This is a proposed updated Action Plan in the Buzzards Bay CCMP 2024 Update.

Protecting and Restoring Ponds and Streams

Problem

Many rivers and ponds in the Buzzards Bay watershed are impaired because of toxic contaminants, bacteria, nutrients, sediments, nuisance species, temperature changes, barriers to fish migration, water withdrawals, alterations of flow, and other problems. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reports these impairments to the U.S. EPA as required by the Clean Water Act, in its “Integrated List of Waters” reports. These integrated lists classify bodies of waters into different categories. For example, Category 5 waters are impaired, and Category 3 waters are unassessed. As shown in Table 27, these impaired freshwaters (Category 5) total 959.8 acres (of the 4,376 acres listed) and 16.0 linear miles of streams (of the 64.9 miles listed).

To restore these waters will require considerable effort. The Clean Water Act requires that states 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). These TMDLs establish the maximum amount of a pollutant that may be introduced into a water body and still ensure attainment and maintenance of water quality standards. TMDLs and restoration of these bodies of waters may require a local watershed plan. The effort to characterize and assess all these bodies of water, and to restore impaired ones, represents an immense challenge to both local and state managers. The nitrogen, stormwater, and bathing beach action plans have objectives that support this action plan.

Goals and Objectives

Changes: A climate element was added to the goal. A goal and two objectives were re-worded to improve readability. Three new objectives were added.

Goal 13.1. Protect surface waters to ensure that beneficial water uses will not be lost nor ecosystems adversely affected by pollution discharges, non-native species, climate change, or flow alterations in the Buzzards Bay watershed.
Goal 13.2. Restore any beneficial water uses and ecosystem functions lost in watershed freshwater systems caused by pollution discharges, non-native species, or alterations of flow and volume.
Objective 13.1. Help adopt total maximum daily loads for all freshwaters.
Objective 13.2. Help ensure that plans are developed and implemented to meet recommended total maximum daily loads.
Objective 13.3. Help restore impaired wetlands habitat.
Objective 13.4. Protect open space that enhances and protects lakes, ponds, and streams.
Objective 13.5. Support studies that result in a better understanding of threats to ponds and streams. (New)
Objective 13.6. Assess use and impairments for all ponds and streams not yet assessed in the state integrated list of impaired waters (New)
Objective 13.7 Encourage wastewater and stormwater management strategies that minimize direct and indirect phosphorus discharges to surface waters. (New)