UMASS/AMHERST *
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Guiding the Protection of
Freshwater Biodiversity in
lassachusetts
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program
Acknowledgements
Mitt Romney, Governor
Commonwealth of
Massachusetts
Kerry Hi^^y,fSei^f/3a/7f Governor
Commonwealth of
Massachusetts \ ; t^^
Ellen Roy: HeEzfeMef" Secretary
Executive Cffiee of • '
Environmental Affairs
David M. Peters, Commissioner
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife
& Environmental Law
Enforcement
Wayne F. MacCallum, Director
Division of Fisheries &l Wildlife
Fisheries & Wildlife Board
George L. Darey, Chairman
John F. Creedon
Joseph S. Larson
Michael P. Roche
Ernest W. Foster, Jr.
Russell A. Cookingham
Frederic Winthrop
Funds for the printing of this
report were provided by:
MASSACHUSFTTS
ENVIRONMENTAL
TRUST
Outreach support provided by:
Printed on recycled paper M^
Principal contributors to the Living "Waters Project include: Henry Woolsey,
Natural Heritage Program Manager; Chloe Stuart, Living Waters Project
Manager; Patricia Swain, Community Ecologist; Matt Burne, Vernal Pool
Ecologist; Amy Derosier, Fish Biologist; Melissa Dow CuUina, Botanist; Marea
Gabriel, Aquatic Ecologist; Frances Garretson, Aquatic Ecologist; Jennifer
Loose, Invertebrate Zoologist; Elizabeth Brousseau, Ecologist; David Szczebak,
Tara Boswell, Jessica Patalano, and Sergio Harding, GIS and Data Management;
Claire Corcoran, Ecologist; and Nadia Madden, Ryan Janoch, Kristen Hebert,
Field Assistants and Interns. We received additional support from other Natural
Heritage staff, including Amy Burnham, Pat Huckery, Mike Nelson, Paul
Somers, and Tim Simmons, and from other Division of Fisheries &l Wildlife
staff. Jack Buckley and especially Todd Richards who provided valuable data and
advice on fish.
We are very grateful to the many organizations and individuals who assisted
us throughout this project in countless ways. We are especially thankful for the
strong financial support from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, to
Bob Durand for initiating the project, and to Sharon McGregor. We are
particularly grateful to: Kevin McGarigal, Brad Compton, Kasey Rolih, and others
at the University of Massachusetts for collaboratively developing the GIS model of
Critical Supporting Watersheds; Christian Jacqz, Philip John, and the staff at
MassGIS; Bob Nuzzo from the Department of Environmental Protection for
offering expertise and data; and Arlene Olivero, Mark Anderson, Andy Finton,
and others at The Nature Conservancy for their technical resources and GIS data.
Special thanks to the many scientists, and especially our Small Research
Contractors, who expanded our data collection capabilities and shared information
with us; namely Maria Aliberti, Robert Bertin, Phillips Brady, Brian Brodeur,
Donald Cameron, Mark Chandler, Betsy Colburn, Mario DiGregorio, Paul
Joseph Godfrey, Alex Haro, Karsten Hartel, C. Barre Hellquist, Matthew
Hickler, Art Johnson, David McLain, Mark Mattson, Rick McVoy, Mark
Mello, Nancy Murray, Ethan Nedeau, Donald Padgett, Pamela PoUoni, Don
Pugh, Brian Reid, Donald Schall, Dave Small, Doug Smith, Bruce Sorrie, and all of
the participants of our fish and invertebrate conservation priority meetings.
Finally, we thank the following reviewers for their comments and suggestions on
the draft report: Betsy Colburn, Karsten Hartel, Matthew Hickler, and Karen
Pelto.
This report was written and edited by Chloe Stuart, with significant writing
contributions from Patricia Swain, Amy Derosier, Melissa Dow CuUina, Marea
Gabriel, Frances Garretson, and Jennifer Loose. Claire Corcoran coordinated the
production of the report, edited the text, and organized the photos and
illustrations. Maps and GIS graphics were produced by Tara Boswell and David
Szczebak. Additional writing and editing were contributed by Mike Nelson, Sergio
Harding, Henry Woolsey, and Sandra Pineyro.
