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Massachusetts is experiencing a significant drought this summer, with the Neponset Watershed categorized as an area facing "severe drought".
During an average rainfall year, stream flows in the Neponset River are heavily impacted by water withdrawal, loss of groundwater recharge from paved areas, and groundwater that leaks into aging sewers and gets carried away. This year's rainfall shortage has made the situation much worse than usual.
According to the Blue Hill Weather Observatory, the watershed received 2.80 inches of rain in the months of June and July, compared to 7.01 inches for the same time frame last year. If this weather pattern continues, it’s likely that parts of the River could dry up completely by late summer for the first time in 40 years.
Staff and volunteers have visually observed the effects of the drought firsthand, with water levels along the Neponset River and its tributaries being markedly lower than usual. According to NepRWA Field Sampling Coordinator, Meghan Rauber, taking water samples for our Citizens Water Monitoring Network Program has been particularly challenging this summer. “Sampling volunteers are telling me that the streams that they monitor on a monthly basis, from May to October, are basically disappearing.”
Another drought indicator is low water discharge, which is a measure of the amount of water flowing through a particular area along a waterway. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has stream gauges in the river that continually measure the water discharge throughout the day. Data from the gauges shows that the decreased precipitation this summer has had a dramatic impact on the river's discharge rate. The usual spike in discharge observed at the beginning of June was nearly 100 cubic feet per second less than the average.
Drought can have significant effects on a watershed. Not only is surface water scarce, but it also greatly impacts the amount of groundwater that’s available. Low water levels puts tremendous pressure not only on the 120,000 people who use Neponset Watershed groundwater as a drinking water supply, but on wildlife as well.
In order to further reduce impacts on the Neponset River, which is at an all-time low, The Neponset River Watershed Association is asking residents to voluntarily stop watering their lawns until the river returns to normal. Residents should also take steps to fix leaking faucets and toilets, which can add up to hundreds of gallons of wasted water per household, per day.
