Tara Franey

June 9 – June 15, 2025

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.

June 2 – June 8, 2025

Phillipsdale Landing

Sondes were swapped this week on June 3rd. Overall, water quality at Phillipsdale Landing was fair to good this week. Weather conditions included moderate rain, with a total of 0.56 inches recorded at T.F. Green, and the majority of rainfall occurring on the 7th.  The Blackstone River flow peaked on the 7th, exceeding the 20-year daily median, before which flows remained near the 20-year daily median. Salinity at the surface averaged 3.6 ppt and ranged from 1.3 ppt to 7.1 ppt. At the bottom, salinity averaged 14.6 ppt and ranged from 2.7 ppt to 28.0 ppt. Temperatures this week averaged 20.6 °C at the surface and 17.8 °C at the bottom. Surface temperatures ranged from 16.3 °C to 24.7 °C, while bottom temperatures ranged from 14.2 °C to 23.2 °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 9.0 mg/L and ranged from 6.3 -12.4 mg/L. Bottom water DO concentration averaged 5.9 mg/L and ranged from 3.6 mg/L to 10.0 mg/L. Chlorophyll was low in the beginning of the week, but then increased, averaging 6.2 ug/L at the surface and 9.2 ug/L at the bottom. Maximum surface chlorophyll readings reached 32.0 ug/L near midday on June 7th. 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 remains out of the water for the winter.  EM will coordinate with RIDEM to redeploy the buoy in late spring-early summer.

July 30, 2025

Surface chlorophyll data were collected on July 30, 2025, while the R/V Monitor was underway collecting nutrient samples in the Providence and Seekonk River estuary. The average chlorophyll concentrations were categorized as fair in all individual areas surveyed as well as in the overall survey area. Overall, chlorophyll ranged from 1.1 µg/L to 46.06 µg/L with an average of 10.06 µg/L. The chlorophyll concentrations from this date are presented in the map below using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation. 

July 23, 2025

Surface chlorophyll data were collected on July 23, 2025, while the R/V Monitor was underway collecting nutrient samples in the Providence and Seekonk River estuary. The average chlorophyll concentrations were categorized as good in the Seekonk River, and as fair in all other areas. The average chlorophyll concentrations were categorized as fair over all areas surveyed. Overall, chlorophyll ranged from 2.85 µg/L to 28.47 µg/L with an average of 7.25 µg/L. The chlorophyll concentrations from this date are presented in the map below using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation.

July 2, 2025

Surface chlorophyll data were collected on July 2, 2025, while the R/V Monitor was underway collecting nutrient samples in the Providence and Seekonk River estuary. The average chlorophyll concentrations were categorized as poor in the Seekonk River, and as fair in all other areas. The average chlorophyll concentrations were categorized as fair over all areas surveyed. Overall, chlorophyll ranged from 1.47 µg/L to 145.88 µg/L with an average of 17.45 µg/L. The chlorophyll concentrations from this date are presented in the map below using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation. 

May 26 – June 1, 2025

Phillipsdale Landing

Overall, water quality at Phillipsdale Landing was good this week. Weather conditions were slightly dryer this week than previous weeks, with a total of 0.53 inches recorded at T.F. Green, and the majority of rainfall occurring on the 31st.  The Blackstone River flow decreased throughout the week, but remained above the 20-year daily median for the entire week. Salinity at the surface averaged 4.4 ppt and ranged from 1.4 ppt to 15.6 ppt. At the bottom, salinity averaged 11.1 ppt and ranged from 2.0 ppt to 26.4 ppt. Temperatures this week averaged 17.0 °C at the surface and 16.0 °C at the bottom. Surface temperatures ranged from 13.2 °C to 19.5 °C, while bottom temperatures ranged from 12.6 °C to 19.3 °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 8.8 mg/L and ranged from 6.8 -10.4 mg/L. Bottom water DO concentration averaged 7.8 mg/L and ranged from 5.5 mg/L to 10.4 mg/L. Chlorophyll was low, averaging 1.5 ug/L at the surface and 1.8 ug/L at the bottom. Maximum surface chlorophyll readings reached 4.4 ug/L in the early morning of May 31st. 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 remains out of the water for the winter.  EM will coordinate with RIDEM to redeploy the buoy in late spring-early summer.

May 19 – May 25, 2025

Phillipsdale Landing

Overall, water quality at Phillipsdale Landing was fair to good this week. Weather conditions were wet this week, with a total of 2.31 inches recorded at T.F. Green, and the majority of rainfall occurring on the 26th.  The Blackstone River flow peaked on the 23rd and 24th, but remained above the 20-year daily median for the entire week. Salinity at the surface averaged 5.4 ppt and ranged from 0.3 ppt to 12.7 ppt. At the bottom, salinity averaged 12.3 ppt and ranged from 0.1 ppt to 37.2 ppt; however, the salinity data for the first part of the week also exhibits some anomalous behavior, and may be tied to a sensor malfunction. Temperatures this week averaged 14.6 °C at the surface and 13.7 °C at the bottom. Surface temperatures ranged from 12.0 °C to 19.1 °C, while bottom temperatures ranged from 12.2 °C to 18.0 °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 9.2 mg/L and ranged from 7.1 -11.4 mg/L. Bottom water DO concentration averaged 7.6 mg/L and ranged from 3.4 mg/L to 11.3 mg/L. Chlorophyll was low, averaging 1.1 ug/L at the surface and 1.5 ug/L at the bottom. Maximum surface chlorophyll readings reached 2.4 ug/L. Please note that tidal fluctuations and Blackstone River flows greatly influence water column salinity, temperature, and DO at this location.