We are grateful to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust for providing funds
for printing. The graphic design of this report was by Matt Burne and Leo
Kenney and the printing by Wave Graphics, Inc., Woburn, MA.
Suggested Citation: Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. 2003.
Living Waters: Guiding the Protection of Freshwater Biodiversity in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries &. Wildlife. Westborough, MA.
See photo credits on page 50
Cover photos: Guilder Pond, Lake Chub [Couesius plumbeus), Appalachian Brook Crayfish
( Cambarus barton ii)
Back cover photo: Harvard Pond
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Living \\aters
•> '^07
^>
Guiding the Protection of Freshwater
Biodiversity in Massachusetts
A project of the
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Secretary
Produced by the
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Copyright ®2003 Commonwealth of Massachusetts— DFW
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Dear Friend of the Environment,
Water flows through our rivers and streams and fills our lakes and ponds.
Rainfall percolates down through the earth, filling our aquifers
and replenishing one of the basic resources of life. Water is the cornerstone of our
ecosystems. Below the water's surface is a little-explored world with a diversity of habitats.
These freshwater habitats are vulnerable throughout the Commonwealth. Aquatic ecosystems
are threatened by pollution, by habitat destruction, and by the overuse of resources. It is critical
that we intelligently plan for the conservation of our aquatic ecosystems.
Within Massachusetts there is a great diversity of aquatic habitats ranging from cold, clear
streams running down Berkshire hillsides, to the powerful Connecticut River rolling out to Long
Island Sound, to the placid, sandy Coastal Plain ponds that dot Cape Cod. The biological
diversity within our Living Waters is rich. Rare freshwater mussels, silvery-sided fish, lurking
dragonfly nymphs, and aquatic plants whose flowers may peep above the water's surface are but
a few examples. In order to protect the habitats of these and other species, we must identify our
targets for conservation.
The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has created the Living Waters
conservation map to identify these targets based on 25 years of biological data collected on rare
species and their habitats. This map complements Natural Heritage's BioMap, which highlights
key terrestrial and wetland habitats for rare species and natural communities. Living Waters
identifies "Core Habitats" critical for rare aquatic species - as well as exemplary habitats in our
rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, and then links these habitats to the critical portions of their
watersheds.
Living Waters will prove to be an invaluable resource for the stewardship of Massachusetts'
aquatic biodiversity as we implement Governor Mitt Romney's smart growth strategy. Please
join me in protecting the Commonwealth's freshwater natural heritage.
Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Secretary of Environmental Affairs
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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Living Waters Summary
The inland waters of Massachusetts are
home to an impressive variety of freshwater
species. Our waters are teeming with
underwater life, from fishes and aquatic plants,
to freshwater mussels, crayfish, snails, aquatic
insects, and more. Unfortunately, our activities
on land and our use of water resources have led
to the loss and degradation of many freshwater
habitats, making freshwater ecosystems among
our most threatened. For this reason, the
Natural Heritage &l Endangered Species
Program developed the Living Waters project to
identify and map the lakes, ponds, rivers, and
streams that should be the highest priority for
freshwater biodiversity conservation in
Massachusetts.
The Living Waters conservation map is
based on more than 600 records of rare
freshwater species compiled by Natural Heritage
over the last 25 years and updated through
recent field work. Living Waters also maps
Living Waters Conservation Plan
Core Habitats identify:
• important habitats for rare
aquatic plants and animals
• exemplary freshwater habitats
some of our best freshwater habitats identified
from other data sets on fish, aquatic insect, and
aquatic plant communities in Massachusetts.
The "Core Habitats" in Living Waters identify
water bodies that contain these rare species and
exemplary habitats. For each Core Habitat,
Living Waters also outlines a "Critical
Supporting Watershed" to highlight the upland
and upstream areas that have the greatest
potential to influence, positively or negatively,
the species living in Core Habitats.
