The goal of the Clean Water Act (cwa) is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters

Recommendations

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  evaluate impacts to French Stream from point and potential sources of pollution (e.g., South Weymouth Naval Air Station property, Rockland WWTP, golf course, developments),
  
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  address the documented chronic toxicity to Pimephales promelas, and
  
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  assess more fully the status of the Aquatic Life Use.
  

Conduct bacteria sampling to evaluate effectiveness of non-point source pollution control activities and to assess the status of the Primary and Secondary Contact Recreational uses.

Location: From Whiting Street, Hanover through Forge Pond to the inlet of Factory Pond, Hanover.

Segment Length: 3.5 miles

Classification: Class B, Warm Water Fishery

Land-use estimates (top 3, excluding water) for the 21.0 mi² subwatershed (map inset, gray shaded area):

Forest 44%

Residential 35%

Open Land 7%
The Drinkwater River is listed on the 2002 Integrated List of Waters in Category 5. This segment is impaired due to metals and a TMDL is required (MassDEP 2003a).
The MassDEP is supervising the “Fireworks Site” investigation through the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP). The following information was taken from the North and South Rivers Watershed Association website (NSRWA 2005a).

The Fireworks Site is 240 acres of property generally located between King and Winter Streets in the Town of Hanover. The Site is bounded on the east by Winter Street, on the west by King Street and the Drinkwater River wetland, on the north by First Street and on the South by Factory Pond. Factory Pond discharges to the Indian Head River, which flows eastward to the North River. Historical activities at the Site included the research and development and manufacture of munitions and pyrotechnics for the U.S. Government between approximately 1907 and 1970 and commercial manufacture of civilian fireworks for some period. Lead, mercury, and various organic solvents, among other chemicals, were used in certain manufacturing processes and research and development activities during the facility's operational lifetime. Following closure of the facility, U.S. military personnel destroyed government-owned raw materials and explosives at the Site. Several years later, the Town of Hanover purchased approximately 130 acres of the Site in the general area of Factory Pond. The Town continues to maintain the area for conservation purposes and has also built the Municipal Garage for the DPW on a parcel off of Ames Way. The remaining acreage was sold in May 1983 to Drinkwater Investment Corporation. It was subsequently subdivided and portions sold, creating a multi-tenant, commercial/industrial park. After conducting surface water, sediment, and fish tissue sampling for mercury, lead, and other metals, MassDEP issued Notices of Responsibility for the Fireworks Site on October 20, 1995 to Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Coating Corporation, Susquehanna Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Defense based on their alleged status as either former owners, operators, generators, or transporters, or successors to former site owners, operators, generators, or transporters. The cooperating parties completed a Phase I Investigation and the site was classified as a Tier 1A site (which requires direct oversite by MassDEP) in October 1997. Because of the complexity and size of the site, the Phase II Comprehensive Site Investigations are being conducted in phases (e.g., Phase IIA, IIB, etc.).

MDFW conducted backpack electrofishing in Ben Mann Brook in September 2001. Sampling yielded only four redfin pickerel (Richards 2003).