MassDEP Watershed Planning

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Surface Water Quality Standards

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Develops and adopts standards to protect public health, aquatic life, and enhance the quality and value of surface waters in the Commonwealth.

• 314 CMR 4: The Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards 
• Regulatory review & standards development activities 

Surface Water Quality Monitoring

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Conducts biological and physico-chemical surface water sampling in support of multiple water quality management programs.

• Surface Water Quality Monitoring 
• Open PDF file, 1.28 MB,  Water Quality Monitoring Strategy 2016-2025 (PDF 1.28 MB)
• Annual monitoring summaries 
• Volunteer monitoring opportunities 
• Water Quality Technical Memoranda 
• SMART Monitoring Technical Memoranda 

Data Management & Water Quality Assessments

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Manages biological and physico-chemical surface water quality data and performs biennial water quality assessments.

• Data management 
• Water quality assessment 
• Integrated Reports [305(b) / 303(d)] 
• Quality Assurance 
• External data submittals 

Total Maximum Daily Loads

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Develops plans to restore the quality of impaired surface waters.

• Total Maximum Daily Loads 
• Reports by watershed 
• The Massachusetts Estuaries Project and Reports 
• Watershed planning vision process 

Nonpoint Source Pollution

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Administers grants to assist the restoration of surface and groundwater impaired by nonpoint source pollution and protect water quality.

• Nonpoint source pollution 
• NPS Management Plan 
• Grants and financial assistance 
• Watershed-based planning 
• S. 319 Nonpoint Source Grant 
• 2021 Section 319 Grant Projects 
• S. 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant 
• 2020 Section 604(b) Grant Projects