Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During 

Water Year 2014

Open-File Report 2015–1127

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island 

During Water Year 2014

By Richard J. Verdi and Roy S. Socolow

Open-File Report 2015–1127

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015

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Suggested citation:

Verdi, R.J., and Socolow, R.S., 2015, Hydrologic conditions in Rhode Island during water year 2014: U.S. Geological 

Survey Open-File Report 2015–1127, 8 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151127.

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Funding for Hydrologic Data Collection in Rhode Island ........................................................................1

Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island ......................................................................................................2

Precipitation...........................................................................................................................................2

Surface-Water Discharge ...................................................................................................................2

Groundwater Levels .............................................................................................................................2

Summary..........................................................................................................................................................8

Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................................8

References Cited............................................................................................................................................8

Figures

1. Map and data of Rhode Island monitoring stations used in assessing hydrologic 

conditions in 2014 .........................................................................................................................3

2. A–D, Graphs showing cumulative precipitation for water year 2014 relative to 

normal cumulative precipitation in selected locations in Rhode Island .............................4

3. A–D, Discharge hydrographs for four representative streams in Rhode Island 

for water year 2014.......................................................................................................................5

4. A–D, Groundwater hydrographs for four representative wells in Rhode Island 

for water year 2014.......................................................................................................................7

Tables

1. Mean annual discharge of selected streams for water years 2014, 2013, and for 

the period of record......................................................................................................................6

2. Record-low minimum monthly mean discharges during water year 2014 compared 

with the period of record.............................................................................................................6
iv

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to International System of Units

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Datum

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Abbreviations

ADR annual data report

CBR Collection of Basic Records [Program]

NSIP National Streamflow Information Program

NWIS National Water Information System

USGS U.S. Geological Survey
Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During Water Year 

2014

By Richard J. Verdi and Roy S. Socolow

Abstract

Hydrologic data and conditions throughout Rhode Island 

during water year 2014 are presented in this report. Stream 

discharge and groundwater level conditions varied geographically across the State. Ten streamgages reached record-low 

minimum monthly mean discharges during the year, and a 

record-high maximum groundwater level was observed at one 

groundwater well.

Introduction

Prior to 1960, hydrologic data collected by the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Rhode Island were 

published in various water-supply papers and included waterrelated data collected by the USGS during a water year.1

In 1961, a series of annual reports titled “Water-Resources 

Data for Rhode Island” was introduced; those reports 

contained only surface-water data. In 1964, a similar report 

was introduced for the purpose of publishing water-quality 

data. In 1975, surface-water data, water-quality data, and 

groundwater-level data were published in a single volume 

annual report. Formal publication of the annual report series 

was discontinued at the end of water year 2004. Reports 

describing data collected during water years 2005 through 

2013 are available as site data sheets from the USGS annual 

water data report Web site (U.S. Geological Survey, 2015a), 

which facilitates the retrieval of reports for stations throughout 

the United States. Beginning with water year 2014, reports 

describing data collected during the water year are being 

published as annual water summaries and are available 

from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS; 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2015g). Current and historical data, 

including site information, daily values, statistics, and field 

measurements, are available for all monitoring stations on the 

USGS NWIS (U.S. Geological Survey, 2015g).

In this report, monitoring station refers to a streamgage, 

groundwater well, or precipitation gage. Instantaneous 

1

A water year is the 12-month period beginning October 1 and ending 

September 30. It is designated by the year in which it ends.

time-series data for the past 10 to 15 years are available for 

many characteristics, including gage height, discharge, water 

temperature, specific conductance, and other parameters. 

As a result of the evolution of electronic data loggers, 

computer systems have made it possible to store and provide 

access to such data for many USGS monitoring stations. 

These instantaneous time-series data are typically recorded 

at intervals of 60 minutes or less and are the basis for 

computations of daily values for discharge, water level, and 

other hydrologic variables (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014).

This report summarizes hydrologic data and conditions at 

representative well and stream sites throughout Rhode Island 

for water year 2014. Precipitation and water-level data for 

select sites are shown graphically. Discharge data for select 

sites are shown graphically and listed in tables.

