This data release includes water-quality data collected at up to thirteen locations along the Merrimack River and Merrimack River Estuary in Massachusetts. In this study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, discrete samples were collected, and continuous monitoring was completed from June to September 2020. The data include results of measured field properties (water temperature, specific conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen) and laboratory concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species, total carbon, pheophytin-a, and chlorophyll-a. These data were collected to assess selected (mainly nutrients) water-quality conditions in the Merrimack River and Merrimack River Estuary at the thirteen locations and identify areas where more water-quality monitoring is needed. The discrete samples and continuous-monitoring data are also available in the USGS National Water Information System at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis. This data release consists of (1) Table of the discrete water-quality data collected (Merrimack_DiscreteWQ_Data.csv); (2) Statistical summaries including the minimum, median, and maximum of the discrete water-quality data collected (Merrimack_DiscreteWQ_Statistical_Data.original.csv); (3) Statistical summaries including the minimum, median, and maximum of the continuous water-quality data collected (Merrimack_ContinuousWQ_Statistical_Data.csv); (4) Table of vertical profile data (Merrimack_VerticalWQ_Profiles_Data.csv); (5) Table of continuous monitor deployment location and dates (Merrimack_ContinuousWQ_Deployment_Dates.csv); (6) Time-series plots of continuous water-quality data (Continuous_QW_Plots_All.zip); (7) Vertical profile plots (Vertical Profiles_QW_Plots.zip).

This map service displays the spatial representation of the inland and coastal and marine waters described in the basin tables of the 2013 version of the Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards regulation (2013 MA SWQS, 314 CMR 4.00).The Surface Water Quality Standards (SWQS) Section in MassDEP’s Watershed Planning Program (WPP), Division of Watershed Management, is responsible for developing water quality criteria for surface waters and related policies; designating uses and associated classifications for surface waters; and implementing the MA SWQS regulation and policies that restore and prevent the degradation of surface waters. The criteria listed in the MA SWQS regulation are the foundation for MassDEP’s activities under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), including water quality monitoring and assessments, and the development of plans to restore impaired surface waters. Water quality-based effluent limits in permits issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and the Commonwealth’s Surface Water Discharge (SWD) programs are also derived from water quality criteria in the MA SWQS.More details...Map service also available.

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.Feature service also available.

This data release includes water-quality data collected at 38 sites in central and eastern Massachusetts from April 2018 through May 2019 by the U.S. Geological Survey to support the implementation of site-dependent aluminum criteria for Massachusetts waters. Samples of effluent and receiving surface waters were collected monthly at four wastewater-treatment facilities (WWTFs) and seven water-treatment facilities (WTFs) (see SWQ_data_and_instantaneous_CMC_CCC_values.txt). The measured properties and constituents include pH, hardness, and filtered (dissolved) organic carbon, which are required inputs to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Aluminum Criteria Calculator version 2.0. Outputs from the Aluminum Criteria Calculator are also provided in that file; these outputs consist of acute (Criterion Maximum Concentration, CMC) and chronic (Criterion Continuous Concentration, CCC) instantaneous water-quality values for total recoverable aluminum, calculated for monthly samples ...

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release provides a comprehensive dataset of water-quality results, physical-parameter measurements, hydrologic measurements, and site information collected to study the nature and extent of water quality along groundwater flow paths adjacent to glacial-kettle lakes on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Water-quality samples were collected in 2003, 2005, and 2012 through 2018 in and near seven kettle lakes located on western Cape Cod, with most of the data collected in 2015-2017 from Ashumet Pond, which is located in the towns of Falmouth and Mashpee. Data were also collected at other lakes to compare the lake-specific influences of geochemistry and hydrology on the downgradient groundwater systems. Samples were collected over the course of multi-day and multi-month sampling events to capture the influence of annual and diel changes in the lakes. Water-quality results are presented for groundwater samples collected from monitoring wells and multilevel ...

The interactive map displays the water quality data collection sites in the Merrimack River Basin, Massachusetts.

