Public boat and canoe launch sites at more than 275 coastal and inland lakes, ponds, rivers and streams within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, from the Office of Fishing and Boating Access (OFBA) in the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG). The OFBA is charged with providing access to these many waterways. Presently, the agency oversees boat and canoe launch sites at more than 250 coastal and inland locations in Massachusetts, which are included in this map service from MassGIS.

The principal source for this data in this map service has been the Public Access to the Waters of Massachusetts, published by the OFBA. Additional sites have been digitized from USGS topographic quadrangles.Also see metadata and the web feature service.

Massachusetts is blessed with over 1,200 miles of seashore and hundreds of lakes, ponds, and streams. The Office of Fishing and Boating Access (OFBA) in the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is charged with providing access to these many waterways. Presently, the agency oversees boat and canoe launch sites at more than 200 coastal and inland locations in Massachusetts. The principal source for this layer has been Public Access to the Waters of Massachusetts, published by the OFBA. Additional sites have been digitized from USGS topographic quadrangles. In ArcSDE the layer is named OFBA_PT. With the January 2008 release it replaces the Public Access Board Sites (PAB_PT) layer.Depricated -Use https://mass-eoeea.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=58e901565f0e4e0091d9d581239929e4

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MADFW) has mapped Coldwater Fisheries Resources (CFRs) at a scale of 1:25,000, based on the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) data. CFRs are important habitat for a number of cold water species, including trout. Coldwater species are typically more sensitive than other species to alterations to stream flow, water quality and temperature within their aquatic habitat. Identification of CFRs is based on fish samples collected annually by staff biologists and technicians. New streams are sampled and evaluated yearly.Please see https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-ma-wildlife-coldwater-fisheries-resources for more details.Feature service also available.

This spring, MassWildlife stocked brook, brown, rainbow, and tiger trout in over 450 lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams in 264 towns across Massachusetts!

A collection of hub pages with embedded interactive map and integrated StoryMaps to showcase BioMap: the future of conservation in Massachusetts. BioMap is an interactive map that can be used to assist in conservation measures throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. BioMap is built and maintained by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and Department of Fish and Game. The Nature Conservancy is a partner on this project.

Note: The above "Item updated" date is the date that this page was last updated. NHESP updates the data as needed, and the data served here is refreshed nightly by MassGIS.This service contains points for all vernal pools that have been certified by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) according to the Guidelines for the Certification of Vernal Pool Habitat (PDF) (MA Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, 2009).

Vernal pools are small, shallow ponds characterized by lack of fish and by periods of dryness. Vernal pool habitat is extremely important to a variety of wildlife species including some amphibians that breed exclusively in vernal pools, and other organisms such as fairy shrimp, which spend their entire life cycles confined to vernal pool habitat. Many additional wildlife species utilize vernal pools for breeding, feeding and other important functions. Certified vernal pools are protected if they fall under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act Regulations (310 CMR 10.00). However, the certification of a pool only establishes that it functions biologically as a vernal pool. Certification does not determine that the pool is within a resource area protected by the Wetlands Protection Act. Certified vernal pools are also afforded protection under the state Water Quality Certification regulations (401 Program), the state Title 5 regulations, and the Forest Cutting Practices Act regulations.Please see layer metadata for more details.Feature service also available.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the longline fishing gear group for Plymouth, MA from 2011-2015.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MADFW) has mapped Coldwater Fisheries Resources (CFRs) at a scale of 1:25,000, based on the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) data. CFRs are important habitat for a number of cold water species, including trout. Coldwater species are typically more sensitive than other species to alterations to stream flow, water quality and temperature within their aquatic habitat. Identification of CFRs is based on fish samples collected annually by staff biologists and technicians. New streams are sampled and evaluated yearly.Please see https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-ma-wildlife-coldwater-fisheries-resources for more details.Map service also available.

The objective of the IMR-2009615 cruise was to study the distribution of fish and plankton in relation to the occurrence of Lophelia cold-water coral reefs and the general topography in the Traena Deep coral reef field. Geographic areas (2 x 2 km) for long-line fishing were selected on the basis of multi-beam bathymetric maps. This included two plots with high density of coral reefs, two plots with low density of coral reef and two plots without any Lophelia reefs (however the area contained high densities of large sponges). Fishing was carried out by the coastal long-liner M/V Øyfisk. During a 5 day period a total of 22 fleets of long-line were set, each containing approximately 1280 hooks. The hooks were baited with squid. Soak time was approximately 4 hours. Fishing was performed with no consideration to what time of the day the lines were set since in June there is light 24 h a day. four fleets of long line were set across each plot. Setting direction was parallel with the main current direction at the site and perpendicular to the depth contour. Starting position for the first line was selected randomly from 0 to 1000 m away from the western up-current side of the plot. The second line was set 900 m away from the first one to avoid that one line would "steal" fish from the other. Fishing was carried out two times in each block, the second time with a new randomly selected starting position. Catch was registered per 250 m sub-section of the line (160 hooks). All fish was identified, weighed and length determined and analyzed for sex and degree of maturity. Stomachs were collected whenever possible. From each subsection of the line otoliths were collected for age determination for a maximum of 10 individuals per fish species. By-catch of sponges and corals were registered.