Funding for Hydrologic Data Collection 

in Rhode Island

Funding to provide hydrologic data to the public 

primarily comes from four sources: (1) the USGS Cooperative 

Water Program in which the USGS, State, local, and municipal agencies share in the costs of the monitoring stations; 

(2) Federal, State, and local agencies and private entities 

without cost sharing; (3) the USGS National Streamflow 

Information Program (NSIP); and (4) the USGS Collection 

of Basic Records (CBR) Program. The USGS Cooperative 

Water Program funds most of the monitoring stations in 

Rhode Island through cost-sharing agreements with several 

State agencies and local, county, and municipal governments. 

The NSIP provides some Federal funding for streamgages 

with one or more of the following critical interests: interstate 

and international waters, flood forecasts, large river-basin 

outflows, sentinel watersheds, and water quality. The CBR 

Program provides some Federal funding for a basic network of 

groundwater monitoring wells across the Nation.

During water year 2014, funding was received for 

the collection of hydrologic data from 35 continuousdischarge streamgages, 6 continuous-groundwater stations, 

and 27 (including the 6 continuous stations) month-end 
2 Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During Water Year 2014

groundwater-level stations in the USGS Climate Response 

Network. Real-time data for all of the continuous-record 

stations are available from the USGS NWIS (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2015f). The locations of the monitoring streamgages 

and groundwater stations referenced in this report are 

identified in figure 1.

Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island

The hydrologic conditions in Rhode Island during water 

year 2014 are described below, and comparisons are made 

to normal conditions. Normal conditions are defined in this 

report as climate normals (1981–2010 average) for precipitation, the long-term average for the period of record for surface 

water, or the median for the period of record for groundwater. 

Analyses of data are made for precipitation, surface-water 

discharge, and groundwater levels.

Precipitation

The graphs in figures 2A–D show cumulative 

precipitation for water year 2014 relative to normal cumulative 

precipitation in four areas of Rhode Island. The data presented 

in these figures were provided by the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (2015) ACIS database.

Lower than normal precipitation conditions from the 

end of water year 2013 continued into the 2014 water year. 

Precipitation at Providence (fig. 2C) and Kingston (fig. 2A) 

started the year below normal and continued similarly through 

the winter months and into late March. Near normal conditions 

in spring and early summer continued through July. However, 

conditions were below normal once again from August 1 

through the end of the water year. Cumulative precipitation at 

Woonsocket (fig. 2D) and North Foster (fig. 2B) was below 

normal during the entire water year.

The effects of numerous consecutive months of lower 

than normal precipitation were recorded at streamgage 

locations throughout the State. Nine of the locations in the 

long-term streamgage network reported record-low minimum 

monthly mean discharges. These data are discussed in the 

“Surface-Water Discharge” section.

Surface-Water Discharge

Discharge hydrographs for four representative streams 

in Rhode Island are shown in figures 3A–D. Each hydrograph 

shows the monthly mean discharge for water year 2014 

relative to the monthly maximum, minimum, and mean 

discharges for the period of record for the station. Table 1 

presents mean annual discharge for water years 2014 and 

2013 (for comparison), expressed in cubic feet per second and 

as a percentage of the mean annual average for the period of 

record, for the four representative streams.

Monthly mean discharge in streams varied from below 

normal to above normal in Rhode Island during water year 

2014 (figs. 3A–D). Annual rates of mean discharge in streams 

varied from below normal to about normal throughout 

the State (table 1). Conditions were mostly below normal 

throughout the State in the fall and early winter months 

leading up to January. From January through June, conditions 

ranged from about normal to above normal, with the months 

of April and May being the only 2 months when conditions 

at all four streams were above normal. After June, conditions 

steadily declined through the end of the water year with 9 of 

the 22 long-term (more than 20 years of continuous record) 

streamgages in the State recording new minimum monthly 

mean discharges (table 2). Several consecutive months of 

below normal precipitation contributed to many streams 

experiencing periods of record-low minimum monthly mean 

discharges. For example, a new minimum monthly mean 

discharge was recorded at the Branch River at Forestdale, 

RI streamgage (01111500; U.S. Geological Survey, 2015d) 

during September 2014. The new record of 9.26 cubic feet per 

second (ft3/s) exceeds the previous record of 16.4 ft3/s set in 

2002. A second example is Pawcatuck River at Westerly, RI 

streamgage (01118500; U.S. Geological Survey, 2015e) where 

a new minimum monthly mean discharge was recorded during 

September 2014. The new record of 55.1 ft3/s exceeds the 

previous record of 65.7 ft3/s set in 1964.

