Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

About TMDLs

• TMDLs - Another Step to Cleaner Waters

  Explanation of TMDLs and MassDEP's strategy for developing them.

• DEP’s Proposed Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL’s) Strategy to Improve the Water Quality of Massachusetts Rivers and Lakes 
• Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Basics

  Questions and answers about Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).

• Implementing TMDLs Fact Sheet 
• Implementation Guidance Manual for Watershed-Specific Pathogen TMDL Reports  file size 1MB file size 8MB
• Implementation Guidance Manual for Watershed-Specific Pathogen TMDL Reports, Table 3-1 Management Practice Matrix 
• The Watershed Management Approach

  The main strategy employed by MassDEP to protect and maintain water quality is the implementation of the Watershed Management Approach. A phased holistic program for watershed-based assessment, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) evaluation, permitting, and implementation has been adopted by MassDEP's Bureau of Resource Protection (BRP) to address its Watershed Management goals.

Integrated Lists & Other Reports

• Final Massachusetts Year 2012 Integrated List of Waters (CWA Sections 303d and 305b)  file size 2MB file size 7MB
• EPA Approval of 2012 Integrated List of Waters 
• EPA-New England's Review of Massachusetts 2012 S.303(d) List 
• Interactive Mapping of the 2010 Integrated List of Waters

  This interactive GIS map presents the MassDEP Division of Watershed Management (DWM), Watershed Planning Program (WPP) 2010 Integrated List of Waters (305(b)/303(d)) data layer representing the combined reporting elements for the 2010 cycle of both sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA).

• Final Massachusetts Year 2010 Integrated List of Waters (CWA Sections 303d and 305b)
• Final Massachusetts Year 2008 Integrated List of Waters (CWA Sections 303d and 305b)
• MassDEP POTW Nitrogen Evaluation

TMDL Reports by Watershed

Multi-State

• Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load: Final Addendum for Massachusetts 
• Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL Fact Sheet

  The Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL is a Federal Clean Water Act mandated document that identifies pollutant load reductions necessary for regional waterbodies to meet and maintain compliance with state and federal water quality standards. The TMDL covers waterbodies that are impaired primarily due to atmospheric deposition of mercury.

• Final Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL  file size 7MB
• TMDL and Water Quality Restoration Plan Documents

  Prepared by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
  Report

Multi-Watershed

• Draft Pathogen TMDL for the Blackstone River Watershed  file size 3MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL for Concord River Watershed, S. 1 
• Draft Pathogen TMDL for Concord River Watershed, S. 2  file size 2MB file size 3MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL for Concord River Watershed, S. 3 
• Draft Pathogen TMDL for the Nashua River  file size 1MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL Report for the Boston Harbor (Excluding the Neponset River Sub-basin)  file size 2MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL Report for the Merrimack River Watershed  file size 1MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL for Palmer River Basin  file size 1MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL Report for the Ipswich River Watershed  file size 1MB
• Lower Charles River Illicit Detection & Elimination Protocol 

Blackstone River Watershed

• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Indian Lake 
• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Lake Quinsigamond and Flint Pond 
• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Leesville Pond 
• Final TMDL for Northern Blackstone Lakes  file size 2MB
• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Salisbury Pond 

Boston Harbor Watershed

• Draft Neponset Bacteria TMDL Addendum  file size 1MB
• Final TMDLs of Bacteria for Neponset River Basin  file size 1MB file size 2MB

Buzzards Bay Watershed

• Final TMDL of Total Phosphorus for White Island Pond  file size 2MB file size 8MB
• White Island Pond Memorandum of Agreement 
• Final Pathogen TMDL for the Buzzards Bay Watershed  file size 2MB file size 7MB
• Final Pathogen TMDL for the Buzzards Bay Watershed - Appendices  file size 3MB file size 6MB

Cape Cod Watershed

• Final Pathogen TMDL Report for the Cape Cod Watershed  file size 2MB file size 5MB
• Implementation Guidance Manual for Watershed-Specific Pathogen TMDL Reports  file size 1MB file size 8MB
• Addendum to Final Cape Cod Pathogen TMDL Report, March 2012  file size 1MB
• Final Nutrient TMDL for Centerville River/East Bay  file size 1MB
• Final Nutrient TMDL for Centerville River/East Bay - Response to Comments 
• Draft Nutrient TMDL for Lewis Bay  file size 1MB file size 4MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for Little Pond  file size 1MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for West Falmouth Harbor  file size 2MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for West Falmouth Harbor, Response to Public Comments 
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for Oyster Pond  file size 1MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for Phinneys Harbor  file size 2MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for Phinneys Harbor, Response to Public Comments 
• Final Nitrogen TMDL for Pleasant Bay System  file size 1MB file size 3MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL Report for Five Sub-Embayments of Popponesset Bay 
• Final Nitrogen TMDL Report for the Quashnet River, Hamblin Pond, Little River, Jehu Pond, and Great River in the Waquoit Bay System  file size 1MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL Report for the Quashnet River, Hamblin Pond, Little River, Jehu Pond, and Great River in the Waquoit Bay System: Response to Comments 
• Final Bacteria TMDL Report for the Three Bays System  file size 1MB file size 2MB
• Final Nitrogen TMDL Report for the Three Bays System  file size 1MB
• Response to Comments: Draft TMDL Report for the Three Bays System 
• Final Nitrogen TMDL Report for Five Chatham Embayments (Stage Harbor, Sulphur Springs, Taylors Pond, Bassing Harbor and Muddy Creek)  file size 1MB
• See All Cape Cod Watershed

