River and Stream Continuity Project

Prioritizing Streams for Restoration

High-Quality Streams in Massachusetts

1.  Use the table below to download high resolution (4-10 Mb) PDFs showing High-Quality Streams for particular cities or towns.

or

2. Use the following link to download a zip file with a GIS shapefile of High-Quality Streams in Massachusetts. You will not be able to view these data without the proper GIS software.  http://www.streamcontinuity.org/assessing_crossing_structures/prioritzing_streams.htm

The data layer for 1 and 2 above was compiled from the following sources to be consistent with General Condition 21 (d) iii on Page 10 of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Massachusetts General Permit*, available at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/reg/MA_GP012110.pdf:

  • MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) Living Waters Core Habitats (November 2003 from MassGIS)
  • MA NHESP BioMap Core Habitats: All streams that fell within BioMap Core Habitats (June 2002 from MassGIS)
  • Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs): All streams that fell within ACECs (April 2009 from MassGIS)
  • Cold Water Fisheries: Streams in sub-watersheds where brook trout populations are categorized as “intact” and that have a contributing watershed of 0.5 sq. mi or more (2006 from Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture)
  • Anadromous Fish Runs:  From 1997 data provided by the MA Division of Marine Fisheries supplemented with data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Connecticut River watershed.
*For ongoing cranberry bog operations, the "High Quality" designation applies only to principal streams running through the bog and not to constructed lateral ditches (even though the ditches may appear as "High Quality" streams in the GIS data or m

