Particle-bound metal transport after removal of a small dam in the Pawtuxet River, Rhode Island, USA.

Abstract

The Pawtuxet River in Rhode Island, USA, has a long history of industrial activity and pollutant discharges. Metal contamination of the river sediments is well documented and historically exceeded toxicity thresholds for a variety of organisms. The Pawtuxet River dam, a low-head dam at the mouth of the river, was removed in August 2011. The removal of the dam was part of an effort to restore the riverine ecosystem after centuries of anthropogenic impact. Sediment traps were deployed below the dam to assess changes in metal concentrations and fluxes (Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from the river system into Pawtuxet Cove. Sediment traps were deployed for an average duration of 24 days each, and deployments continued for 15 months after the dam was removed. Metal concentrations in the trapped suspended particulate matter dropped after dam removal (e.g., 460 to 276 mg/kg for Zn) and remained below preremoval levels for most of the study. However, particle-bound metal fluxes increased immediately after dam removal (e.g., 1206 to 4248 g/day for Zn). Changes in flux rates during the study period indicated that river volumetric flow rates acted as the primary mechanism controlling the flux of metals into Pawtuxet Cove and ultimately upper Narragansett Bay. Even though suspended particulate matter metal concentrations initially dropped after removal of the dam, no discernable effect on the concentration or flux of the study metals exiting the river could be associated with removal of the Pawtuxet River dam. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:675-685. Published 2016. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.