Wetlands Information

• Interagency Coastal Wetlands Climate Resilience Workgroup
  Since September 2022, MassDEP Wetlands Program has worked with an interagency workgroup to identify opportunities to improve review and permitting processes for coastal wetlands restoration and climate resilience efforts that account for current knowledge gaps in the science and practice.
   
• Climate Resilience Guidance Documents
  • Final Guidance for Runnels, Ditch Remediation and Marsh Mounds
  • Final Guidance for Thin Layer Placement
     
• Shores of Change - Coastal floodplain outreach materials
  • MassDEP was awarded an EPA WPDG grant in 2021 and has produced outreach materials focused on reaching a wide public audience to enable better public understanding of the purpose and goals of protecting Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (LSCSF), also known as the coastal floodplain. These products are now available to the public for education and outreach. 
• How to Identify Zones in the Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (LSCSF) from FEMA Maps 
  Rebecca Haney, Coastal Geologist with the MA Office of Coastal Zone Management, Nate Corcoran, Coastal Policy Analyst with the MassDEP Wetlands Program, and Mia McDonald, Training, Outreach & Circuit Rider Coordinator for MassDEP Wetlands present on the FEMA coastal flood zone definitions, how to identify the coastal flood zones in the FEMA Flood Hazard Layer viewer, and provide tips for delineating (or reviewing delineation of) flood zones on site plans. Please email DEP.Wetlands@mass.gov if you would like a PDF of the slides or to have this presentation in your community.

Visit the MassDEP Wetlands Education and Outreach site to view our YouTube videos, factsheets, outreach materials, and the WPA 101 Library.

Final wetland monitoring and assessment reports, including field and assessment data.

• Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment: Research and Development

  MassDEP has worked with other state agencies to develop a monitoring and assessment strategy for wetlands. This list contains some of the research that MassDEP, UMass-Amherst and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management have conducted to develop a Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Strategy for Massachusetts. Many of these products were developed through several grants from 2008, 2009 and 2010. For additional information go to www.umasscaps.org.

• Inland and Coastal Wetlands of Massachusetts: Status and Trends
  This report assess the status and trends of wetland resources statewide from 1990 to 2017, using five main data sources. March 2019.
• Wetland Replacement in Massachusetts – 2018
  This study of wetland replacement was initiated in 2011 to evaluate the success of wetland replacement projects in Massachusetts after the release of the 2002 Massachusetts Inland Wetlands Replication Guidelines. It examines a wide range of wetlands replacement areas that were built as mitigation between 2004 and 2008 in Massachusetts.

• Quality Assurance Project Plans 

  Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) ensure the reliability and scientific accuracy of data collected during environmental monitoring field work.

• Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment: Final Reports and Data

  This listing includes final wetland monitoring and assessment reports, including field and assessment data.

• Salt Marsh Monitoring - Flickr Gallery 

  Photos from salt marsh sampling on the North Shore in August 2009.

These forms will help you apply for permits for wetlands projects.

• Online Wetland Permitting

  Electronic filing allows MassDEP to more easily track permitted impacts, determine responsibility for wetland loss, pursue enforcement, and monitor compliance & mitigation success.

• eDEP Online Filing 

  A secure site for submitting environmental permits, transmittals, certifications, and reports electronically to MassDEP.