Town Map (2-6 Mb files)
Abington ABINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Acton ACTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Acushnet ACUSHNET_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Adams ADAMS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Agawam AGAWAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Alford ALFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Amesbury AMESBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Amherst AMHERST_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Andover ANDOVER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Arlington ARLINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ashburnham ASHBURNHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ashby ASHBY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ashfield ASHFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ashland ASHLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Athol ATHOL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Attleboro ATTLEBORO_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Auburn AUBURN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Avon AVON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ayer AYER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Barnstable BARNSTABLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Barre BARRE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Becket BECKET_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Bedford BEDFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Belchertown BELCHERTOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Bellingham BELLINGHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Belmont BELMONT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Berkley BERKLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Berlin BERLIN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Bernardston BERNARDSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Beverly BEVERLY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Billerica BILLERICA_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Blackstone BLACKSTONE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Blandford BLANDFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Bolton BOLTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Boston BOSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Bourne BOURNE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Boxborough BOXBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Boxford BOXFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Boylston BOYLSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Braintree BRAINTREE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Brewster BREWSTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Bridgewater BRIDGEWATER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Brimfield BRIMFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Brockton BROCKTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Brookfield BROOKFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Brookline BROOKLINE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Buckland BUCKLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Burlington BURLINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Cambridge CAMBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Canton CANTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Carlisle CARLISLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Carver CARVER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Charlemont CHARLEMONT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Charlton CHARLTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chatham CHATHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chelmsford CHELMSFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chelsea CHELSEA_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Cheshire CHESHIRE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chesterfield CHESTERFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chester CHESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chicopee CHICOPEE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Chilmark CHILMARK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Clarksburg CLARKSBURG_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Clinton CLINTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Cohasset COHASSET_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Colrain COLRAIN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Concord CONCORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Conway CONWAY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Cummington CUMMINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dalton DALTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Danvers DANVERS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dartmouth DARTMOUTH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dedham DEDHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Deerfield DEERFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dennis DENNIS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dighton DIGHTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Douglas DOUGLAS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dover DOVER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dracut DRACUT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dudley DUDLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Dunstable DUNSTABLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Duxbury DUXBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
East Bridgewater EAST BRIDGEWATER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
East Brookfield EAST BROOKFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
East Longmeadow EAST LONGMEADOW_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Easthampton EASTHAMPTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Eastham EASTHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Easton EASTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Edgartown EDGARTOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Egremont EGREMONT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Erving ERVING_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Essex ESSEX_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Everett EVERETT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Fairhaven FAIRHAVEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Fall River FALL RIVER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Falmouth FALMOUTH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Fitchburg FITCHBURG_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Florida FLORIDA_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Foxborough FOXBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Framingham FRAMINGHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Franklin FRANKLIN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Freetown FREETOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Gardner GARDNER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Gay Head GAY HEAD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Georgetown GEORGETOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Gill GILL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Gloucester GLOUCESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Goshen GOSHEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Gosnold GOSNOLD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Grafton GRAFTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Granby GRANBY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Granville GRANVILLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Great Barrington GREAT BARRINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Greenfield GREENFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Groton GROTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Groveland GROVELAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hadley HADLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Halifax HALIFAX_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hamilton HAMILTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hampden HAMPDEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hancock HANCOCK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hanover HANOVER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hanson HANSON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hardwick HARDWICK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Harvard HARVARD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Harwich HARWICH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hatfield HATFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Haverhill HAVERHILL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hawley HAWLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Heath HEATH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hingham HINGHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hinsdale HINSDALE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Holbrook HOLBROOK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Holden HOLDEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Holland HOLLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Holliston HOLLISTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Holyoke HOLYOKE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hopedale HOPEDALE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hopkinton HOPKINTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hubbardston HUBBARDSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hudson HUDSON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Hull HULL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Huntington HUNTINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ipswich IPSWICH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Kingston KINGSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lakeville LAKEVILLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lancaster LANCASTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lanesborough LANESBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lawrence LAWRENCE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lee LEE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Leicester LEICESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lenox LENOX_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Leominster LEOMINSTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Leverett LEVERETT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lexington LEXINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Leyden LEYDEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lincoln LINCOLN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Littleton LITTLETON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Longmeadow LONGMEADOW_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lowell LOWELL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ludlow LUDLOW_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lunenburg LUNENBURG_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lynnfield LYNNFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Lynn LYNN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Malden MALDEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Manchester MANCHESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Mansfield MANSFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Marblehead MARBLEHEAD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Marion MARION_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Marlborough MARLBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Marshfield MARSHFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Mashpee MASHPEE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Mattapoisett MATTAPOISETT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Maynard MAYNARD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Medfield MEDFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Medford MEDFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Medway MEDWAY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Melrose MELROSE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Mendon MENDON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Merrimac MERRIMAC_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Methuen METHUEN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Middleborough MIDDLEBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Middlefield MIDDLEFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Middleton MIDDLETON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Milford MILFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Millbury MILLBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Millis MILLIS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Millville MILLVILLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Milton MILTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Monroe MONROE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Monson MONSON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Montague MONTAGUE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Monterey MONTEREY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Montgomery MONTGOMERY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Mount Washington MOUNT WASHINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Nahant NAHANT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Nantucket NANTUCKET_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Natick NATICK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Needham NEEDHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
New Ashford NEW ASHFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
New Bedford NEW BEDFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
New Braintree NEW BRAINTREE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
New Marlborough NEW MARLBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
New Salem NEW SALEM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Newburyport NEWBURYPORT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Newbury NEWBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Newton NEWTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Norfolk NORFOLK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
North Adams NORTH ADAMS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
North Andover NORTH ANDOVER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
North Attleborough NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
North Brookfield NORTH BROOKFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
North Reading NORTH READING_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Northampton NORTHAMPTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Northborough NORTHBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Northbridge NORTHBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Northfield NORTHFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Norton NORTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Norwell NORWELL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Norwood NORWOOD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Oak Bluffs OAK BLUFFS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Oakham OAKHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Orange ORANGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Orleans ORLEANS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Otis OTIS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Oxford OXFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Palmer PALMER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Paxton PAXTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Peabody PEABODY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Pelham PELHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Pembroke PEMBROKE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Pepperell PEPPERELL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Peru PERU_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Petersham PETERSHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Phillipston PHILLIPSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Pittsfield PITTSFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Plainfield PLAINFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Plainville PLAINVILLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Plymouth PLYMOUTH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Plympton PLYMPTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Princeton PRINCETON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Provincetown PROVINCETOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Quincy QUINCY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Randolph RANDOLPH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Raynham RAYNHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Reading READING_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rehoboth REHOBOTH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Revere REVERE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Richmond RICHMOND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rochester ROCHESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rockland ROCKLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rockport ROCKPORT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rowe ROWE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rowley ROWLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Royalston ROYALSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Russell RUSSELL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Rutland RUTLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Salem SALEM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Salisbury SALISBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sandisfield SANDISFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sandwich SANDWICH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Saugus SAUGUS_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Savoy SAVOY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Scituate SCITUATE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Seekonk SEEKONK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sharon SHARON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sheffield SHEFFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Shelburne SHELBURNE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sherborn SHERBORN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Shirley SHIRLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Shrewsbury SHREWSBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Shutesbury SHUTESBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Somerset SOMERSET_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Somerville SOMERVILLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
South Hadley SOUTH HADLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Southampton SOUTHAMPTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Southborough SOUTHBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Southbridge SOUTHBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Southwick SOUTHWICK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Spencer SPENCER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Springfield SPRINGFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sterling STERLING_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Stockbridge STOCKBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Stoneham STONEHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Stoughton STOUGHTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Stow STOW_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sturbridge STURBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sudbury SUDBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sunderland SUNDERLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Sutton SUTTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Swampscott SWAMPSCOTT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Swansea SWANSEA_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Taunton TAUNTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Templeton TEMPLETON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Tewksbury TEWKSBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Tisbury TISBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Tolland TOLLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Topsfield TOPSFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Townsend TOWNSEND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Truro TRURO_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Tyngsborough TYNGSBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Tyringham TYRINGHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Upton UPTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Uxbridge UXBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wakefield WAKEFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wales WALES_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Walpole WALPOLE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Waltham WALTHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wareham WAREHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Ware WARE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Warren WARREN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Warwick WARWICK_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Washington WASHINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Watertown WATERTOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wayland WAYLAND_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Webster WEBSTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wellesley WELLESLEY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wellfleet WELLFLEET_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wendell WENDELL_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wenham WENHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Boylston WEST BOYLSTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Bridgewater WEST BRIDGEWATER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Brookfield WEST BROOKFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Newbury WEST NEWBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Springfield WEST SPRINGFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Stockbridge WEST STOCKBRIDGE_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
West Tisbury WEST TISBURY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westborough WESTBOROUGH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westfield WESTFIELD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westford WESTFORD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westhampton WESTHAMPTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westminster WESTMINSTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Weston WESTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westport WESTPORT_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Westwood WESTWOOD_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Weymouth WEYMOUTH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Whately WHATELY_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Whitman WHITMAN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wilbraham WILBRAHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Williamsburg WILLIAMSBURG_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Williamstown WILLIAMSTOWN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wilmington WILMINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Winchendon WINCHENDON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Winchester WINCHESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Windsor WINDSOR_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Winthrop WINTHROP_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Woburn WOBURN_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Worcester WORCESTER_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Worthington WORTHINGTON_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Wrentham WRENTHAM_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
Yarmouth YARMOUTH_High_Quality_Streams.pdf
 

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UMass Extension logo
New England Regional Water Quality logoThis material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department ofAgriculture, under Agreement No. 2004-51130-03108.