Groundwater Levels

Groundwater hydrographs for four representative wells in 

Rhode Island are shown in figures 4A–D. Representative wells 

are located in sand and gravel aquifers in glaciated regions. 

Each hydrograph shows the discrete month-end water level 

relative to the maximum, minimum, and monthly median 

water levels for the period of record at that site.

Groundwater levels across the State ranged from 

below normal to above normal. A new maximum monthly 

groundwater level was measured at the Coventry observation 

well (RI–COW 411) in March (fig. 4B; U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2015c). The new record of 17.20 feet below land 

surface exceeds the previous record of 17.45 feet below land 

surface set in 2010. The large increase in water levels from 

February to March is attributed to a precipitation event prior to 

the measurement on April 1. Precipitation in Coventry totaled 

5.10 inches from March 29 through April 1 (National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration, 2015). Similar month-tomonth water-level rises have occurred at this location several 

times in the past. Daily mean groundwater levels for the 

six continuous-recording wells in the State are available as site 

data sheets (U.S. Geological Survey, 2015a). Month-end water 

levels, water-level statistics, and well characteristics for the 

27 wells in the State are part of the Climate Response Network 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2015b).
Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island 3

Groundwater station and identifier 

Rhode Island

Rhode Island

Rhode Island

Tiogue

Lake

Rhode Island Sound

Woonsocket

North 

Foster

Kingston

Kingston

Coventry

Providence

4

3

2

1

3

2

6

5

1

9

8

11

10

4

7

1

1

Streamgage and identifier

Precipitation gage and identifier

EXPLANATION

71°15'

Identifier 

1

2

3

4

Number Name

Groundwater stations

412214071394001

413907071465001

414022071332801

415626071254601

RI-CHW 18

RI-WGW 181

RI-COW 411

RI-CUW 265

South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington, RI

Identifier 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Number Rhode Island location name

Streamgages

11

01109403

01111300

01111500

01114000

01114500

01115187

01116000

01116500

01117500

01118000

01118500

Ten Mile R., Pawtucket Ave., at E. Providence, RI

Nipmuc River near Harrisville, RI

Branch River at Forestdale, RI

Moshassuck River at Providence, RI

Woonasquatucket River at Centerdale, RI

Ponaganset River at South Foster, RI

Pawtuxet River at Cranston, RI

Pawcatuck River at Wood River Junction, RI

Wood River at Hope Valley, RI

Pawcatuck River at Westerly, RI

Block Island

Narragansett Bay

Block Island Sound

Massachusetts

Massachusetts

Connecticut

20 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 15 20 MILES

0 5 10 15

42°

71°45'

41°30'

41°15'

71°30'

Base map from Massachusetts Office of Geographic Information, 2014

North

Smithfield

Burrillville

Glocester

Smithfield

Johnston

Scituate

Cranston

Barrington

Warren

Bristol

Portsmouth

Middletown

Newport

Jamestown

Tiverton

Little

Compton

Narragansett

Coventry

West

Greenwich

East

Greenwich

West

Warwick

Warwick

Exeter

Richmond

Charlestown

Westerly

Hopkinton

North

Kingstown

South

Kingstown

Foster

Cumberland

Lincoln

Pawtucket

Central

Falls

North

Providence

East

Providence

Providence

New

Shoreham

Woonsocket

Figure 1. Rhode Island monitoring stations used in assessing hydrologic conditions in 2014.
4 Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During Water Year 2014

2013–14 

Normal

EXPLANATION

A. Accumulated precipitation, Kingston, Rhode Island

B. Accumulated precipitation, North Foster 1 E, Rhode Island

Oct. 1 Nov. 1 Dec. 1 Jan. 1 Feb. 1 Mar. 1 Apr. 1 May 1 June 1 July 1 Aug. 1 Sept. 1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Precipitation, in inches

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

C. Accumulated precipitation, Providence area, Rhode Island

D. Accumulated precipitation, Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Figure 2. A–D, Cumulative precipitation for water year 2014 relative to normal cumulative precipitation in selected locations 

in Rhode Island. Normal conditions are defined in this report as climate normals (1981–2010 average) for precipitation. 