• Public Notice of Opportunity For Comment: Application for Section 401 Water Quality Certification of the Proposed Issuance of Department of the Army Nationwide Permits Proposed for Implementation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  Notice is hereby given of an opportunity for public comment on the application by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for a Water Quality Certification (WQC) pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1341(a)(1). The USACE proposes to reissue 56 existing Nationwide Permits (NWPs) and issue one new NWP. NWPs are issued by the USACE to authorize categories of activities under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 that have no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. 
• 401 Water Quality Certification of the 2023 General Permit
  The 401 Water Quality Certification of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2023 General Permit will take effect upon the issuance of the new General Permit in May 2023. This 401 Water Quality Certification supersedes the 401 Water Quality Certification of the 2018 General Permit that expired on April 5, 2023.
  • MassDEP Guidance on Expiration of the 2018 USACE GP and WQC
    The 2018 US Army Corps of Engineers MA General Permit and the associated 2018 Water Quality Certification (and Individual WQCs certifying 2018 MA GP Projects) expire on April 5, 2023. This Guidance describes procedures to extend or reauthorize affected projects.
• 301 CMR 10.00: Densely Developed Areas 
  Defines a "densely developed area" under the Rivers Protection Act to protect wetlands in Massachusetts.
• 310 CMR 10.00: Wetlands Protection Act Regulations 
  Procedures for issuing licenses and permits under the Wetlands Protection Act.
  • Proposed Wetlands Regulatory Revisions - February 29, 2020 Update
    Status of proposed revisions to Wetlands Protection Act Regulations, February 29, 2020.
  • Proposed Wetlands Resilience Regulatory Revisions Updates
• Factsheet: Summary of 2014 Revisions to Wetlands, Waterways, and Water Quality Certification Regulations
  Revisions to Massachusetts' Wetlands, Waterways, and Water Quality Certification regulations to streamline permitting procedures while maintaining environmental protection. Revised October 2014.
• 310 CMR 12.00: Adopting Coastal Wetlands Orders 
  Procedures for issuing activity-restriction orders in coastal wetlands areas.
• 310 CMR 13.00: Adopting Inland Wetlands Orders
  Procedures for issuing activity-restriction orders in inland wetlands areas.
• 310 CMR 23.00: Renovation of Abandoned Cranberry Bogs
  Establishes a permit process and performance standards for the renovation of eligible abandoned cranberry bogs.
• 310 CMR 1.00: Adjudicatory Proceedings
  310 CMR 1.00 governs the conduct of adjudicatory appeals and adjudicatory hearings of the Department of Environmental Protection under M.G.L. c. 30A.
• 310 CMR 4.00: Timely Action Schedule and Fee Provisions
  Governs the fees set for MassDEP-issued permits and approvals, and the timelines for review of submitted permit applications. 
• 314 CMR 9.00: 401 Water Quality Certifications
  Ensuring that dredging operations and material comply with the requirements of the Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards and the federal Clean Water Act.
• Stormwater Management Updates Advisory Committee
  In preparation for updating the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook and the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (WPA) stormwater regulations (310 CMR 10.05(6)), MassDEP has convened an advisory committee to focus on aligning the Act's Stormwater Management Standards with the requirements of the federal Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit. The committee will also look at precipitation projections for stormwater management.
• Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage Advisory Group
  The Wetlands and Waterways Program has convened an Advisory Group to assist in the development of regulations that will create performance standards for Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage. The group’s focus on regulatory standards and regulatory language development drives its meeting schedule.

