The Watersheds
	Watershed Protection Act
	Public Access
	Educational Programs
	Permits
	Payment in Lieu of Taxes
	Fact Sheets & Newsletters
	Plans
	Water Quality
	Water Supply Protection Trust
	Contact Us

Office of Watershed Management

Watershed Forestry

Science and Technical Advisory Committee

• Meeting Info

Watershed Forestry Projects

• Quabbin Reservoir
• Ware River
• Wachusett/Sudbury Reservoirs

Visual Changes in a Typical Timber Sale at the Wachusett Reservoir

Bureau of Forestry

Division of
Water Supply Protection

The Quabbin Forest

Watershed Forestry -- The Forest Biofilter

Click through the small images to find out about the different elements of Watershed Forestry
The Forest Biofilter		Natural Disturbances		Building Resistance and Resilience		Protecting Water Quality		Conserving Biodiversity

Forests are the Best Cover

What’s the best way to protect drinking water? 

Forested watersheds provide a living green bio-filter that functions 24 hours a day on free solar energy and rivals the most responsibly engineered water treatment plant in the efficiency and reliability of its protection.  It catches the rain, stores it, and releases it slowly, soaking up nutrients, keeping erosion to a minimum, and yielding a consistent supply of clean water.

But, as good as these forests are at protecting and providing drinking water, they are vulnerable to a wide array of natural and human caused disturbances