Terms of UseData Limitations and DisclaimerThe user’s use of and/or reliance on the information contained in the Document shall be at the user’s own risk and expense. MassDEP disclaims any responsibility for any loss or harm that may result to the user of this data or to any other person due to the user’s use of the Document.This is an ongoing data development project. Attempts have been made to contact all PWS systems, but not all have responded with information on their service area. MassDEP will continue to collect and verify this information. Some PWS service areas included in this datalayer have not been verified by the PWS or the municipality involved, but since many of those areas are based on information published online by the municipality, the PWS, or in a publicly available report, they are included in the estimated PWS service area datalayer.Please note: All PWS service area delineations are estimates for broad planning purposes and should only be used as a guide. The data is not appropriate for site-specific or parcel-specific analysis. Not all properties within a PWS service area are necessarily served by the system, and some properties outside the mapped service areas could be served by the PWS – please contact the relevant PWS. Not all service areas have been confirmed by the systems.Please use the following citation to reference these data:MassDEP, Water Utility Resilience Program. 2024. Community and Non-Transient Non-Community Public Water System Service Area (PubV2024_7).IMPORTANT NOTICE: This MassDEP Estimated Water Service datalayer may not be complete, may contain errors, omissions, and other inaccuracies and the data are subject to change. This version is published through MassGIS. We want to learn about the data uses. If you use this dataset, please notify staff in the Water Utility Resilience Program (WURP@mass.gov).

This GIS datalayer represents approximate service areas for Public Water Systems (PWS) in Massachusetts. In 2017, as part of its “Enhancing Resilience and Emergency Preparedness of Water Utilities through Improved Mapping” (Critical Infrastructure Mapping Project ), the MassDEP Water Utility Resilience Program (WURP) began to uniformly map drinking water service areas throughout Massachusetts using information collected from various sources. Along with confirming existing public water system (PWS) service area information, the project collected and verified estimated service area delineations for PWSs not previously delineated and will continue to update the information contained in the datalayers. As of the date of publication, WURP has delineated Community (COM) and Non-Transient Non-Community (NTNC) service areas. Transient non-community (TNCs) are not part of this mapping project.

Layers and Tables:

The MassDEP Estimated Public Water System Service Area data comprises two polygon feature classes and a supporting table. Some data fields are populated from the MassDEP Drinking Water Program’s Water Quality Testing System (WQTS) and Annual Statistical Reports (ASR).

The Community Water Service Areas feature class (PWS_WATER_SERVICE_AREA_COMM_POLY) includes polygon features that represent the approximate service areas for PWS classified as Community systems.The NTNC Water Service Areas feature class (PWS_WATER_SERVICE_AREA_NTNC_POLY) includes polygon features that represent the approximate service areas for PWS classified as Non-Transient Non-Community systems.The Unlocated Sites List table (PWS_WATER_SERVICE_AREA_USL) contains a list of known, unmapped active Community and NTNC PWS services areas at the time of publication.

Production

Data Universe

Public Water Systems in Massachusetts are permitted and regulated through the MassDEP Drinking Water Program. The WURP has mapped service areas for all active and inactive municipal and non-municipal Community PWSs in MassDEP’s Water Quality Testing Database (WQTS). Community PWS refers to a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

All active and inactive NTNC PWS were also mapped using information contained in WQTS. An NTNC or Non-transient Non-community Water System refers to a public water system that is not a community water system and that has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons or more approximately four or more hours per day, four or more days per week, more than six months or 180 days per year, such as a workplace providing water to its employees.

These data may include declassified PWSs. Staff will work to rectify the status/water services to properties previously served by declassified PWSs and remove or incorporate these service areas as needed.

Maps of service areas for these systems were collected from various online and MassDEP sources to create service areas digitally in GIS. Every PWS is assigned a unique PWSID by MassDEP that incorporates the municipal ID of the municipality it serves (or the largest municipality it serves if it serves multiple municipalities). Some municipalities contain more than one PWS, but each PWS has a unique PWSID. The Estimated PWS Service Area datalayer, therefore, contains polygons with a unique PWSID for each PWS service area.

