The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to submit reports on the status of their waterbodies every two years. These reports are called "Integrated Lists of Waters" ("Integrated Reports"). Section 303(d) of the CWA requires states to identify those waterbodies that are not expected to meet surface water quality standards after the implementation of technology-based controls and to prioritize and schedule them for the development of a total maximum daily load (TMDL). A TMDL establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant that may be introduced into a waterbody and still ensure attainment and maintenance of water quality standards. The development of the 303(d) List (Category 5 of the Integrated Report) includes a public review and comment process, and the final version of the list must be formally approved by the EPA.
Draft 2022 Integrated List of Waters
MassDEP has available for public review and comment the DRAFT Massachusetts 2022 Integrated List of Waters (“Integrated Report” or IR), which represents the most recent update on the status of Massachusetts’ waters. This report is submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) every two years in fulfillment of the reporting requirements of sections 305(b) (Summary of Water Quality Report) and 303(d) (List of Impaired Waters) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Written comments on the Draft 2022 Integrated Report should be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on January 6, 2023 (Note: the deadline for comments has been revised and extended from the original deadline of December 23, 2022) via email (preferred) to richard.f.chase@mass.gov or mailed to:
Richard F. Chase
MassDEP Bureau of Water Resources,
Watershed Planning Program
8 New Bond Street, Worcester, MA 01606
richard.f.chase@mass.gov
MassDEP’s draft 2022 IR package consists of the following specific documents and files, submitted to EPA and the public under the requirements of the CWA. A worksheet summarizing proposed changes from the final 2018/2020 IR to the 2022 IR is also provided.
- Narrative IR document, including tables for each category
- IR Appendices 1-5 document, presenting the proposed changes from the 2018/2020 IR, the list of EPA-approved “Actions”, Assessment Units and integrated list categories, impairments added to the 2022 integrated list, impairments removed from the 2022 integrated list, and impairments changed from the prior (2018/2020) reporting cycle.
- IR Appendices 6-26 are watershed-based Assessment and Listing Decision Summary documents for each of the 21 watershed and/or coastal drainage areas updated. Each document contains the supporting data and rationale for each use attainment status update including delisting decisions. Maps for each updated watershed and/or coastal drainage area depicting AUs, monitoring stations, dams, discharges, and public beaches are also included to provide spatial orientation as complementary appendices (for each map, zoom to >100% to see individual features).
For MassDEP’s 2022 Integrated Report, quality-controlled data submitted to DEP prior to the pre-established deadline of 1/15/2021 were considered, relative to the watersheds that were assessed. Data submitted after the 1/15/2021 deadline will not be considered for the 2022 Integrated Report but will be reviewed and considered in a subsequent cycle, dependent on the assessment workloads planned for future IR cycles.
DEP plans to address all public comments in a Responses to Comments document that will be posted with the final IR.
