DCR Watershed Land Ownership Facts and Interactive Map

DCR controls over 45% of the source water supply watersheds that provides MWRA with drinking water for 3.1 million people.

Management of harmful activities on lands within the watersheds is the best way to ensure pure water for unfiltered water supply systems. The Quabbin Reservoir, Ware River, and Wachusett Reservoir watersheds are the three active watersheds that currently provide over 200 million gallons a day of water for 3.1 million consumers who get their drinking water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. The Sudbury Reservoir watershed (which includes the Foss (or Framingham #3) Reservoir) is the reserve supply for this system.

DCR's Division of Water Supply Protection owns or has control of activity on:

• 63% of the Quabbin watershed
• 41% of the Ware River watershed
• 29% of the Wachusett watershed
• 46% of the land in the active water supply watershed system
• 15% of the Sudbury ‘reserve’ watershed.

Other state agencies, nonprofit land conservation organizations and municipalities also play a role in permanently protecting lands in the watershed system. These types of organizations own or control activity on:

• 15% of the Quabbin watershed
• 13% of the Ware River watershed
• 17% of the Wachusett watershed
• 15% of the land in the active water supply watershed system
• 11% of the Sudbury ‘reserve’ watershed.

62% of the land spread over all three of the active water supply watersheds are permanently protected lands. A quarter of the area in the reserve water supply is protected.

The following table has more details about land conservation in the DCR/MWRA Water Supply System.  There is also an interactive map that shows these water supply protection properties.

Land Ownership Data in the DCR/MWRA Water Supply System

Summary of Protected Lands in the DWSP Watershed System

Active or Emergency System	Watershed	DWSP Fee	DWSP WPR	Other Protected	Total Protected	Land Area	Off-Water- shed Fee	Off-Water-shed WPR	Reser- voir
Active System	Quabbin Reservoir	54,573	5,173	14,611	74,357	95,364	4,399	28	24,582
	Ware River	24,020	1,414	7,972	33,406	61,671	545	0	N/A
	Wachusett Reservoir	17,997	2,693	12,308	32,998	70,876	678	24	4,033
	Total Active System	96,590	9,280	34,890	140,760	227,911	5,623	52	28,615
Emergency System	Sudbury and Foss Reservoirs	2,367	0	1,811	4,177	16,298	408	0	1,486

As of June 2024. Please use scroll bar to see entire table. Source: DWSP and MassGIS; all figures in acres.   Fee – land owned in fee simple by Commonwealth of MA managed by DWSP; WPR – Watershed Preservation Restrictions, similar to Conservation Restrictions, are land restrictions on private property in DWSP’s Watershed System; Other Protected – land owned in fee simple by other MA state agencies, municipalities, or non-profit organizations for conservation purposes listed as permanently or limited protected open space by MassGIS; Off-Watershed – land owned in fee or held under a WPR managed by DWSP that is outside the boundary of the respective watershed.  

Ownership as % of Watershed Land Area

Active or Emergency System	Watershed	DWSP Controlled	Other Protected	Total Protected	DWSP Controlled Including Reservoirs
Active System	Quabbin Reservoir	62.7%	15.3%	78.0%	70.3%
	Ware River	41.2%	12.9%	54.2%	41.2%
	Wachusett Reservoir	29.2%	17.4%	46.6%	33.0%
	Total Active System	46.5%	15.3%	61.8%	52.4%
Emergency System	Sudbury and Foss Reservoirs	14.5%	11.1%	25.6%	21.7%

As of June 2024. Data from MassGIS and DCR Records.  Land area excludes the reservoir surface. 

Interactive Map: Protected Lands in the DCR/MWRA Watershed System