• Guidance for Management and Beneficial Reuse of Dredged and Fill Material for Salt Marsh Restoration: Thin Layer Placement 
  MassDEP has developed this Guidance to improve the efficiency of permitting and implementation of projects to restore the elevation of degraded or subsided areas of Salt Marshes under the Wetlands Protection Act and other related regulations.
• Guidance for Salt Marsh Restoration Techniques, including Ditch Remediation, Runnels, and Marsh Habitat Mounds
  MassDEP has developed this guidance to clarify permitting requirements and standardize applications for salt marsh projects proposing ditch remediation, runnels, and/or marsh habitat mounds. More information can be found on the  Interagency Coastal Wetlands Climate Resilience Workgroup page.
• Drought Implications for Riverfront Area, Lakes and Ponds
  When drought is declared, observations of no flow in a perennial River may not be used as evidence to prove that the River is instead intermittent without Riverfront Area per 310 CMR 10.58(2)(a)1.f. in areas where drought has been declared.
• Current Drought Status in Massachusetts
  Check the current drought conditions on the MA Drought Management Task Force Page.
• Guidance on Agriculture and Solar Energy under the Wetlands Protection Act and the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program
  Regulatory guidance to cranberry growers, conservation commissions, solar power development companies, and other interested parties on the applicability of the Wetlands Protection Act to the installation of solar panels at cranberry-growing facilities.
• MassDEP to Review Recent Studies on Precipitation Rates in Massachusetts
  As part of the Commonwealth's climate-change resiliency effort, MassDEP is evaluating the most recent precipitation-frequency statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the goal of updating the Wetlands regulations (310 CMR 10.00) to accommodate the use of newer data in the wetlands permitting process. These statistics apply to stormwater peak runoff rates, calculation of 10-year floodplains, and isolated lands subject to flooding. In the interim, existing values from the US Weather Bureau Technical Paper 40 (TP40) should continue to be used. November 2015.
• Guidance for Aquatic Plant Management in Lakes & Ponds
• Airport Vegetation Management GEIR
  Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act's (MEPA) guidance for the development and review of airport vegetation removal projects in wetlands to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
• Emergency Repairs to Structures, Roads, and Facilities Located in Wetland Resource Areas or Buffer Zones, and Waterways
  Guidance for homeowners and local officials on authorizing emergency work in the event of a sudden or unforeseen emergency.
• Beach Nourishment: MassDEP's Guide to Best Management Practices for Projects in MA
  Guidance for beach-nourishment projects to maintain habitat, stability, and ecological health.
• Beaver and Muskrat-Related Activities - Guidance for Implementing G.L. c.131, s.80A
  Guidance for conservation commissions to manage flooding problems caused by beaver and muskrat activities.
• The Massachusetts Vegetated Buffer Manual
  Creating and maintaining vegetated buffers along waterbodies to control pollution, protect habitat and water quality, and benefit the property owner.
• Applying the Massachusetts Coastal Wetlands Regulations: A Practical Manual for Conservation Commissions
  This guidance document was developed by the Office of Coastal Zone Management and MassDEP to help Conservation Commissions evaluate projects proposed in coastal resource areas for their potential to impact the storm damage prevention and flood control interests of the Wetlands Protection Act. It gives Commissions tools, data, and information to delineate the coastal resource areas, determine resource area functions, assess potential project impacts, and evaluate whether the project meets, or can be conditioned to meet, the performance standards. The manual also includes a separate attachment, Data Checklists for the Delineation of Resource Areas - Supplement to the Coastal Manual, which can be printed and carried out to the field to record information about landform features and characteristics. August 2017.
• Dam Removal and the Wetlands Regulations
  Guidance for dam-removal projects to benefit the ecological health of the waterway.
• Massachusetts Handbook for Delineation of Bordering Vegetated Wetlands
  A revised Handbook (2022) for determining boundaries of vegetated wetlands. This revision replaces the former Handbook released in 1995. A pdf of the "Bordering Vegetated Wetland Determination Form," within Appendix A of this Handbook is located at "Permits and Forms" of the Wetlands Protection page. Note that MassDEP is proposing new regulations that will update the plant list used for BVW Delineation to the 2020 edition of USACE National Plant List, although the current regulations refer to the 1988 Plant List at 310 CMR 10.55(2). Although this updated guidance refers to the 2020 Plant List, projects under review prior to promulgation of the new regulations should be using the 1988 Plant List in accordance with the regulations. Note that the 2020 plant list does not include indicator status categories FAC+, FACW- or FACW+. Most of the plants classified in these categories in the 1988 plant list are listed as FAC or FACW in the 2020 plant list, and are still considered wetland indicator plants.
• Bordering Vegetated Wetland Determination Form - Fillable PDF (Revised July 2023)
  This is a revised fillable pdf of the BVW Determination Form (July 2023). Note that the new Handbook for Delineation of BVW refers to the 2020 Plant List which aligns with a MassDEP proposed regulation in 310 CMR 10.55(2). However, projects under review prior to promulgation of the new regulations should use the 1988 Plant List in the existing regulations.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2020, National Wetland Plant List, version 3.5
  The USACE’s 2020 National Plant list is cited in the revised Handbook.
• MA Basic Building Code Regulations Revisions - May 2008
  These revisions establish requirements for structures in areas particularly vulnerable to damage from coastal storms.
• Complete Erosion and Sedimentation Control Guidelines: a Guide for Planners, Designers, and Municipal Officials
  Best management practices for controlling erosion and sedimentation.
• Enforcement Manual for Wetlands
  Assisting conservation commissions and other municipal officials in protecting wetland resources through effective enforcement of the Wetlands Protection Act.
• Forestry Memorandum of Understanding | Summary of Forestry Memorandum of Understanding
  The DEP and Department of Conservation Recreation have collaborated in the review and update of the 1995 Forestry Exemption of the Wetlands Protection Act and the Requirements of the Forest Cutting Practices Act (MOU) to be more consistent with sustainable forest practices. The June 2018 edition of the MOU identifies the roles that each agency will play to ensure that forestry practices are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner consistent with the wetland and forest cutting practices regulations. The MOU also serves to advise municipal conservation commissions, landowners, and other persons involved in forestry activities as to the respective roles and responsibilities of all involved.
• Farming in Wetland Resource Areas Manual: 1996 Edition
  Provisions of the Wetlands Protection Act Regulations that cover exempt and regulated agricultural activities, the permitting process for regulated activities, and resources for farmers, regulators, and the general public.
• Guidelines on Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act Provisions Regarding the Application of Herbicides Along Rail Lines
  MassDEP's mapping standards for herbicide use on Rights of Way Management projects associated with the Department of Agricultural Resources Pesticide Bureau.
• Hydrology Handbook for Conservation Commissioners
  This manual is intended to assist conservation commissions in evaluating the hydrologic impacts of proposed activities on wetland function and statutory interests.
• Massachusetts Inland Wetland Replacement Guidelines
  The revised Guidelines (2022) increases the effectiveness of wetland replacement to meet performance standards for mitigation projects.
• Massachusetts Wildlife Habitat Protection Guidance for Inland Wetlands
  Guidance to identify important wildlife habitat in wetlands and ways to protect it while evaluating proposed projects in wetlands. The included Simplified and Detailed Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Forms are also available separately under "Permits and Forms" on the Wetlands Protection page.
• Massachusetts River and Stream Crossing Standards
  Criteria for maintaining river and stream continuity, to enable environmentally-critical movement of fish and wildlife through river and stream corridors. March 2012.
• National Climate Data Center Precipitation Frequency Atlas
  Precipitation data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Q&A: floating solar-array projects in wetlands
  See also Q&A: floating solar-array projects on public water supply reservoirs
• Guidance on Public Health, Safety and Environmental Impacts of Electric Battery Storage and Electric Vehicle Chargers
• West Nile Virus Application of Pesticides to Wetlands Resource Areas
  Guidance to determine if mosquito control work (e.g. application of pesticides) is exempt or requires an Emergency Certification under the Wetlands Protection Act, and whether application of pesticides to a public water source for mosquito control can go forward.

• Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook

  Revised and updated in February 2008 in accordance with revisions to the Wetlands regulations, 310 CMR 10.00, and the Water Quality Regulations, 314 CMR 9.00, relating to stormwater.

• Changes to the Stormwater Management Standards, 2008

  A detailed explanation of the revisions made in 2008 to the Massachusetts Stormwater Management Standards, reflecting technological and scientific advancements since the Standards were first issued in 1996.

• Wetlands Program Notice to Adopt Method to Convert Stormwater Quality Volume to a Peak Flow Rate

  This is a notice that MassDEP is standardizing the computational method used to size proprietary manufactured stormwater treatment devices as part of the Wetlands Protection Program’s ongoing efforts to reduce stormwater pollution.

• Wetlands Program Method to Convert Stormwater Water Quality Volume to Peak Flow Rate

  Standardized method to convert stormwater Water Quality Volume to Peak Flow Rate.

• Water Resource Management Planning Guidance Document

  This guidance is intended to explain the types of water management planning reports towns and communities can use when approaching their particular wastewater, drinking water and stormwater issues.

• Hydraulic Assessment of Existing and Alternative Stream Crossings Providing Fish and Wildlife Passage at Seven Sites in Massachusetts

  Results of a USGS/MassDEP study of seven existing road crossing structures at streams in Massachusetts, evaluated hydraulically and compared to hypothetical alternative structures designed for Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP), using standards developed by the Massachusetts River Continuity Partnership.

• A feasibility study for developing a statewide hydraulic modeling tool for preliminary culvert designs at stream crossings in Massachusetts (usgs.gov)

• Emergency Declaration following Barnstable County Tornado on July 23, 2019

  This Emergency Declaration is issued for recovery operations in the towns of Harwich and Yarmouth following the tornado of July 23, 2019.

• Emergency Repairs to Structures, Roads, and Facilities Located in Wetland Resource Areas or Buffer Zones, and Waterways

  Guidance for homeowners and local officials on authorizing emergency work in the event of a sudden or unforeseen emergency.

• Storm Preparedness & Emergency Response Resources

  Information on debris management, emergency repairs to structures located in wetlands, guidance on responding to spills of oil or hazardous materials, and tools for water utilities.

• Snow Disposal Guidance

  MassDEP guidelines for government agencies and private businesses to use in selecting, preparing and maintaining snow disposal sites.

• Wetlands Program Policy 22-01: Diadromous Fisheries Stream Management
  MassDEP's standards for stream maintenance associated with Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries-sponsored diadromous fisheries.
• Wetlands Program Policy 17-1: Photovoltaic System Solar Array Review

  Process for reviewing solar-array projects that may impact wetland areas.

