Massachusetts water features, including lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands. From USGS hydrography. For full metadata and links to download free data please visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-massdep-hydrography-125000.

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 MassDEP Wetlands service comprises two feature types, polygons (areas) and arcs (lines). The attribute codes in the polygon layer describe different types of wetland environments and the arc attributes describe line types based on adjacent polygon types or arcs defined as hydrologic connections.This map service displays the data based on the generalized categories in the POLY_CODE and ARC_CODE fields.The 2005 MassDEP Wetlands layers provide a medium-scale representation of wetland areas of the state. Wetland areas consist of open water, vegetated wetlands, and coastal landforms. The hydrologic connection arcs provide a medium scale representation of linear features (less than 50 feet wide) that appear to contain flowing water (either intermittently or perennially) and flow into, out of, or between mapped wetland polygons. Hydrologic connections may consist of rivers, streams, ditches, culverts, swales, or other water conveyance features.Please see MassGIS' metadata for more details.A map service is also available.

The MassGIS Topographic Features for Basemap is a general-reference map that contains a variety of features, all from the MassGIS database. The map was designed by MassGIS staff in ESRI's ArcMap 10.x software and was cached (pre-rendered) for the Web using ArcGIS Pro. The caching process greatly speeds the display of all basemap features.

This Topographic Base includes shaded relief, elevation contour lines with labels in feet, protected open space (parks, forests, preserves, etc.), hydrography (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands), ocean, surrounding states, developed land areas, and airfields and runways.

Other "basemap" features, like streets, infrastructure (schools, hospitals, rail lines, etc.) and political boundaries, are included in the "MassGIS Detailed Features Basemap Map Layer" and may be drawn atop this Topographic Base to display a more complete basemap.For full details see https://www.mass.gov/service-details/massgis-base-map.

MassGIS has adapted and modified the U.S. Geological Survey 1:100,000 Hydrography Digital Line Graph (DLG) quadrangle files to produce two layers:HYDRO100K_POLY - ponds and lakesHYDRO100K_ARC - streams and rivers

The MassDEP Wetlands dataset comprises two ArcGIS geodatabase feature classes:The WETLANDSDEP_POLY layer contains polygon features delineating mapped wetland resource areas and attribute codes indicating wetland type.The WETLANDSDEP_ARC layer was generated from the polygon features and contains arc attribute coding based on the adjacent polygons as well as arcs defined as hydrologic connections.Together these statewide layers enhance and replace the original MassDEP wetlands layers, formerly known as DEP Wetlands (1:12,000). It should be noted that these layers provide a medium-scale representation of the wetland areas of the state and are for planning purposes only. Wetlands boundary determination for other purposes, such as the Wetlands Protection Act MA Act M.G.L. c. 131 or local bylaws must use the relevant procedures and criteria.The original MassDEP wetlands mapping project was based on the photo-interpretation of 1:12,000, stereo color-infrared (CIR) photography, captured between 1990 and 2000, and included field verification by the MassDEP Wetlands Conservancy Program (WCP). In 2007 the MassDEP WCP began a statewide effort to assess and where necessary update the original wetlands data. The MassDEP WCP used ESRI ArcGIS Desktop software, assisted by the PurVIEW Stereo Viewing extension, to evaluate and update the original wetlands features based on photo-interpretation of 0.5m, (1:5,000) digital stereo CIR imagery statewide, captured in April 2005. No field verification was conducted on this updated 2005 wetlands data.The 2005 WETLANDSDEP_POLY layer includes polygon features that distinguish it from its predecessor by overall changes in size and shape. In addition, new polygons have been created and original ones deleted. Many of the polygons, however, remain the same as in the original layer. All changes have been made according to the techniques described below. For the purpose of cartographic continuity, a small number of coastal polygons outside the state boundary where added based on data provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).The 2005 WETLANDSDEP_ARC layer was generated to support map display and was designed to cartographically enhance the rendering of wetland features on a base map. Arc features in this layer were generated from the wetland polygons and coding (ARC_CODE) was assigned based on the adjacent polygon types. Hydrologic connection features (ARC_CODE = 7) were then added. Where delineated, these arc features indicate an observed hydrologic connection to or between wetland polygons. Although efforts were made to be comprehensive and thorough in mapping hydrologic connections, due to the limitations of aerial photo-interpretation some areas may have been missed.The types of updates made to the original wetland features include alteration, movement/realignment and reclassification. In some cases original wetland areas have been deleted and new areas have been added. Updates to original wetland features resulted from the following factors: changes in the natural environment due to human activity or natural causes; advances in the field of remote sensing, allowing for more refined mapping.Edit changes to the original wetland data include:Addition of new wetland and hydrologic connection featuresAppending (expansion or realignment) of existing (original) wetland and hydrologic connection featuresReclassification of wetlands features, due to change in wetlands environment from the original classificationMovement (or shifting) of original wetland features to better match the source imageryDeletion of original wetland or hydrologic connection features due to changes in wetlands environment or inconsistency with mapping criteria.Please note that although efforts were made to be comprehensive and thorough in the evaluation and mapping of statewide wetland resources some areas of the state may have been missed. Many of the wetland and hydrologic connection features remain the same as in the original data. The polygon attribute SOURCE_SCALE may be used to identify areas that have been altered from the original wetlands. The SOURCE_SCALE code 5000 indicates an updated wetland area. The SOURCE_SCALE code 12000 indicates an unaltered, original wetland polygon.

