Expansion of the USGS Cooperative Streamgage Network

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other Federal, State, and local government agencies, currently operates a network of 98 streamgaging stations in Massachusetts. Data from this network provides valuable information for flood warning, drought monitoring, water-supply planning and management, resource protection, construction and engineering, recreation, and other streamflow information needs at all levels of government.

To better serve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the USGS, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, has been funded to expand the cooperative streamgage network during 2006-2008 by installing 29 new streamgages with real-time data displayed on the USGS Web. These additional streamgages are being installed to provide additional streamflow information in coastal areas, in areas of relatively minimal flow impacts (index) and in areas where the growing demand for water is competing with the need to maintain adequate streamflow for aquatic habitat protection. When all new streamgages are installed, the USGS Massachusetts Streamgaging Network will include at total of approximately 128 gages.

The new streamgages will provide additional hydrologic data for:

1. Water Management Act policy and permit requirements,
2. Water-supply management (water releases from impoundments),
3. Water-quality management (permit compliance monitoring, TMDL support),
4. Aquatic habitat analysis and resource protection,
5. Monitoring of interstate flow (major river inflows to and outflows from the State),
6. Flood forecasting and warning for the protection of lives and property,
7. Drought warning and monitoring during periods of low flow,
8. Stressed-basins designation including identifying the magnitude of hydrologic stress, and
9. Regional hydrologic analysis used for water-supply planning and infrastructure design (for example, roads, culverts, and bridges).

New streamgages in operation as of December 2007

1. Assabet River, Mill Road near Westboro, MA 010965995
2. Blackstone River, Rt 122 Bridge near Uxbridge, MA 01111212
3. Canoe River near Norton, MA 01108320
4. Charles River at Medway, MA 01103280
5. Eel River below Russell Millpond near Plymouth, MA 011058756
6. Eel River, at Rt 3A near Plymouth, MA 01105876
7. Emerson Brook near Uxbridge, MA 01111225
8. Green River near Great Barrington, MA 01198000
9. Herring River near North Harwich, MA 01105880
10. Ipswich River near North Reading, MA 01101344
11. Martins Brook near North Reading, MA 01101400
12. Matfield River at Elmwood, MA 01106500
13. Mattapoisett River near Mattapoisett, MA 01105917
14. Merrimack River, 0.3 mi upstream from Rt 125 Bridge at Haverhill, MA 01100693 (stage-only)
15. Mill River at Christian Lane near Whately, MA 01170930
16. Mine Brook at Walpole, MA 01104850
17. Miscoe Brook near Franklin, MA 01103220
18. Monatiquot River at East Braintree, MA 01105583
19. Mystic River at Amelia Earhart Dam near Medford, MA 01103050 (stage-only, river and harbor sides of dam)
20. Nashoba Brook, Commonwealth Ave., at West Concord, MA 01097380
21. Nissitissit River at Pepperell, MA 01096503
22. Palmer River at South Rehoboth, MA 01109220
23. Parker River, Rt 97 near Georgetown, MA 01100890
24. Rattlesnake Brook near Assonet, MA 01109090
25 Shawsheen River at Balmoral Street at Andover, MA 01100627
26. Sudbury River at Ashland, MA 01097480
27. Trout Brook near Dover, MA 01103455
28. Twelvemile Brook near North Wilbraham, MA 01176780
29. Weir River at Leavitt Street at Hingham, MA 01105638

Throughout this expansion effort, the USGS is committed to meeting many of its main missions which include, "providing unbiased, accurate and defensible data in a timely manner to a wide group of cooperators, stakeholders, researchers, and other interested agencies and individuals."

Existing streamgages upgraded to real-time with data on the USGS Web

1. Green River at Williamstown, MA 01333000
2. Hoosic River at Adams, MA 01331500
3. Indian Head River near Hanover, MA 01105730
4. Millers River near Winchendon, MA 01162000
5. Otter River at Otter River, MA 01163200
6. Segreganset River near North Dighton, MA 01109070
7. South River near Conway, MA 01169900
8. Threemile River at North Dighton, MA 01109060
9. Town Brook at Diversion Tunnel at Quincy, MA 01105584