A service area for a community PWS may serve all of one municipality (e.g. Watertown Water Department), multiple municipalities (e.g. Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works), all or portions of two or more municipalities (e.g. Provincetown Water Dept which serves all of Provincetown and a portion of Truro), or a portion of a municipality (e.g. Hyannis Water System, which is one of four PWSs in the town of Barnstable).

Some service areas have not been mapped but their general location is represented by a small circle which serves as a placeholder. The location of these circles are estimates based on the general location of the source wells or the general estimated location of the service area - these do not represent the actual service area.

The service areas were mapped from 2017 to 2022 and may not include all current active PWSs. A list of unmapped PWS systems is included in the USL table PWS_WATER_SERVICE_AREA_USL available for download with the dataset and shown below. Some PWSs that are not mapped may have come online after this iteration of the mapping project; these will be reconciled and mapped during the next phase of the WURP project. PWS IDs that represent regional or joint boards with (e.g. Tri Town Water Board, Randolph/Holbrook Water Board, Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative) will not be mapped, because their individual municipal service areas are included in this datalayer.

Some PWSs that are not mapped may have come online after this iteration of the mapping project; these will be reconciled and mapped during the next phase of the WURP project. Those highlighted (e.g. Tri Town Water Board, Randolph/Holbrook Water Board, Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative) represent regional or joint boards that will not be mapped, because their individual municipal service areas are included in this datalayer.

PWSs that do not have corresponding sources, may be part of consecutive systems, may have been incorporated into another PWSs, reclassified as a different type of PWS, or otherwise taken offline. PWSs that have been incorporated, reclassified, or taken offline will be reconciled during the next data update.

Methodologies and Data Sources

Several methodologies were used to create service area boundaries using various sources, including data received from the systems in response to requests for information from the MassDEP WURP project, information on file at MassDEP, and service area maps found online at municipal and PWS websites. When provided with water line data rather than generalized areas, 300-foot buffers were created around the water lines to denote service areas and then edited to incorporate generalizations. Some municipalities submitted parcel data or address information to be used in delineating service areas.

Verification Process

Small-scale PDF file maps with roads and other infrastructure were sent to every PWS for corrections or verifications. For small systems, such as a condominium complex or residential school, the relevant parcels were often used as the basis for the delineated service area. In towns where 97% or more of their population is served by the PWS and no other service area delineation was available, the town boundary was used as the service area boundary. Some towns responded to the request for information or verification of service areas by stating that the town boundary should be used since all or nearly all of the municipality is served by the PWS.

Sources of information for estimated drinking water service areas

The following information was used to develop estimated drinking water service areas:

EOEEA Water Assets Project (2005) water lines (these were buffered to create service areas)Horsely Witten Report 2008Municipal Master Plans, Open Space Plans, Facilities Plans, Water Supply System Webpages, reports and online interactive mapsGIS data received from PWSDetailed infrastructure mapping completed through the MassDEP WURP Critical Infrastructure InitiativeIn the absence of other service area information, for municipalities served by a town-wide water system serving at least 97% of the population, the municipality’s boundary was used. Determinations of which municipalities are 97% or more served by the PWS were made based on the Percent Water Service Map created in 2018 by MassDEP based on various sources of information including but not limited to:The Winter population served submitted by the PWS in the ASR submittalThe number of services from WQTS as a percent of developed parcelsTaken directly from a Master Plan, Water Department Website, Open Space Plan, etc. found onlineCalculated using information from the town on

The Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection Office of Watsershed Management (DCR/DWSP) was established by Chapter 372 of the Acts of 1984. The Division was created to manage and maintain a system of watersheds and reservoirs and provide pure water to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), which in turn supplies drinking water to approximately 2.5 million people in fifty-one communities and thousands of industrial users. The Surface Water Treatment Rule requires filtration of all surface water supplies unless several criteria are met, including development and implementation of a detailed watershed protection plan. The Division and the MWRA have a joint waiver from the filtration requirement and continue to aggressively manage the watershed in order to maintain this waiver. Water quality sampling and field inspections help identify tributaries with water quality problems, aid in the implementation of the most recent watershed protection plan, and ensure compliance with state and federal water quality criteria for public drinking water supply sources. Division staff also sample to better understand the responses of the reservoir and its tributaries to a variety of physical, chemical, and biological inputs, and to assess the ecological health of the reservoir and the watershed. Wachusett Environmental Quality staff collected routine water quality samples from 23 stations on 19 tributaries and from three stations on the Wachusett Reservoir in 2012. Additional stations were sampled to support special studies or potential enforcement actions, and storm events were sampled on twelve separate occasions.

This vector dataset contains estuarine water quality classifications for 2014 in the Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and Southwest Coastal ponds. Water quality classifications were based on Massachusetts and Rhode Island Assessment Databases for 2014 (MassDEP 2015, RIDEM 2015). This assessment specifically focuses on causes of water quality impairment that are detrimental to aquatic life with an emphasis on nutrient enrichment and low dissolved oxygen. The Estuary Program re-classified water quality in four categories. The first, “Acceptable,” includes waters that fully support aquatic life, equivalent to a “fully supporting” determination by the states. Acceptable waters are generally not tested for all parameters that may affect aquatic life use. Information about the testing completed for each waterbody was unavailable. As a result, waters classified as “Acceptable” may not have been tested for nutrient concentrations or dissolved oxygen levels, and thus are not a direct proxy for those parameters. The second category, “Impacted by Nutrients/DO,” includes waters that are “not supporting” of aquatic life due to nutrient enrichment or depleted oxygen. To determine water quality conditions for aquatic life, the states also test many other parameters, such as toxins, that are unrelated to nutrients and dissolved oxygen. Thus, the third category included waters “Impacted by Other,” i.e., waters that were “not supporting” of aquatic life due to parameters other than nutrient enrichment or oxygen depletion. The fourth category was “Unassessed for Aquatic Life Use” which includes waters that are assessed by the states for other uses (e.g., Recreational Use), but not for Aquatic Life Use. Area is calculated in square miles. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and graphic display at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the Integrated List reporting for Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

This data release provides data in support of an assessment of water quality and discharge in the Herring River at the Chequessett Neck Road dike in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, from November 2015 to September 2017. The assessment was a cooperative project among the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore, and the Friends of Herring River to characterize environmental conditions prior to a future removal of the dike. It is described in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Scientific Investigations Report "Assessment of Water Quality and Discharge in the Herring River, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, November 2015 – September 2017." This data release is structured as a set of comma-separated values (CSV) files, each of which contains information on data source (or laboratory used for analysis), USGS site identification (ID) number, beginning date of time of observation or sampling, ending date and time of observation or sampling and data such as flow rate and analytical results. The CSV files include calculated tidal daily flows (Flood_Tide_Tidal_Day.csv and Ebb_Tide_Tidal_Day.csv) that were used in Huntington and others (2020) for estimation of nutrient loads. Tidal daily flows are the estimated mean daily discharges for two consecutive flood and ebb tide cycles (average duration: 24 hours, 48 minutes). The associated date is the day on which most of the flow occurred. CSV files contain quality assurance data for water-quality samples including blanks (Blanks.csv), replicates (Replicates.csv), standard reference materials (Standard_Reference_Material.csv), and atmospheric ammonium contamination (NH4_Atmospheric_Contamination.csv). One CSV file (EWI_vs_ISCO.csv) contains data comparing composite samples collected by an automatic sampler (ISCO) at a fixed point with depth-integrated samples collected at equal width increments (EWI). One CSV file (Cross_Section_Field_Parameters.csv) contains field parameter data (specific conductance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen) collected at a fixed location and data collected along the cross sections at variable water depths and horizontal distances across the openings of the culverts at the Chequessett Neck Road dike. One CSV file (LOADEST_Bias_Statistics.csv) contains data that include estimated natural log of load, model residuals, Z-scores, and seasonal model residuals for winter (December, January, and February); spring (March, April and May); summer (June, July and August); and fall (September, October, and November). The data release also includes a data dictionary (Data_Dictionary.csv) that provides detailed descriptions of each field in each CSV file, including: data filename; laboratory or data source; U.S. Geological Survey site ID numbers; data types; constituent (analyte) U.S. Geological Survey parameter codes; descriptions of parameters; units; methods; minimum reporting limits; limits of quantitation, if appropriate; method reference citations; and minimum, maximum, median, and average values for each analyte. The data release also includes an abbreviations file (Abbreviations.pdf) that defines all the abbreviations in the data dictionary and CSV files. Note that the USGS site ID includes a leading zero (011058798) and some of the parameter codes contain leading zeros, so care must be taken in opening and subsequently saving these files in other formats where leading zeros may be dropped.

Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Service Protocol: Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Application Profile: Web Browser. Link Function: information

This database contains anion, nutrient, and secchi data collected by MA DEP for assessment of water quality in MA lakes. Data spans 2005-2010. The ultimate goal of the MassDEP is to implement a comprehensive monitoring program (status/assessment, trends and flows, and targeted) that serves all water quality management needs, and addresses streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, coastal areas, wetlands, and groundwater. The five-year rotating watershed assessment program is currently the primary means of meeting the CWA objective related to assessing the status of designated uses. Requirements for the monitoring program designed to support watershed assessments, reflecting CWA mandates, are that it be statewide in scale, comprehensive (all water bodies in the Commonwealth are assessed), and repeated at regular intervals. Water quality surveys generally consist of five sampling events interspersed throughout the water recreation season for conventional water quality analyses such as pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended and total dissolved solids, nutrients, and fecal coliform bacteria.

This dataset contains water-quality data for stream samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at 12 sites on the Assabet and Concord Rivers in eastern Massachusetts in 2008. The samples were collected monthly from June to October, 2008. The water-quality parameters and constituents include field parameters (water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen), concentrations of dissolved and total calcium, magnesium, and selected metals, total suspended solids, and dissolved organic carbon. Hardness calculated from dissolved calcium and magnesium also is included. Data collection was done in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This geodatabase contains data from the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org), Chapter 18: "Water Quality Conditions for Aquatic Life." Water quality classifications were based on Massachusetts and Rhode Island Assessment Databases for 2014 (MassDEP 2015, RIDEM 2015). This assessment specifically focuses on causes of water quality impairment that are detrimental to aquatic life with an emphasis on nutrient enrichment and low dissolved oxygen. The Estuary Program re-classified state-assessed water quality in the estuaries, lakes/ponds, and stream/rivers in four categories. The first, “Acceptable,” includes waters that fully support aquatic life, equivalent to a “fully supporting” determination by the states. Acceptable waters are generally not tested for all parameters that may affect aquatic life use. Information about the testing completed for each waterbody was unavailable. As a result, waters classified as “Acceptable” may not have been tested for nutrient concentrations or dissolved oxygen levels, and thus are not a direct proxy for those parameters. The second category, “Impacted by Nutrients/DO,” includes waters that are “not supporting” of aquatic life due to nutrient enrichment or depleted oxygen. To determine water quality conditions for aquatic life, the states also test many other parameters, such as toxins, that are unrelated to nutrients and dissolved oxygen. Thus, the third category included waters “Impacted by Other,” i.e., waters that were “not supporting” of aquatic life due to parameters other than nutrient enrichment or oxygen depletion. The fourth category was “Unassessed for Aquatic Life Use” which includes waters that are assessed by the states for other uses (e.g., Recreational Use), but not for Aquatic Life Use. Summary tables catalog the extent of estuarine, lake/pond, and stream/river water quality classifications for 2014 in the study areas and major river basins.