Protecting freshwater biodiversity is complex
because the health of each freshwater habitat
depends on the health of its upstream
watershed. By protecting and restoring natural
vegetation adjacent to Core Habitats, and by
improving our land and water resource
management within Critical Supporting
Watersheds, we can ensure that our freshwater
species will thrive for many years to come.
Critical Supporting Watershed is:
the portion of a Core Habitat's
watershed with the greatest
potential to sustain or degrade
the Core Habitat ecosystem
Living Waters Core Habitats include multiple sites for:
• 23 rare aquatic plant species
• 24 rare invertebrate species
• 1 1 rare fish species
• Exemplary habitats in rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds
Statewide, Living Waters Core Habitats highlight over 1000 miles of rivers and streams and
247 lakes and ponds as priorities for freshwater biodiversity conservation.
Critical Supporting Watersheds cover 1,380,000 acres of undeveloped and developed lands
that need protection or careful management to ensure the ecological integrity of our
freshwater Core Habitats.
Living Waters
^'^••'^'■-■•^•^'^'■•■*-'"
'•^^■'■■^■'
Contents
Introduction 6
The Living Waters Project 7
Exploring Life under Water
The Watershed Connection 9
Rare Species in Freshwater
Threats to Freshwater Species
8
10
The Living Waters Approach
Mapping Core Habitats 14
Rare Species 14
Exemplary Freshwater Habitats 15
Critical Supporting Watersheds 16
12
14
Living Waters 18
Core Habitats and their Critical Supporting Watersheds
Living Waters and BioMap 20
18
How TO Use Living Waters 22
Land Protection 22
Watershed Management and Restoration 23
Living Waters by Watershed 24
Hudson 26
Housatonic 28
Deerfield 30
Westfield and Farmington 32
Connecticut 34
Millers and Chicopee 36
Quinebaug, French, and Blackstone 38
Greater Merrimack 40
Massachusetts Bay 42
Taunton-Narragansett Bay 44
Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, and the Islands 46
Suggested Reading 48
Glossary 49
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Introduction
Whether it is a familiar river winding
through our neighborhood, or a
favorite swimming hole, fishing spot,
or tranquil view, the waters of Massachusetts
provide us with a sense of place. Water is a
critical resource for all life and it connects us to
the natural world. Yet despite our dependence
on water, most of us know little about the
many animals and plants that live beneath the
water surface.
From the small streams that rush down the
hillsides of western Massachusetts to the mighty-
Connecticut and Merrimack Rivers, the
Commonwealth contains a great number and
variety of streams and rivers. Our lakes and
ponds range from the mineral-laden "hard
water" ponds in the Berkshires, to the depths of
the Quabbin Reservoir in the central region, to
the sandy shores of kettlehole ponds on Cape
Cod.
This great variety of freshwater systems is
home to a tremendous diversity of life.
Massachusetts' waters are teeming with a wide
For 25 years, biologists at the
Massachusetts Natural Heritage &
Endangered Species Program have been
compiling, managing, and distributing
biodiversity data on natural communities
and rare plants and animals in the state.
Natural Heritage tracks rare species as
Endangered (the most imperiled).
Threatened, or Special Concern. The
biodiversity data is used to review the
potential impact of development projects
on state-protected rare species and
habitats. The data also helps guide land
management, ecological restoration, and
land acquisition and protection.
_^
array of fishes, aquatic plants, freshwater
mussels, crayfish, snails, aquatic insects, and
more. Together these aquatic plants and
animals make up the freshwater biodiversity
of our streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. The
lives of many aquatic species are intricately
connected and interact in complex ways within
their freshwater ecosystem.
Healthy freshwater ecosystems provide some
obvious, and many intangible, benefits to the
local communities of Massachusetts. The same
clean water required by aquatic organisms is
also used as drinking water in many towns.
Unpolluted stream
corridors, lakeshores,
and open waters
provide recreational
and aesthetic benefits
to millions of
Massachusetts citizens.
A hiker who
encounters an
unexpected waterfall
along a wooded trail,
an angler who catches
a native Brook Trout
in a cool stream, or a
child who swims and
splashes in a local pond
all experience the ways
in which the protection
of freshwater resources
can enrich our lives.
iving Waters
The Living Waters Project
Humans tend to establish communities near
water because of its great importance in our lives.