This datalayer is part of a group of layers used for research in the Ipswich River Watershed. This datalayer was rasterized from the vector line data set “ip30_hydrology”, a modified version of the hydrology layer available from MassGIS for the Ipswich Watershed. To be used to generate a hydrologically corrected Digital Elevation Model, and to examine sampling site catchments or sub-watersheds within the Ipswich River Watershed.

The MassDEP Wetlands datalayer comprises two feature types, polygons and arcs (lines). The attribute codes in the polygon layer describe different types of wetland environments and the arc attributes describe line types based on adjacent polygon types or arcs defined as hydrologic connections.In this service the wetland areas are displayed using outlines and labeled with wetland code abbreviation. This symbology is useful for displaying the data atop aerial imagery.Please see https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-massdep-wetlands-2005 for more details.

MassDEP wetlands (published 2017) based on year 2005 Color Infrared Photos (1:5,000) and year 1993 CIR photos (1:12,000). The former have not been field verified.

These data are for planning purposes only.Per the MassGIS website:"The wetlands boundaries shown on this map have been determined by photographic interpretation. They do not represent, and should not be used as, wetlands delineations under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (M.G.L. c. 131 §40) and its regulations. Wetlands boundary determination for other purposes, such as the Wetlands Protection Act MA Act M.G.L. c. 131 or local bylaws must use the relevant procedures and criteria."The attribute table contains a simplified wetland code adapted from 1:25,000 hydrography and a detailed (28 category) wetland code based on the Wetland Conservancy Program.See the MassGIS website for full metadata details.

Massachusetts cached tiled basemap with topographic base, detailed features, and property tax parcels. Parcels display at levels 17, 18 and 19. Created February 7, 2025.

Detailed Features include:

Political Boundaries: Massachusetts cities and towns, counties and state border (Community Boundaries (Towns) from Survey Points, MassGIS) Transportation: Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Roads (MassDOT, MassGIS); MBTA subway and Commuter Rail lines and stations (Central Transportation Planning Staff, MassGIS); Airports, Ferry Routes and Seaports (MassDOT); Airport Runways and Airfields (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA))Infrastructure and Facilities: Lighthouses and Lights (Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management); Schools (Pre-K - High School) (Massachusetts Department of Education, MassGIS); Colleges and Universities (MassGIS); Acute Care Hospitals (Massachusetts Department of Public Health Office of Emergency Medical Services); Non-acute Care Hospitals, Police Stations, Fire Stations, Town Halls (MEMA), Libraries, Places of Worship, Prisons

This Topographic Base includes shaded relief, elevation contour lines with labels in feet, protected open space (parks, forests, preserves, etc.), hydrography (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands), ocean, surrounding states, developed land areas, and airfields and runways.

This data set represents the extent, approximate location and type of wetlands and deepwater habitats in Massachusetts. These data delineate the areal extent of wetlands and surface waters as defined by Cowardin et al. (1979).The National Wetlands Inventory - Version 2, Surface Waters and Wetlands Inventory was derived by retaining the wetland and deepwater polygons that compose the NWI digital wetlands spatial data layer and reintroducing any linear wetland or surface water features that were orphaned from the original NWI hard copy maps by converting them to narrow polygonal features. Additionally, the data are supplemented with hydrography data, buffered to become polygonal features, as a secondary source for any single-line stream features not mapped by the NWI and to complete segmented connections. Wetlands for most projects mapped after 2015 were mapped to include all surface water features and are not derived data. The linear hydrography dataset used to derive Version 2 was the U.S. Geological Survey's National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Specific information on the NHD version used to derive Version 2 and where Version 2 was mapped can be found in the 'comments' field of the Wetlands_Project_Metadata feature class. Certain wetland habitats are excluded from the National mapping program because of the limitations of aerial imagery as the primary data source used to detect wetlands. These habitats include seagrasses or submerged aquatic vegetation that are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones of estuaries and near shore coastal waters. Some deepwater reef communities (coral or tuberficid worm reefs) have also been excluded from the inventory. These habitats, because of their depth, go undetected by aerial imagery. By policy, the Service also excludes certain types of "farmed wetlands" as may be defined by the Food Security Act or that do not coincide with the Cowardin et al. definition. Contact the Service's Regional Wetland Coordinator for additional information on what types of farmed wetlands are included on wetland maps. This dataset should be used in conjunction with the Wetlands_Project_Metadata layer, which contains project specific wetlands mapping procedures and information on dates, scales and emulsion of imagery used to map the wetlands within specific project boundaries.MassGIS downloaded the data from https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/State-Downloads.html on November 12, 2020 and projected it to the Mass. State Plane Meters NAD 1983 Mainland coordinate system.