Accumulated precipitation is measured at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stations.
Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island 5 Monthly mean discharge for period of station record Monthly mean discharge during 2014 water year Annual mean discharge for period of station record Unshaded area shows range between highest and lowest monthly mean discharge for period of station record EXPLANATION

Oct.

2014

75

7050302010

700500300200100

1,000

2014

7050

700500300200100

3,0002,0001,000

2014

7050302010

700500300200100

1,5001,000

2014

7050302010

700500300200100

1,5001,000

A. 01114500 Woonasquatucket River at Centerdale, RI; drainage area, 

 38.3 mi2 (1941–2014)

B. 01116500 Pawtuxet River at Cranston, RI; drainage area, 

 200 mi2 (1939–2014)

355 cfs

2013 20132013

C. 01118000 Wood River at Hope Valley, RI; drainage area, 

 72.4 mi2 (1941–2014)

D. 01117500 Pawcatuck River at Wood River Junction, RI; drainage area, 

 100 mi2 (1940–2014)

2013

199 cfs

75.4 cfs

158 cfs

Discharge, in cubic feet per second Nov. Dec. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Oct. Nov. Dec. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

Figure 3. A–D, Four representative streams in Rhode Island for water year 2014. Each hydrograph shows the monthly mean discharge compared with the monthly 

maximum, minimum, and mean discharges for the period of record for the site. mi2, square mile; ft3/s, cubic foot per second.
6 Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During Water Year 2014 Table 1. Mean annual discharge of selected streams for water years 2014, 2013, and for the period of record. [Station names are from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. ft3/s, cubic feet per second; RI, Rhode Island; NA, not available] USGS station number USGS station name Mean discharge for water year 2014 Mean discharge for water year 2013 Mean annual discharge for period of record Value, in ft3/s Percent of mean annual discharge for period of record Value, in ft3/s Percent of mean annual discharge for period of record Period of record Value, in ft3/s 01114500 Woonasquatucket River at Centerdale, RI 58.1 77 72.3 96 1942–2014 75.4 01116500 Pawtuxet River at Cranston, RI 285 80 346 97 1941–2014 355 01117500 Pawcatuck River at Wood River Junction, RI 194 97 NA NA 1942–2012; 2014 199 01118000 Wood River at Hope Valley, RI 147 93 150 95 1942–2014 158 Table 2. Record-low minimum monthly mean discharges during water year 2014 compared with the period of record.

[Station names are from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. ft3/s, cubic feet per second; RI, Rhode Island]

USGS 

station 

number

USGS station name Period of record

Month of 

record-low 

minimum

2014 water year 

minimum monthly 

mean discharge, 

in ft3/s

Year of previous 

record-low 

minimum monthly 

mean discharge

Historical minimum 

monthly mean 

discharge, 

in ft3/s

01109403 Ten Mile River at Pawtucket Avenue at East Providence, RI 1987–2014 September 16.2 2007 21.801111300 Nipmuc River near Harrisville, RI 1964–1991; 1994–2014 September 0.28 1983 0.3601111500 Branch River at Forestdale, RI 1940–2014 September 9.26 2002 16.401114000 Moshassuck River at Providence, RI 1963–2014 October 5.48 1995 6.3601114500 Woonasquatucket River at Centerdale, RI 1941–2014 September 5.26 1980 6.9901115187 Ponaganset River at South Foster, RI 1994–2014 September 0.24 2005 0.2801116000 South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington, RI 1941–2014 September 22.4 1995 25.501116500 Pawtuxet River at Cranston, RI 1940–2014 September 73.1 1981 83.201117500 Pawcatuck River at Wood River Junction, RI 1941–2014 September 21.1 1980 29.501118500 Pawcatuck River at Westerly, RI 1941–2014 September 55.1 1964 65.7
Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island 