Since European settlement, Massachusetts'
waterways have experienced over 300 years of
damming, diversion, water withdrawal,
sedimentation, pollution, and exotic species
introductions. These massive changes have
resulted in the extirpation of sensitive freshwater
species, such as the Trout-perch and the Virginia
River Snail. Many other species like the Yellow
Lampmussel, the Lake Chub, and the Tiny Cow-
lily are at high risk of being driven to local or
regional extinction. Fortunately, many aquatic
species are resilient. Since the passage of
environmental legislation like the federal Clean
Water Act in 1972, the actions of citizens,
governments, and industries to improve water
quality and restore our waterways have helped
freshwater species to persist.
The state of our freshwater biodiversity has
reached a critical juncture. In the face of
development pressure, ever-growing demands
for drinking water, and potential climate
change, we run the risk of satisfying our
immediate needs at the expense of our
biodiversity. But if we educate ourselves,
reform our water and land management
practices, and become proactive about
preserving the freshwater biodiversity of
Massachusetts, we can ensure a legacy of
biodiversity for future generations. The
additional benefits of conservation are that
many of the same actions that save freshwater
habitats will also help ensure that we have a
fresh, clean water supply.
With support from the Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs, the Natural Heritage &l
Endangered Species
Program of the Division
of Fisheries and Wildlife
initiated the Living
Waters Project to
identify, map, and
formulate conservation
priorities for the
diversity of freshwater
plants and animals in
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24
Living Waters
rn Hudson
Housatonic
Deerfield
Westfield
Farmington
Connecticut
Millers
Chicopee
Quinebaug
nil French
Blackstone
Nashua
Merrimack
SuAsCo
Shawsheen
Boston Harbor |25| Bu2zards Bay
Charles
261 Cape Cod
South Coastal 27 Islands
Figure 6. The 27 Major Watersheds in Massachusetts, as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey
Water Resources Division and the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission. Watersheds with
identical colors are discussed together in this report.
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80
70
60
50
40
30
20
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Critical Supporting Watershed
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■^yyy' Protected Open Space
Core Habitats
Number of Core Habitats — f 49
Number of Rare Freshwater Species 15
Acres of Adjacent Riparian Area 3,000
Amount of Riparian Area Protected '
/
<::<:<:^ 16% Protected
Critical Supporting Watersheds
Acres of Critical Supporting Watershed 78,000
% Developed 34
% Agricultural 4
% Undeveloped 62
Number of Dams ' 73
Number of Public Water Supplies ■"' ' 80
Number of Potential Point Sources 1 179
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T'he Tauntoii'Narragansett Bay Watershed is home to the Taunton, Ten Mile, and
smaller coastal rivers that drain an area with low rolling hills and extensive wetlands.
Most of the bedrock in this region is buried under glacial deposits that produce
naturally acidic, low-nutrient soils and waters. A complex network of small streams winds
through extensive swamps in the lowlands. Sea-running fishes return from the ocean to spawn
and carry with them rich nutrients that nourish the freshwater systems. Several rare mussel
species inhabit streambeds and ponds with sand and gravel bottoms. Local aquatic insect
communities are adapted to the naturally occurring sandy and organic substrates. Small ponds
and vernal pools provide habitats for rare aquatic plants.
Featherfoil [Hottonia in f lata) is an uncommon plant with a very
remarkable appearance. Its leaves are feather-like and it has
small, white flowers on seemingly inflated stalks. This plant is rare
in most surrounding states. Since Massachusetts has greater
numbers of Featherfoil than our neighbors, we must safeguard our
populations to avoid further declines in New England.
Anadromous fishes migrate from the ocean into freshwaters
to spawn. In early spring, thousands of Rainbow Smelt
[Osmerus morda)^ can be seen swimming upstream toward
their spawning habitats. These small, slender fish have been
severely threatened by development that degraded their
spawning sites and by dams that blocked their passage.
