Watershed Planning Program Mission Statement

We are stewards of the water resources of Massachusetts. Together with other state environmental agencies, we share in the duty and responsibility to protect, enhance and restore the quality and value of the waters of the Commonwealth. We are guided by the Federal Clean Water Act and work to secure the environmental, recreational and public health benefits of clean water for the citizens of Massachusetts.

Organizational strategies utilized to achieve our mission:

Develop and adopt surface water quality standards that optimize these benefits for all the surface waters of the Commonwealth;Periodically examine and characterize these waters and effectively communicate the results of these assessments to our stakeholders;Develop plans and recommendations to protect and restore water quality; and,Coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders to promote stewardship of our valued resources.

Monitoring GoalsDEP monitoring

StrengthsWeaknesses

Recommended programsSMART stations

PartnershipsRecommended Volunteer Roles

Question GoalWhat is the condition of the resource? Status

Is the condition changing over time? Trends

How do we restore and enhance the resource? Restoration

How do we protect and maintain the resource? Protection

How do we improve our programs? Program Support

Question GoalWhat is the condition of the resource? Status

Is the condition changing over time? Trends

How do we restore and enhance the resource? Restoration

How do we protect and maintain the resource? Protection

How do we improve our programs? Program Support

STATUSID Problems

Problems?

RESTORATIONDiagnose and Fix

TRENDSDocument

Improvements

PROGRAMSUPPORT

Improve Programs

Yes

NoPROTECTION

ID Threats

Improvements? No

Threats?No

Yes

Yes

Adding Efficiency

Restore Impaired Waters (TMDL)

100 + POTW’s

1 Billion Gallons/Day

$4.5 Billion

STATUSID Problems

Problems?

RESTORATIONDiagnose and Fix

TRENDSDocument

Improvements

PROGRAMSUPPORT

Improve Programs

Yes

NoPROTECTION

ID Threats

Improvements? No

Threats?No

Yes

Yes

STATUSID Problems

Problems?

RESTORATIONDiagnose and Fix

TRENDSDocument

Improvements

PROGRAMSUPPORT

Improve Programs

Yes

NoPROTECTION

ID Threats

Improvements? No

Threats?No

Yes

Yes

Sha

wsh

een

Islands

Buzzards B

ay

Cape Cod

Merrimack

NorthCoastal

Parker

Hudson Deerfield

Connecticut

Nashua

Ipswich

SuAsCo

WestfieldHousatonic

Charles

Blackstone

Farmington

French

SouthCoastalQuinebaug

TauntonTenMile

Mt. Hope BayNarragansett Bay

Islands

Chicopee

Millers

BostonHarbor

¯0 6 12 18 243Miles

Five Year Basin Cycle

Basin Group (Monitoring Year)

Northeast (2010)

Central (2011)

West (2012)

Southeast (2013)

Midwest (2014)

Regular MeasurementsEstablish baseline conditionsSeasonal variability

Long termTrendsProgram success

Hydrologic contextLoadingsPoint Source/ Nonpoint Source

Goals Attained Issues

Status 18% river miles 82% unmonitored

Restoration Conventional Pollutants

(point sources)

NutrientsToxicsNPS

Trends No $ 4.5 Billion in POTW’s

Protection No Acid RainUrbanization

Climate ChangePrograms No Nutrients

Toxics

Test logistics of fixed site monitoringCan it coexist with 5 year program?

Optimize strategyNumber of stationsTypes of stationsFrequency of sampling

Explore Partnerships

Boundary Basin trends

Reference Protection

RestorationTrends for individual projects (POTW’s, CSO’s)Document restoration (TMDL)

All Stations can be used for:AssessmentsTrendsRestorationProgram Support

Additionally 1 station for Protection goal (reference site)

Strategic

Restoration

Assessment

Headwaters

Statewide Basin Local

Long term 20+years

Trends Program SupportProtection

TrendsProgram SupportProtection

Intermediate5-20 years

RestorationTrends (projects)Program SupportProtection

NPS RestorationNPS Trends

Short1-5 years

Assessment NPS Assessment

Statewide Basin Local

Long term 20+years

Trends Program SupportProtection

TrendsProgram SupportProtection

Intermediate5-20 years

RestorationTrends (projects)Program SupportProtection

NPS RestorationNPS Trends

Short1-5 years

Assessment NPS Assessment

STATUSID Problems

Problems?

RESTORATIONDiagnose and Fix

TRENDSDocument

Improvements

PROGRAMSUPPORT

Improve Programs

Yes

NoPROTECTION

ID Threats

Improvements? No

Threats?No

Yes

Yes

Boundary StationsPour points

Reference SitesEcoregionsSWMI

9 (30) stations

TMDL

Statewide Basin Local

Long term 20+years

Trends Program SupportProtection

TrendsProgram SupportProtection

Intermediate5-20 years

RestorationTrends (projects)Program SupportProtection

NPS RestorationNPS Trends

Short1-5 years

Assessment NPS Assessment

STATUSID Problems

Problems?

