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|  | Suspended-Sediment Characteristics in the Housatonic River Basin, Western Massachusetts andParts of Eastern New York and Northwestern Connecticut, 1994-1996
 **Water Resources Investigations Report 00-4059**

**By Gardner C. Bent**
          
**ABSTRACT**
      Suspended-sediment concentrations, discharges, loads,and yields were determined for eightsubbasins in the Housatonic River Basin in westernMassachusetts, eastern New York, and northwestern Connecticut from April 1994 throughMarch 1996. Suspended-sediment samples were collected at three continuous-record sedimentstations and at four partial-record sediment stations. Suspended-sediment concentrationsin samples collected during theperiod of study ranged from less than 0.5 to3,400 milligrams per liter, and concurrent streamflowsranged from 0.03 to 126 cubic feetper second per square mile at the seven stations. Mediansuspended-sediment concentrations insamples collected at each station ranged from 7 to61 milligrams per liter. Median streamflows duringsuspended-sediment sampling ranged from 1.86to 5.88 cubic feet per second per square mile. Instantaneoussuspended-sediment yields ranged fromless than 0.005 to 185 tons per day per square mile,and medians ranged from 0.03 to 1.12 tons perday per square mile at the seven stations. 

      Totalsuspended-sediment loads (mass) fromApril 1994 through March 1996 at the continuous-recordsediment stations were 11,603tons at Housatonic River near Great Barrington,7,929 tons at Green River, and 54,347tons at Housatonic River near Ashley Falls. Suspended-sedimentload during January 1996 at theGreen River station accounted for about 54 percentof the total suspended-sediment load for theGreen River during the 2-year study. Suspended-sedimentload on January 19 and 20, 1996,at the Green River station accounted for about50 percent of the January 1996 suspended-sediment load,or about 27 percent of the total suspended-sedimentload during the 2-year study. Thislarge suspended-sediment transport was the resultof rainfall and snowmelt on January 19 and20, 1996--the equivalent of a 5- to 6-inch rainstorm in the Green River subbasin. Total suspended-sedimentloads during the 2-year study atthe partial-record sediment stations were 3,052tons at Williams River, 1,758 tons at IronworksBrook, and 17,927 tons at Konkapot River.

      Suspended-sediment yields from April1994 through March 1996 at the continuous-record sediment stations were 21 (tons/yr)/mi2 at Housatonic River near GreatBarrington, 78(tons/yr)/mi2 atGreen River, and 58(tons/yr)/mi2 atHousatonic River near Ashley Falls.Suspended-sediment yields during the 2- yearstudy at the partial-record sediment stations were35 (tons/yr)/mi2 atWilliams River, 78(tons/yr)/mi2 atIronworks Brook, and 147(tons/yr)/mi2 atKonkapot River. Suspended-sediment yieldswere estimated for two subbasins inthe Housatonic River Basin--Schenob Brook at  Sheffield,a partial-record sediment station, and thearea adjacent to the Housatonic River between GreatBarrington and Ashley Falls. The estimate of suspended-sedimentyield at Schenob Brook at Sheffieldof 82 (tons/yr)/mi2 is comparable to the yield determined for the Green Riverand Ironworks Brook. Theestimate of suspended-sediment yieldfor the area adjacent to the HousatonicRiver between Great Barrington and AshleyFalls was 395 (tons/yr)/mi2. This estimated suspended-sediment yield was 2.7 to18.8 times greater thanthat estimated for any of the other subbasins.

      Several basin and land-use characteristics thoughtto affect suspended-sediment transport in thesubbasins were compared to the suspended-sediment yields.The characteristics that seemed to affectsuspended-sediment discharge were dams, whichcontributes to decreased yields; Hadley, Limerick,Linlithgo, Saco, and Winooski silt loam soils(high erodibility soils), which contributes to increasedyields; stratified-drift deposits, which contributesto increased yields; and agricultural andopen land, which contributes to increased yields.The effect of stratified-drift deposits on suspended-sedimentdischarge is thought to be greaterwhen those deposits are of glaciolacustrine (generallyclay, silt, and fine sand), rather than glaciofluvial(clay, silt, sand, gravel, and cobbles) origin.The silt loam soils, glaciolacustrine deposits,and agricultural and open land are interrelated,inasmuch as the silt loam soils generallyare associated with glaciolacustrine depositsand agricultural activities.**AVAILABILITY**
** Table of Contents**

**List of Figures**
**List of Tables**
         

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Cover and title                                  (24 KB)        - 3 pages

Contents                                           (44 KB)        - 4 pages

Report                                         (2,245 KB)        - 54 pages                      
Appendixes                                  (2,817 KB)        - 67 pages                      
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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological SurveyPersistent URL: http://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/wri/wri004059/		Page Contact Information: USGS Publishing NetworkLast modified: Wednesday, December 07 2016, 12:40:24 PM	    |
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