• Wetlands Program Policy 85-2: Isolated Land Subject to Flooding

  Definition and interpretation of the Wetlands Protection Act category "Land Subject to Flooding."

• Wetlands Program Policy 85-4: Amended Orders

  Policy on amended Orders of Conditions.

• Wetlands Program Policy 86-1: Presumptions for Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems That Meet Title 5 or More Stringent Local Board of Health Requirements

  Protecting the interests of the Wetlands Protection Act within the requirements of Title 5 or more stringent local Board of Health requirements.

• Wetlands Program Policy 87-1: Expedited Review

  Policy for expedited review of license, approval, or permit applications.

• Wetlands Policy 88-2: Access Roadways

  Determining whether a new roadway qualifies for consideration as a limited project under the Wetlands Protection Act.

• Wetlands Program Policy 88-3: Multiple Filings

  Policy for addressing projects for which multiple Notices of Intent have been filed.

• Wetlands Program Policy 90-2: Rare Species

  Determining adverse impacts to rare species habitat under the rules set forth in the Wetlands Protection Regulations.

• Wetlands Program Policy 91-1: Plan Changes

  This policy specifically distinguishes project plan changes which are substantial, and will require a new NOI filing, from those plan changes which are deemed insubstantial and thus may be considered as part of the appeal review process.

• Wetlands Program Policy 91-2: Salt Ponds

  Clarifying the Department's position on when salt pond openings to the ocean may be allowed in accordance with the Wetlands Protection Act, and providing guidance to the issuing authority with a process for the evaluation of a pond-opening proposal. This policy is intended to allow the Department to gather information and further evaluate the effects of pond openings.

• Wetlands Program Policy 92-1: Coastal Banks

  The purpose of this policy is to clarify the definition of coastal bank contained in the Wetlands Regulations, 310 CMR 10.00, by providing guidance for identifying 'top of coastal bank'. Regulatory Standards Coastal wetlands are defined in the Wetlands Protection Act (MGL c. 131, s.40).

• Wetlands Program Policy 95-1: Bordering Vegetated Wetland Delineation Criteria & Methodology

  This policy defines which plant species or other plants are wetland indicator plants as specified in the wetland regulations (310 CMR 10.55(2)(c)). This policy also identifies a standard methodology for determining the boundary of Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVWs) in accordance with 310 CMR 10.55(2)(c)(1-3).

• Wetlands Policy 06-1: Coordinated Review Relating to Endangered Species

  Procedures for coordinated review under the Endangered Species and Wetlands Protection Regulations for state-listed wildlife in wetlands.

• Wetlands Program Policy 08-1: Lack of Information Necessary for Conservation Commission Decisions

  Reviewing requests for Superseding Orders of Conditions when a conservation commission denies an Order of Conditions (OOC), a Request for Determination of Applicability, or a Notice of Resource Area Delineation due to a lack of necessary information pursuant to 310 CMR 10.05(6).

• Office of Geographic Information (MassGIS) 

  Through the Office of Geographic Information (MassGIS), the Commonwealth has created a comprehensive, statewide database of spatial information for mapping and analysis supporting emergency response, environmental planning and management, transportation planning, economic development, and transparency in state government operations.

• Communities with Previously Registered Wetlands

  Cities and towns that currently have registered wetlands with accompanying restriction orders under either the Coastal Wetlands Restriction Act (c.130, s.105) or the Inland Wetlands Restriction Act (c.131, s.40A).

• Wetlands Program - Orthophotoquad Map Use & Distribution 

  List of possible municipal uses for Wetlands Orthophotoquad Maps.

• Massachusetts Ecological Integrity Maps and MassDEP Maps Depicting Habitat of Potential Regional or Statewide Importance 

  These maps are intended to help prioritize land for conservation based on the assessment of ecological communities. The maps represent a percentage of the landscape with the highest wildlife-habitat value. Activities in these areas that are subject to the Wetlands Protection regulations should conduct a detailed wildlife habitat evaluation.

• Eelgrass Mapping Project 

  The current MassDEP Eelgrass layer is being updated. A paper has been published explaining the methodology of the updates.

• Wetlands Loss Maps Q&A 

  This Q&A describes Wetlands Loss Maps. In order to protect this valuable land, MassDEP began compiling aerial photographs of the state to track the alteration and loss of wetlands. By comparing the photos, MassDEP can more effectively enforce the Wetlands Protection Act to restore already damaged areas and devise better strategies to prevent the destruction of these valuable resource areas. 