The bottom sonde had a malfunctioning depth sensor, thus no depth data is available for the bottom sonde until the sondes were swapped out on May 20th.

Bullock Reach

The Bullock Reach Buoy remains out of the water for the winter.  EM will coordinate with RIDEM to redeploy the buoy in late spring-early summer.

​May 12 – May 18, 2025

Phillipsdale Landing

Overall, water quality at Phillipsdale Landing was fair to good this week. Weather conditions were wet this week, with a total of 1.38 inches recorded at T.F. Green, and the majority of rainfall occurring on the 15th.  The Blackstone River flow peaked on the 16th and remained above the 20-year daily median for the entire week. Salinity at the surface averaged 1.8 ppt and ranged from 0.4 ppt to 4.2 ppt. At the bottom, salinity averaged 9.1 ppt and ranged from 0.0 ppt to 32.8 ppt; however, the salinity data for the first part of the week also exhibits some anomalous behavior, and may be tied to a sensor malfunction. Temperatures this week averaged 18.2 °C at the surface and 16.1 °C at the bottom. Surface temperatures ranged from 14.7 °C to 20.6 °C, while bottom temperatures ranged from 11.8 °C to 20.1 °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 9.0 mg/L and ranged from 7.8 -10.4 mg/L. Bottom water DO concentration averaged 7.1 mg/L and ranged from 3.9 mg/L to 9.9 mg/L. Chlorophyll was low, averaging 0.9 ug/L at the surface and 2.7 ug/L at the bottom. Maximum surface chlorophyll readings reached 3.7 ug/L, recorded on the afternoon of May 12th. Please note that tidal fluctuations and Blackstone River flows greatly influence water column salinity, temperature, and DO at this location.

The bottom sonde had a malfunctioning depth sensor this week, thus no depth data is available for the bottom sonde. The salinity data for this week also exhibits some anomalous behavior, and may have been malfunctioning.

Bullock Reach

The Bullock Reach Buoy remains out of the water for the winter.  EM will coordinate with RIDEM to redeploy the buoy in late spring-early summer.

​May 5- May 11, 2025

Phillipsdale Landing

The Phillipsdale Landing sondes were deployed for the season on May 6, 2025. Overall, water quality at Phillipsdale Landing was fair to good this week. Weather conditions were wet this week, with a total of 3.51 inches recorded at T.F. Green, and the majority of rainfall occurring on the 5th, 6th, and 9th.  The Blackstone River flow increased on the 5th and remained above the 20-year daily median for the remainder of the week. Salinity at the surface averaged 2.2 ppt and ranged from 0.5 ppt to 6.2 ppt. At the bottom, salinity averaged 11.3 ppt and ranged from 0.0 ppt to 28.4 ppt. Temperatures this week averaged 16.9 °C at the surface and 15.0 °C at the bottom. Surface temperatures ranged from 14.2 °C to 19.6 °C, while bottom temperatures ranged from 11.8 °C to 18.3 °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 9.3 mg/L and ranged from 7.9 -10.6 mg/L. Bottom water DO concentration averaged 7.1 mg/L and ranged from 3.9 mg/L to 10.3 mg/L. Chlorophyll was low, averaging 2.11 ug/L at the surface and 4.5 ug/L at the bottom. Maximum surface chlorophyll readings reached 20.8 ug/L, recorded on the morning of May 6th. Please note that tidal fluctuations and Blackstone River flows greatly influence water column salinity, temperature, and DO at this location.

The bottom sonde had a malfunctioning depth sensor this week, thus no depth data is available for the bottom sonde.

Bullock Reach

The Bullock Reach Buoy remains out of the water for the winter.  EM will coordinate with RIDEM to redeploy the buoy in late spring-early summer.

 June 25, 2025

Nutrient samples were collected from seven river stations and seven bay stations on June 25th. All bay stations were sampled at the surface and bottom. In the five days prior to sampling, there were 0.01 inches of precipitation recorded at T.F. Green. 

Among the river stations sampled, the highest total nitrogen (TN) was observed at Blackstone River @ Stateline (917 ppb). The highest total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were observed at Woonasquatucket River @ Valley St. (TDN = 946 ppb, DIN = 734.5, average of duplicates). The lowest TN, TDN and DIN were observed at Pawtuxet River @ Broad St. (TN = 587 ppb, TDN = 349 ppb, DIN = 41.9 ppb).

Among the bay stations sampled, the highest surface TN was observed at Phillipsdale Landing (973 ppb). The highest TDN and DIN were observed at Pawtuxet Cove (TDN = 546 ppb, DIN = 319.7 ppb). The lowest surface TN was observed at India Point Park (468 ppb). The lowest surface TDN was observed at Bullock Reach Buoy (151 ppb). The lowest surface DIN was observed at five of seven bay stations (13 ppb, reflecting minimum detection limits for DIN).

The next scheduled sampling date is July 8th, 2025.​

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