Water Resources Commission
The Water Resources Commission is responsible for developing, coordinating and overseeing the Commonwealth's water policy and planning activities.
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The Massachusetts Water Resources Commission (WRC) is chaired by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), Ian A. Bowles.
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State law governing the transfer of water or wastewater between any of the Commonwealth's 28 river basins (including the Massachusetts Coastal Basin)
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Laws and regulations specific to the Water Resource Commission.
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Water policies and guidance developed by the Water Resources Commission.
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The Commission's members include representatives from the EEA and its four environmental departments, the Secretary of Housing and Community Development, and five public members representing a wide range of water users and environmental interests. Public members are appointed by the Governor.
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Monthly meetings are typically held in the second floor conference rooms at 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114.
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been participating in cooperative water resource planning efforts with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) since 1909.
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Low Impact Development is an approach to environmentally friendly land use planning that include landscaping and design techniques that attempt to maintain the natural, pre-developed ability of a site to manage rainfall and recharge groundwater.
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Monthly reports of ground water, streamflow, reservoir and rainfall conditions across the State provided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
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The Northeast Instream Habitat Program at the GeoProcessing Laboratoy at Mt. Holyoke aim to improve the understanding of functional relationships between biota and their physical environment in running water ecosystems.
