Overview
The Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Plan (Plan) presents MassDEP's strategy for preventing, controlling, and reducing NPS pollution to protect and improve the quality of the Commonwealth's waters. The Plan, which covers the Nonpoint Source Management Program goals for 2020 to 2024, updates and builds upon the 2014-2019 NPS Plan. MassDEP looks forward to collaborating with program partners, towns, cities and all interested parties to reduce pollution and improve water quality of the waters of the Commonwealth.
Additional Resources
About the 2020-2024 Plan
The Nonpoint Source Management Plan details the organization of the NPS program, highlights the great work done by program partners and identifies how the NPS program is integrated with water quality monitoring programs in the Commonwealth. The NPS Management Plan identifies goals for a statewide NPS Plan. Achieving this vision relies on the cooperation of many different programs, actions, and initiatives, working toward a common goal. The Plan recognizes that MassDEP must continue to work with its many partners on a watershed-by-watershed basis to improve and protect the water resources of the Commonwealth. The Plan identifies five major goals, including:
- Identify and expand opportunities to accomplish and leverage work by private, state, local, and federal partners.
- Restore impaired waters, reduce NPS pollutants, and mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Protect unimpaired/high-quality and threatened waters through planning, education, program coordination, and implementation of climate-ready BMPs.
- Monitor waters for NPS impairments and improvements to prioritize actions, measure success, and increase program efficacy.
- Instill, encourage, and nurture a passion for restoring water quality through education, capacity building, and building new partnerships.
In addition to the major programmatic goals, the Plan includes detailed objectives and milestones. Key updates from the 2014-2019 Plan include an increased emphasis on the Watershed-based Plan approach and the engagement of regional NPS coordinators to be embedded in western Mass Regional Planning Agencies, to carry out NPS Program activities.