This database contains anion, nutrient, and secchi data collected by MA DEP for assessment of water quality in MA lakes. Data spans 1995-2004. The ultimate goal of the MassDEP is to implement a comprehensive monitoring program (status/assessment, trends and flows, and targeted) that serves all water quality management needs, and addresses streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, coastal areas, wetlands, and groundwater. The five-year rotating watershed assessment program is currently the primary means of meeting the CWA objective related to assessing the status of designated uses. Requirements for the monitoring program designed to support watershed assessments, reflecting CWA mandates, are that it be statewide in scale, comprehensive (all water bodies in the Commonwealth are assessed), and repeated at regular intervals. Water quality surveys generally consist of five sampling events interspersed throughout the water recreation season for conventional water quality analyses such as pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended and total dissolved solids, nutrients, and fecal coliform bacteria.

NPDWSAs are not based on existing water quality and do not indicate poor ambient conditions.The Massachusetts Contingency Plan (310 CMR 40.0006) defines potentially productive aquifers and within those, non-potential drinking water source areas. Determination of NPDWSA is detailed in MassDEP policy WSC-97-701. These documents should be consulted for details regarding the regulatory framework in which this data was created and in which it should be interpreted.To the extent possible with available data, this coverage geographically delineates NPDWSAs. The data layer can and should be used as one reference for determining NPDWSA status and appropriate ground water standards. However, this data set most likely contains errors of inclusion and exclusion. Conditions on the ground as specified in relevant regulations and policies supersede these delineations.See full metadataMap service also available.Also see the Aquifers service.

Year 2019, 15 minute measurements of water column temperature, salinity, oxygen and depth in Plum Island Sound at the Ipswich Bay Yacht Club, Ipswich, MA.

This dataset contains historical data on concentrations of total and dissolved organic carbon in Massachusetts streams from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS) database. The data were compiled from NWIS using site and sample selection criteria to retrieve all publicly available data from surface-water samples that contained analysis of both total and dissolved organic carbon. The data set was screened, as much as possible from the site and sample description information in NWIS, to retain only routine environmental samples from stream sites. The final data set consists of 223 samples from 52 sites and were collected from 1978 to 2007.

This excel contains results from the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org), Chapter 22: "Water Quality Conditions for Recreation." Water quality classifications were based on Massachusetts and Rhode Island Assessment Databases for 2014 (MassDEP 2015, RIDEM 2015). This assessment specifically focuses on causes of water quality impairment that are detrimental to recreational use with an emphasis on pathogen pollution. The Estuary Program re-classified water quality in four categories. TThe first, “Acceptable” includes waters that fully support recreational use, equivalent to a “fully supporting” determination by the states. The second category, “Impacted by Pathogens,” includes waters that are “not supporting” of recreational use due to impact by pathogens. To determine water quality conditions for recreational use, the states also make assessments based on other parameters, such as odor, that are unrelated to pathogens. Thus, the third category included waters “Impacted by Other,” i.e., waters that were “not supporting” of recreational use due to parameters other than pathogens. The fourth category, “Unassessed for Recreational Use,” includes waters that are assessed by the states for other uses (e.g., Aquatic Life Use), but not for Recreational Use.

On October 12, 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected 13 shallow groundwater samples and two quality-control samples for analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Samples were collected in Hen Cove, Pocasset, Massachusetts by using USGS water-quality sampling protocols (Shoemaker and Tettenhorst, 2020). Groundwater environmental and quality control samples were analyzed at SGS (Orlando, FL) using EPA method 537.1m. Samples were collected from temporary push point samplers (manufactured by MHE Inc.) installed 20 to 60 centimeters below the cove bottom sediment. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. REFERENCES: Shoemaker, J., and Tettenhorst. D., 2020, Method 537.1, Determination of selected per- and polyflourinated alkyl substances in drinking water by solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS): U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 600/R-20-006, https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?Lab=NERL&dirEntryId=343042. U.S Geological Survey (USGS), 2015, National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data. U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Book 9. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/twri09.