• Wetlands Maps: Mouth of Coastal River 

  Massachusetts Mouth of Coastal River Maps: These maps identify the Mouth Of The River (MOR) for coastal rivers in order to provide a clear, consistent, and predictable means of locating all river mouths in the Commonwealth.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Wetlands Program Development Grants (WPDG), funded under 104(b)(3) of the Federal Clean Water Act, has provided funding for many of MassDEP’s innovative projects. These projects enhance and support the Wetlands Program’s goals to assess our state’s wetlands conditions/health through monitoring, research, mapping and to develop science-based regulations, policies and guidance.  WPDG’s have also provided initial resources for permit related electronic tools and technical assistance to local officials, applicants, and the general public. The projects listed here, although found elsewhere on MassDEP’s website, demonstrate the depth and breadth of projects resulting from this collaborative effort.

• Developing Tidal Hydraulic Geometry Equations for Coastal Areas of Massachusetts to Advance Climate Resiliency – 2023-2024 WPDG
  
  MassDEP was awarded a WPDG grant in 2023. In partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey’s New England Water Science Center (USGS), MassDEP is building upon several years of prior collaboration with USGS and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to develop a “riverine” (e.g., non-tidal) GIS-based Statewide Hydraulic Model as a Preliminary Design Tool and Stream Crossing Standards Guidelines that helps communities identify, plan, and prioritize replacement of undersized or failing culverts, preferably, before they fail. This project, along with a separate MassDEP-funded effort, is developing necessary tidal equations that are intended to ultimately allow coastal crossings to be incorporated into the buildout of the Statewide Hydraulic Model as a Preliminary Design Tool with methods that more specifically address tidal stream crossings. The project is also integrating the tidal hydraulic geometry regression equations into the USGS StreamStats web application.
  • Overview of the Hydraulic Model
    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, initiated a project in 2019 to create a statewide hydraulic modeling tool. This tool aims to provide municipalities and engineers with a resource for evaluating and designing culverts for stream crossings, addressing issues related to undersized structures that impede aquatic life and flood management. Read more on this project at the USGS New England Water Science Center Website.
  • Key Features and Applications:
    • GIS-Based Tool: The hydraulic model utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to analyze and visualize data related to stream crossings, allowing for more informed decision-making.
    • StreamStats Web Application: This application provides preliminary designs for culverts that can handle various flood probabilities (10%, 4%, 2%, and 1% annual exceedance) and meets Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards. It generates reports that include information on location, roadway classification, and hydraulic design flow.
    • Automated Hydraulic Modeling: The tool employs automated scripts to create input data files for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling program, facilitating the analysis of stream profiles and cross-sections.
    • Ecological Considerations: The model aims to enhance aquatic organism passage (AOP) and improve flood resiliency, addressing ecological impacts caused by poorly designed or undersized culverts.
  • Importance of the Model
    The development of this hydraulic modeling tool is crucial for addressing the challenges posed by climate change, which may increase the frequency and intensity of flooding. By providing municipalities with effective design options for stream crossings, the tool helps mitigate adverse impacts on aquatic habitats and improves overall stream health.
    
    This statewide hydraulic model represents a significant advancement in the management of water resources and infrastructure in Massachusetts, promoting sustainable practices and ecological integrity in stream crossing projects.
  • Status of the Model
    Using the GIS-based hydraulic modeling tool, preliminary culvert designs for box, arch, and pipe culverts to convey the 10-, 4-, 2-, and 1-percent AEP flood flows and to meet the Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards are being developed and will be published into the USGS Streamstats web application for the Deerfield, Hudson-Hoosic, lower Housatonic, Westfield, and upper Housatonic watersheds in 2026.
     
• Massachusetts’ Valuable Coastal Floodplains – An Outreach Initiative – 2021- 2022 WPDG
  
  MassDEP was awarded a WPDG grant in 2021 and has produced an outreach-curriculum package focused on reaching a wide public audience to enable better public understanding of the purpose and goals of protecting Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (LSCSF), also known as the coastal floodplain. This included two educational brochures available in four languages, an ArcGIS StoryMap, Video and Poster. These products are now available to the public for education and outreach on our Shores of Change website.
   
