Water Resources of Massachusetts and Rhode Island
The mission of the USGS Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science Center is to provide the hydrologic information and understanding necessary for the management and use of the Nation's water resources. The WSC fulfills this mission by:
- Systematically collecting surface-water, groundwater, water-quality and biological data;
- Conducting interpretive water-resources studies that respond to cooperator and national needs;
- Developing innovative scientific approaches to various environmental processes and problems to improve our understanding of hydrologic systems;
- Publishing water data and results of investigations in high-quality reports
- Assisting other governmental agencies and the public to understand hydrologic information relevant to the policies and management practices that affect the Nation´s water resources.
Water Programs in MA and RI
Massachusetts Funding Cuts Will Lead to Loss of Critical Streamflow Information.
In response to recent budget reductions for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for fiscal year 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will be reducing their support for the USGS streamgaging program in many basins across Massachusetts. As a result, 18 of the 93 streamgages funded by DCR in Massachusetts will be discontinued. On July 1, 2009, data collection at 13 of the 18 streamgages was discontinued. The USGS will continue to collect data at five of the most critical of the 18 streamgages while alternative sources of funding are sought. However, these five streamgages will be discontinued in 2010 if no other funding sources are secured.
If any Federal, State or local agencies are interested in providing additional funds to operate any of these stations, please contact: Wayne Sonntag, Director, Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science Center, at 508-490-5002 or by e-mail at or Gardner Bent at (508) 490-5041 or by e-mail at .
Further detailed information on the loss of critical streamflow information is available in a Congressional Notification letter at: Notification MA streamgages 06.09.pdf.
Long-Term Monitoring
The USGS stream-gaging network:
Massachusetts
- 109 stations with real-time discharge and gage
height data on the Web
Rhode
Island - 32 stations with real-time discharge and gage height data on the Web
The USGS groundwater observation-well network:
Massachusetts
- 15 wells with real-time water levels data on the Web
Rhode
Island - 5 wells with real-time water levels data on the Web
MA and RI Real-Time Surface-Water Monitoring Sites
Massachusetts and Rhode Island Real-Time Surface-Water Monitoring Sites are displayed on the interactive map.
Open the map by clicking the thumbnail.
Featured Web pages
WaterWatch for Massachusetts and Rhode Island
End of the Month Water Conditions Statements
MA Interactive GIS mapping website
Interactive GIS mapping website allows to view, query, and analyze the Massachusetts watersheds resource data online.
More on the Drainage Basins web page.
2008 Annual Water Data Report
Beginning with Water Year 2006, the ADR is a national report only and the reference to a local report in the WDR series is discontinued.
Therefore, to obtain the information about a specific state, basin or site, please start your search on the national Annual Water Data Reports page.
This page gives the folowing options for search:
- Search by Site Number
- Search by US State or US State and County
- Search by area other than State, including Pacific Islands
- Search by Hydrologic Unit
A map-based tool for locating hydrologic data is also available.
The Mapper allows users to geographically locate surface water, groundwater, and climatological sites and view and download published water data for those sites.