Charles River Watershed

• Optimal Stormwater Management Plan Alternatives: A Demonstration Project in Three Upper Charles River Communities  file size 3MB file size 4MB
• Final TMDL for Nutrients in the Upper/Middle Charles River  file size 2MB file size 2MB
• Final TMDL for Nutrients in the Upper/Middle Charles River:Appendix 
• Final Phosphorus TMDL Report for the Lower Charles River Basin  file size 1MB file size 7MB
• Final Pathogen TMDL Reports for the Charles River Watershed  file size 3MB file size 5MB
• Final Pathogen TMDL Reports for the Charles River Watershed, Appendix A  file size 1MB
• Final Pathogen TMDL Reports for the Charles River Watershed, Appendix B  file size 2MB
• Pathogen Hotspots in the Charles River Watershed (MS Excel) 
• Implementation Guidance Manual for Watershed-Specific Pathogen TMDL Reports  file size 1MB file size 8MB
• Implementation Guidance Manual for Watershed-Specific Pathogen TMDL Reports, Table 3-1 Management Practice Matrix 

Chicopee River Watershed

• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Quaboag and Quacumquasit Ponds  file size 2MB file size 4MB
• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Selected Chicopee Basin Lakes  file size 2MB

Connecticut River Watershed

• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Selected Connecticut Basin Lakes  file size 2MB

French River Watershed

• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Selected French Basin Lakes  file size 5MB

Islands Watershed

• Draft Edgartown Great Pond System Total Maximum Daily Load for Nitrogen  file size 4MB
• Draft Farm Pond Estuarine System Total Maximum Daily Load for Total Nitrogen (Control Number 391.0)  file size 5MB
• Draft Pathogen TMDL Report for the Islands Watershed  file size 1MB
• Draft Lagoon Pond Estuarine System Total Maximum Daily Loads for Total Nitrogen (Control No. 390.0)  file size 5MB
• Draft Nitrogen TMDL for Madaket Harbor/Long Pond  file size 2MB
• Final TMDLs of Total Nitrogen for Nantucket Harbor 
• Draft Sengekontacket Pond Estuarine System Total Maximum Daily Loads for Total Nitrogen, Control Number 310.0  file size 5MB

Millers River Watershed

• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Selected Millers River Basin Lakes  file size 3MB

Narragansett Bay Watershed

• Final Pathogen TMDL for the Narragansett/Mt. Hope Bay Watershed  file size 1MB file size 2MB
• Final Bacteria TMDL for Palmer River Basin  file size 1MB file size 3MB
• Final Bacteria TMDL for Palmer River Basin Appendix A 
• Final Bacteria TMDL for Palmer River Basin Appendix B  file size 1MB
• Final Bacteria TMDL for Palmer River Basin Appendix C 

Nashua River Watershed

• Draft Phosphorus TMDL for the Nashua River  file size 2MB file size 11MB
• Final TMDL for Bare Hill Pond 

North Coastal Watershed

• Final Pathogen TMDL for the North Coastal Watershed  file size 1MB file size 2MB

Shawsheen River Watershed

• Draft Storm Water Pollutant TMDL for Headwaters of the Shawsheen River 
• Final TMDLs of Bacteria for Shawsheen River Basin  file size 1MB

South Coastal Watershed

• Draft Pathogen TMDL for the South Coastal Watershed  file size 1MB
• Final TMDLs of Bacteria for Little Harbor, Cohasset  file size 1MB

SuAsCo Watershed

• Final Nutrient TMDL Report for the Assabet River  file size 2MB file size 2MB
• Assabet River Sediment and Dam Removal Study

  The Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) conducted a planning study to determine the feasibility of sediment and dam removal in the Assabet River for improvement of water quality and restoration of ecological health.

• Final TMDLs of Phosphorus for Lake Boon (Boons Pond)  file size 1MB file size 2MB

Taunton Watershed

• Final Pathogen TMDL Report for the Taunton Watershed  file size 1MB file size 1MB