RESTORATIONDiagnose and Fix

TRENDSDocument

Improvements

PROGRAMSUPPORT

Improve Programs

Yes

NoPROTECTION

ID Threats

Improvements? No

Threats?No

Yes

Yes

Year round fixed sites for life of project (5-20 years)

Priority basins only (TMDL’s)

Multipurpose stations

6 Current SMART basins

Priority TMDL ProjectsBlackstoneNashuaSuasco

12 (30) stations

Status

Statewide Basin Local

Long term 20+years

Trends Program SupportProtection

TrendsProgram SupportProtection

Intermediate5-20 years

RestorationTrends (projects)Program SupportProtection

NPS RestorationNPS Trends

Short1-5 years

Assessment NPS Assessment

Sha

wsh

een

Islands

Buzzards B

ay

Cape Cod

Merrimack

NorthCoastal

Parker

Hudson Deerfield

Connecticut

Nashua

Ipswich

SuAsCo

WestfieldHousatonic

Charles

Blackstone

Farmington

French

SouthCoastalQuinebaug

TauntonTenMile

Mt. Hope BayNarragansett Bay

Islands

Chicopee

Millers

BostonHarbor

¯0 6 12 18 243Miles

Five Year Basin Cycle

Basin Group (Monitoring Year)

Northeast (2010)

Central (2011)

West (2012)

Southeast (2013)

Midwest (2014)

STATUSID Problems

Problems?

RESTORATIONDiagnose and Fix

TRENDSDocument

Improvements

PROGRAMSUPPORT

Improve Programs

Yes

NoPROTECTION

ID Threats

Improvements? No

Threats?No

Yes

Yes

Remaining 9 stations

9 → strategic program

12→ restoration program

Statewide Basin Local

Long term 20+years

Trends Program SupportProtection

TrendsProgram SupportProtection

Intermediate5-20 years

RestorationTrends (projects)Program SupportProtection

NPS RestorationNPS Trends

Short1-5 years

Assessment NPS Assessment

EFFECTS USE

TRENDSTRENDS

NONPOINT NONPOINT SOURCE SOURCE

POLLUTIONPOLLUTIONNPS NPS

AssessmentAssessment

Land Use Land Use ZoningZoning

Basin Basin PlanningPlanning

BMP’s, BMP’s, Site DesignSite Design

Catchment

Sub Watershed

Watershed

Basin

75% of all river miles

75% of all river miles

Sub BasinSub Basin

POINT POINT SOURCE SOURCE

POLLUTIONPOLLUTIONBasin Basin

PlanningPlanning

Goals Attained Issues

Status 18% river miles 82% unmonitored

Restoration Conventional Pollutants

(point sources)

NutrientsToxicsNPS

Trends No $ 4.5 Billion in POTW’s

Protection No Acid RainUrbanization

Climate ChangePrograms No Nutrients

Toxics

StatusProtection (threats)

Impervious Cover Model

RestorationProgram Support

National Studies

Trends(Program working?)

Geo-targeted monitoringVolunteers

VolunteersLocal issuesLocal solutions

Hot spotsBacterial Source TrackingDepartment of Transportation ( culverts & road

salt)Invasive species ( lakes)Riparian areas – stream walksRPA- intermittent streamsSpillsNRCS ?

Local

Municipal

Federal

Best Use of Volunteerssites?Indicators ?Sampling frequency?

Analyze Time and Space Scales

101101100100 102102 10310310-310-3

( 5 FT )( 5 FT )

10-210-2

( 50 FT )( 50 FT )

10-110-1

( 500 FT )( 500 FT )

EFFECTIVE DISTANCE - MILESEFFECTIVE DISTANCE - MILES

STATEWIDE

STATEWIDE

BASINBASIN

LOCALLOCAL

HYDRAULIC DESIGN

BACTERIA

SUSPENDED SOLIDS

DISSOLVED OXYGEN

NUTRIENTS

TOXIC EFFECTS

DISSOLVED SOLIDS

FLOATABLES

Time ScalesTime Scales

HOUR WEEK SEASON DECADE

DAY MONTH YEAR

103 104 106105 108107 109 1010

SECONDS

DISSOLVED OXYGEN

FLOATABLES

BACTERIA

SUSPENDED SOLIDS

NUTRIENTS

DISSOLVED SOLIDS

ACUTE TOXIC EFFECTS LONG TERM TOXIC EFFECTS

Habitat- idealLocal space scaleLong time scaleStream walks –miles of streamLow tech methods-observations

BacteriaLocal space scaleLocal time scale- problem

Capture with monthly samplingLow tech-Colilert

Aesthetics

Local time and space scales

Visual and low tech methodsHabitat -”Unified Stream Assessment” (USA)

Bacteria - Coliert™Aesthetics- “Stream Walks”

Chemistry or biologyInterest and Abilities

Broaden Scope (beyond 305b)Screening for state samplingSource tracking (Fitchburg)Spills (Blackstone) Intermittent streams (RPA)Trash TMDL (California)Fish Kills (real time app)

Provide data baseConnect independent groupsData users ( high school groups)

Provide InterpretationSort by data confidence levelSome to 305 b

Program Partners Indicators

Statewide Federal/State FlowSediment

Nutrient loadingBasins State/Municipal Biology

ChemistryLocal State/Local Habitat

BacteriaAesthetics

Future Monitoring ProgramsStrategicRestorationAssessmentHeadwaters

All SMART Stations candidates for these programs

Expanded role for VolunteersLocal scale