MassWildlife bathymetry contour lines for many lakes and ponds with public access in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) has mapped bathymetry (measures of water depth) at a scale of 1:10,000 for some inland water lakes and ponds in Massachusetts. The data were gathered on boats by a GPS/depth sounder. The data samples were then extrapolated to form contour lines and a depth surface. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection provided sounding data gathered during water quality surveys to augment MassWildlife's data for a small number of water bodies.See full metadata.Feature service also available.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the pots and traps fishing gear group for Westport, MA from 2011-2015.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the gillnet fishing gear group for Scituate, MA from 2011-2015.

This layer has been depricated in favor of MassGIS feature class- https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=acd3c9ff098b46e78b771754b9ebd9b5Massachusetts is blessed with over 1,200 miles of seashore and hundreds of lakes, ponds, and streams. The Office of Fishing and Boating Access (OFBA) in the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is charged with providing access to these many waterways. Presently, the agency oversees boat and canoe launch sites at more than 280 coastal and inland locations in Massachusetts. The principal source for this layer has been Public Access to the Waters of Massachusetts, published by the OFBA. Additional sites have been digitized from USGS topographic quadrangles. In ArcSDE the layer is named OFBA_PT. With the January 2008 release it replaces the Public Access Board Sites (PAB_PT) layer.Contact Kevin Robicheau for more information about this layer.

A table and map of the study site locations.

These data layers represent diadromous fish passageways, impediments, habitat, species presence and sampling stations along coastal rivers and in lakes and ponds. The data layers include time-of-year recommendations to avoid impacts to present species and on restoration priorities and actions.The five layers were produced and will be maintained by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF):Restoration Projects - Restoration Projects refer to diadromous fish passage projects listed in the DMF Diadromous Fish Restoration Priority List.Sampling Stations - DMF maintains sampling stations in different coastal rivers to monitor the migrations and populations of river herring, American eel, American shad and rainbow smelt. This feature layer reports on the location and type of each sampling stations.Migratory Habitat - Migratory habitat refers to the presence of 10 species of diadromous fish in reaches of coastal rivers in Massachusetts.Rainbow Smelt Spawning Habitat - Rainbow smelt spawning habitat refers to specific locations in coastal rivers where rainbow smelt egg deposition was documented during their spring spawning runs.River Herring Spawning and Nursery Habitat - The ponds and lakes that have been identified by DMF as providing river herring spawning and nursery habitat, and those that river herring cannot access.More details...Map service also available.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the small bottom trawl fishing gear group for Marshfield, MA from 2011-2015.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the dredge fishing gear group for Barnstable, MA from 2011-2015.

The Water Quality Monitoring Station data layer was compiled by staff within the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Division of Watershed Management (DWM), Watershed Planning Program (WPP) to fulfill Federal Clean Water Act reporting requirements.

The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) directs states to monitor and report on the condition of their water resources. The Water Quality Monitoring Stations data layer was compiled by MassDEP staff in fulfillment of CWA mandates. The stations data layer represents water quality monitoring locations sampled by WPP staff from 1983 to 2022.

Four types of WPP monitoring stations are detailed below. Each station, stored as a single point in the data layer, represents a location that was sampled on one or more occasions during one or more years by WPP staff or their agents:

Fish Toxics Stations: 1983-2022 (n=446); locations where whole fish were collected for subsequent tissue analysis of one or more contaminants. Coverage may include MassDEP Office of Research & Standards (ORS) Mercury Project sampling locations if also sampled by WPP.Fish Population Stations: 2005-2011 (n=177); locations where fish were collected, identified, measured, and released and where habitat quality conditions have been recorded. Locations for 2012-2022 sampling will be provided in a future update.Benthic Macroinvertebrate Stations: 1983-2022 (n=1290); locations where samples of benthic macroinvertebrates have been collected for subsequent subsampling and taxonomic identification and where habitat quality conditions have been recorded. (“Macroinvertebrate” is defined to include all aquatic members of the Annelida; all aquatic Mollusca; aquatic macro-Crustacea; aquatic Arachnida; and the aquatic life stages of Insecta—the exception being the Collembola, Hemiptera, and adult Coleoptera other than Elmidae).Water Quality Stations: 1994-2022 (n=3111); locations where water quality monitoring has been conducted, including one or more of the following data types: discrete or continuous in-situ probe measurements (e.g., dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, specific conductance); laboratory results for water samples (e.g., bacteria, nutrients, algal toxins, metals, organics); or general site observations. Note: for display purposes, stations are differentiated into two major types: Surface Water (e.g., River/Stream, Lake, Estuarine) or Discharge (e.g., Facility Industrial, Facility Municipal Sewage (POTW), Storm Sewer).

Stations can overlap if they were monitored for more than one survey type.The water quality monitoring stations should be displayed with the MassDEP DWM WPP Watersheds data layer, which is included in this service. Those delineations are based on MassGIS 'Major Basins' layer but modified by WPP to reflect surface drainage areas used for the Massachusetts Integrated Report: Multi-part List of Waters (IR).

Learn more about the WPP water quality monitoring program.See full metadata.Map service also available.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the small bottom trawl fishing gear group for Nantucket, MA from 2011-2015.

The Communities at Sea maps use Vessel Trip Report location point data as input to create density polygons representing visitation frequency ("fisherdays"). The data show total labor including crew time and the time spent in transit to and from fishing locations. They do not show other variables such as vessel value or number of pounds landed. The results can be interpreted as maps of "community presence." This layer shows data for the pots and traps fishing gear group for Fairhaven, MA from 2011-2015.