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.
