 Flow Monitoring Website Flow gages: Standalone rainfall gages: 29

Vermont Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) sites at Lye Brook and Mount Mansfield

Vermont Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) sites at Lye Brook and Mount Mansfield 13 Years of Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture Data Collection September 2000 September 2013 Soil Climate Analysis Network