7

2014

68

101214161820

2014

14161820222426

2014

8

1012141618202224

2014

1011121314151617181920

A. 415626071254601, RI–CUW 265, Cumberland, RI (1946–2014) B. 414022071332801, RI–COW 411, Coventry, RI (1961–2014)

2013 2013

2013

C. 412214071394001, RI–CHW 18, Charlestown, RI (1946–2014) D. 413907071465001, RI–WGW 181, West Greenwich, RI (1969–2014)

2013

Water level, in feet below land surface

Monthly median groundwater level for period of well recordMonthly well measurement during 2014 water year

EXPLANATION

Unshaded area shows range between highest and lowestmonthly median groundwater level for period of well record

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

Figure 4. A–D, Four representative wells in Rhode Island for water year 2014. Each hydrograph shows the discrete month-end water level compared with the maximum, minimum, and mean monthly median water level for the period of record at that site.
8 Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During Water Year 2014

Summary

Hydrologic conditions varied geographically across 

Rhode Island during water year 2014. Annual cumulative 

precipitation averaged mostly below normal to about normal 

throughout the State. Stream discharges varied throughout 

the year with 10 sites reaching record-low minimum monthly 

mean discharges. Groundwater levels ranged from below 

normal to above normal with one site recording a new 

maximum water level during the year.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of 

senior hydrographers Linda Comeau and Lance Ramsbey 

and hydrographers Robert Bradley, Christopher Bruet, 

Josh Combs, Emilie Nobles, and Steve O’Brien of the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Surveillance 

Unit in Northborough, Massachusetts, for their efforts in data 

collection and records computations. Thanks are extended 

to Rick Kiah and Dave Armstrong of the USGS for their 

technical reviews of this report.

References Cited

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2015, 

xmACIS2: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration database, accessed April 23, 2015, at 

http://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2014, Instantaneous data archive—

IDA: U.S. Geological Survey Web site, accessed April 2015 

at http://ida.water.usgs.gov/ida/index_usgs.cfm.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2015a, Annual water data reports: 

U.S. Geological Survey Web site, accessed April 2015 at 

http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/.

U.S. Geological Survey, [2015]b, Rhode Island climate 

response network: U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater 

Watch Web page, accessed April 2015 at http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/NetMapT1L2.asp?ncd=crn&sc=44.

U.S. Geological Survey, [2015]c, Site number 

412214071394001—RI–CHW 18: U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Watch Web page, accessed April 2015 

at http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/AWLSites.

asp?S=412214071394001&ncd=awl.

U.S. Geological Survey, [2015]d, USGS 01111500 Branch 

River at Forestdale, RI: U.S. Geological Survey National 

Water Information System Web page, accessed April 2015 

at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ma/nwis/uv?site_no=01111500.

U.S. Geological Survey, [2015]e, USGS 01118500 Pawcatuck 

River at Westerly, RI: U.S. Geological Survey National 

Water Information System Web page, accessed April 2015 

at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=01118500.

U.S. Geological Survey, [2015]f, USGS current water data for 

Rhode Island: U.S. Geological Survey National Water 

Information System Web page, accessed April 2015 at 

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ri/nwis/rt/.

U.S. Geological Survey, [2015]g, USGS water data for Rhode 

Island: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information 

System Web page, accessed April 2015 at http://waterdata.

usgs.gov/ri/nwis/nwis.
For more information concerning this report, contact:

Director, New England Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey 

10 Bearfoot Road 

Northborough, MA 01532

dc_nweng@usgs.gov

or visit our Web site at:

http://ma.water.usgs.gov

http://ri.water.usgs.gov

Publishing support by: 

The Pembroke Publishing Service Center.
Verdi and Socolow—Hydrologic Conditions in Rhode Island During Water Year 2014—Open-File Report 2015–1127

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151127