| Abstract: | The headwaters of Hop Brook near Marlborough, Massachusetts, contain a series of three in-line ponds--Hager Pond, Brist Millpond, and Carding Millpond--which receive over half of their surface-water inflow as effluent from the Marlborough Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. These ponds have a history of summer algal blooms and fish kills. Water entering these ponds contains quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus far higher than the levels known to promote excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. As the water moves through the three ponds, nitrogen levels decrease. Although some nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere by denitrification, the bulk of the nitrogen probably is retained in the pond sediments. There is a net decrease in phosphorus in the water leaving Carding Millpond compared to the water entering Hager Pond. However, during most sampling periods, the phosphorus concentration of water leaving Carding Millpond is still above the level known to cause excessive growth of aquatic vegetation in lakes. During certain summer periods, there appears to be release of some phosphorus from the sediments in Carding and Grist Millponds. No improvement in water quality of the three ponds can be expected until the concentrations of nutrients entering Hager Pond are reduced to levels that will not support excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. (USGS) |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 26338 |
| Citation Author: | Briggs, John C.; Silvey, William D. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | |
| Citation Datum: | |
| Citation Day: | |
| Citation Edition: | - |
| Citation Editor: | |
| Citation End Page: | |
| Citation Issue: | |
| Citation Keywords: | |
| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | |
| Citation LatN: | |
| Citation LatS: | |
| Citation LonE: | |
| Citation LonW: | |
| Citation Month: | |
| Citation No Pagination: | |
| Citation Number Of Pages: | |
| Citation Online Only Flag: | |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | iv, 55 p. :ill., map ;28 cm. |
| Citation Projection: | |
| Citation Public Comments: | |
| Citation Publisher: | U.S. Geological Survey, |
| Citation Series: | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Citation Series Code: | WRI |
| Citation Series Number: | 84-4017 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Source, movement, and effects of nitrogen and phosphorus in three ponds in the headwaters of Hop Brook, Marlborough, Massachusetts; 1984; WRI; 84-4017; Briggs, John C.; Silvey, William D. |
| Citation Start Page: | |
| Citation Volume: | |
| Citation Year: | 1984 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Source, movement, and effects of nitrogen and phosphorus in three ponds in the headwaters of Hop Brook, Marlborough, Massachusetts; 1984; WRI; 84-4017; Briggs, John C.; Silvey, William D. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/wri844017/ |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Jan 1994 00:00 -0600 |
| Publisher: | U.S. Geological Survey, |
