Phillipsdale Landing
Overall, water quality at Phillipsdale Landing was fair to good this week. Weather conditions were slightly drier than the previous week, with a total of 0.31 inches recorded at T.F. Green, and the majority of rainfall occurring on the 10th. The Blackstone River flow decreased throughout the week, exceeding the 20-year daily median until the 15th. Salinity at the surface averaged 8.4 ppt and ranged from 2.8 ppt to 21.8 ppt. At the bottom, salinity averaged 20.1 ppt and ranged from 4.2 ppt to 27.9 ppt. Temperatures this week averaged 20.1 °C at the surface and 17.6 °C at the bottom. Surface temperatures ranged from 17.5 °C to 23.4 °C, while bottom temperatures ranged from 15.0 °C to 22.6 °C.
Dissolved oxygen (DO) at Phillipsdale Landing remained above the hypoxia threshold (i.e., DO >2.9 mg/L) throughout the week. Surface DO averaged 8.0 mg/L and ranged from 4.9 to 10.6 mg/L. Bottom water DO concentration averaged 5.1mg/L and ranged from 3.3 mg/L to 8.9 mg/L. Chlorophyll ranged from low to moderate levels throughout the week, averaging 8.1 ug/L at the surface and 10.1 ug/L at the bottom. Maximum surface chlorophyll readings reached 24.9 ug/L on the evening of June 13th. Please note that tidal fluctuations and Blackstone River flows greatly influence water column salinity, temperature, and DO at this location.
Bullock Reach
The Bullock Reach Buoy sondes were deployed for the season on June 10th, 2025. Overall, water quality ranged from fair to good at Bullock Reach this week. Salinity averaged 22.7 ppt, 26.8 ppt, and 30.5 ppt at the surface, middle, and bottom sondes, respectively. Surface salinity ranged from 15.4 to 26.4 ppt, mid salinity ranged from 21.7 to 29.8 ppt, and bottom salinity ranged from 29.0 to 31.5 ppt. Surface temperature averaged 19.0 °C and ranged from 17.0 °C to 20.9 °C. Mid temperatures averaged 17.7 °C and ranged from 15.5 °C to 20.3 °C. Bottom temperatures averaged 14.9 °C and ranged from 13.8 °C to 16.7 °C.
DO at Bullock Reach remained above the hypoxia threshold (i.e., DO >2.9 mg/L) throughout the week. Surface DO averaged 10.5 mg/L and ranged from 6.1 to 14.2 mg/L. In the mid waters, DO averaged 7.6 mg/L and ranged from 4.6 to 12.0 mg/L. At the bottom, DO averaged 4.9 mg/L and ranged 4.3 to 6.1mg/L. Chlorophyll readings ranged from low to elevated, with evidence of substantial phytoplankton blooms occurring throughout the week. Readings averaged 32.9 µg/L at the surface, 31.3 µg/L at mid-depth, and 6.0 µg/L at the bottom. The maximum surface chlorophyll was 78.7 µg/L on the evening of June 14th.