• Facilitating River and Stream Crossings Improvements in Massachusetts - 2019-20 WPDG
  
  Project Description, Objectives and Tasks: This grant involved the development of tools that will help facilitate wetland permitting of river and stream crossing replacement projects to improve aquatic organism passage (AOP) for fish and wildlife statewide and promote resiliency for future flood flows. Many roadway crossings of rivers and streams in Massachusetts are undersized resulting in substantial impacts to fish and wildlife movement and to the survival of organisms and their populations. Additionally, undersized structures lack the resiliency needed to withstand large floods and potential changes in flood flows.  This grant is a partnership between MassDEP, USGS, and UMass-Amherst.
  
  There are two projects within this grant: 1) A guidance for local and state regulating authorities and applicants explaining how to apply the wetland regulations and facilitate wetland permitting of river and stream crossing replacements that improve fish and wildlife passage. 2) A feasibility study for the creation of a web-based tool that includes a statewide hydraulic model to determine the optimal replacement crossing structure size that balances maximum habitat connectivity, structural resiliency, and minimizing negative impacts from downstream flooding and property damage. UMass was responsible for Project 1 to develop a simple guidance. USGS conducted the feasibility analysis that supported moving forward with the project.
  
  Following the presentation of results, a concurrent but separately funded task began that includes development of a prototype web based hydraulic tool for a pilot basin. This tool is intended to assist applicants with sizing culverts to be resilient and meet aquatic organism passage standards to the maximum extent practicable.
  
  A feasibility study for developing a statewide hydraulic modeling tool for preliminary culvert designs at stream crossings in Massachusetts (usgs.gov)
   
• Inland and Coastal Wetlands of Massachusetts: Status and Trends
  
  This report assess the status and trends of wetland resources statewide from 1990 to 2017, using five main data sources. March 2019.
   

• Stormwater Management – 2017 WPDG

  MassDEP convened an Advisory Committee (AC) to solicit public comment and participation from numerous governmental agencies, development community organizations, environmental organizations, consultant firms, municipalities, and municipal planning associations in preparation for updating the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook and the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act stormwater regulations. All the information is located within the Stormwater Management section will be reorganized to provide a “one-stop” resource for municipalities and MassDOT as they work to comply with the MS4 and TS4 requirements.

• Wetland Replacement in Massachusetts – 2011 WPDG
  
  This study of wetland replacement was initiated in 2011 to evaluate the success of wetland replacement projects in Massachusetts after the release of the 2002 Massachusetts Inland Wetlands Replication Guidelines. It examines a wide range of wetlands replacement areas that were built as mitigation between 2004 and 2008 in Massachusetts.
   
• YouTube
  • Permitting Ecological Restoration Projects under the Wetlands Protection Act
    2013 WPDG
     
  • The Wetlands Stream Crossing Standards
    2013 WPDG
     

  • Vulnerable Wetlands – 2011 WPDG

    Vulnerable Wetlands Part 1: What they are and why they are important

    Vulnerable Wetlands Part 2: Stormwater and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

    Vulnerable Wetlands Part 3: Headwater streams and vernal pool clusters 

    Vulnerable Wetlands Part 4: GIS maps - vulnerable wetlands index and subwatershed of interest

    Vulnerable Wetlands Part 5: GIS Maps - subwatershed of interest series

    Vulnerable Wetlands Part 6: 10 rules of thumb to protect and restore vulnerable wetlands

• Wetlands Monitoring & Assessment – 2009-2021
  
  See "Wetlands Monitoring & Assessment" link in Table of Contents on this page.
   
• Hydraulic Assessment of Seven Stream Crossings – 2014 WPDG
  
  Hydraulic Assessment of Existing and Alternative Stream Crossings Providing Fish and Wildlife Passage at Seven Sites in Massachusetts
   
• Mapping and Protecting Vulnerable Wetlands and Stormwater Management Planning Project
  
  These maps show where each community's vulnerable wetlands are located relative to developed sites, so that they can better determine and plan the appropriate placement for, and type of, stormwater-control options to better protect these resources and reduce phosphorus loading to the Charles River. 2011 WPDG.
   
• MassDEP's Wetlands Circuit Rider Program
  Circuit riders provide technical, administrative, and regulatory assistance to conservation commissions, municipal boards, and consultants, in implementing the provisions of the Wetlands Protection Act. This successful program was developed through an early WPDG grant in the 1990’s and was eventually incorporated into the statewide Wetlands Protection program.