Anadromous fishes are a key component of the freshwater
biodiversity of Massachusetts and a lot of conservation work
is underway to preserve this important resource. The
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries maintains
considerable data on anadromous fishes.
44
Living Waters
TauntoN'Narragansett Bay
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Protecting Core Habitats The flow of water is affected by
channel straightening, groundwater withdrawals, and water
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diversions for cranberry bog agriculture. Urban and suburban develo'flrments near Cofe Habitats
require careful management to reduce nonpoint source sediment and nutrient threats. Remainifig^^t^
natural riparian areas are the highest priority for land protection^
\
Core Habitats^
Number of Core Habitats 33
Number of Rare Freshwater Species ]o
Acres of Adjacent Ripcirian Area 5,000
Amount of Riparian Area Protected
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Critical Supporting Watersheds
Acres of Critical Supporting Watershed 1 1 9,000
% Developed 26 f\y
% Agricultural 8
% Undeveloped 66 „
Number of Dams t!l
Number of Public Water Supplies
Number of Potential Point Sources)
^^H Core Habitat
^^H Critical Supporting Watershed.
''^y^^^ Protected Open Space^
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Miles,
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The watersheds of Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, and the Islands lie largely within the
sandy Atlantic Coastal Plain. Many kettlehole ponds dot the landscape, and are
naturally acidic and low in nutrients. These important habitats are home to some
freshwater mussels, other invertebrates, and several rare aquatic plants. The slow-moving
rivers and streams flow directly to the ocean, which has a moderating influence leading to a
milder climate and the presence of more southern species than the rest of the state. The rivers,
streams, and ponds are fed primarily by groundwater that moves easily through the sandy
soils. Sea-running fishes return to several of the accessible streams in order to spawn.
The Tidewater Mucket mussel (Ligumia ochracea), a
Massachusetts Species of Special Concern, is found in the
sandy substrates of coastal lakes and ponds. Like nnost
mussels, this species requires an outside host during its
larval stage (see page 1 1). Since the Tidewater Mucket is
usually found in water bodies close to the ocean, its larvae
probably use sea-running fishes as fish hosts.
Coastal Plain Ponds are shallow, naturally acidic, ground-
water-fed ponds with seasonally fluctuating water levels. These
ponds have a distinct plant community along the shoreline with
many rare upland and aquatic plants. They are also home to
several species of rare dragonflies and damselflies. The natural
cycles of high and low water levels are often threatened by
public water supply wells that pump out groundwater and
reduce groundwater inflows to ponds. Nutrient input from
surrounding development, which leads to algal blooms and
subsequent low-oxygen conditions, is another threat to the
species living in Coastal Plain Ponds.
m
The rare purple-
flowered Resupinate
Bladderwort (Utricularia
resupinata)\^ an elusive
plant of sandy kettle
ponds. Primarily found
along the Coastal Plain,
it flowers only during
periods of extremely low water. Its delicate and incon-
spicuous stems can easily be overlooked. Like all bladder-
worts, this plant is carnivorous and captures small insects
and other invertebrates in its pouch-like "bladders."
V
46
Living Water
P
uz^ARDS Bay, Cape Cod,
AND THE Islands \
Protecting Core Habitats Although many streams have the remains of
old mills, there is little industry found along them today. The area is
facing enormous demand for housing, which increases groundwater
withdrawals and has the potential to divert water away from Core Habitats.
Increasing the amount of protected open space near Core Habitats should help
reduce water consumption and other nonpoint source impacts of development.
Core Habitat
Critical Supporting Watershed
Protected Open Space
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^
Core Habitats ^
Number of Core Habitats 72
Number of Rare Freshwater Species 14
Acres of Adjacent Riparian Area 6,000
Amount of Riparian Area Protected
-"^l^^^^^^^l^^^^ 36% Protected"
Critical Supporting Watersheds
Acres of Critical Supporting Watershed 66,000
% Developed 23
% Agricultural 5
% Undeveloped 72
Number of Dams 46
Number of Public Water Supplies 90
Number of Potential Point Sources 49
'
Suggested Reading
Bickford, W.E., and U.J. Dymon, eds. 1990.
An Adas of Massachusetts River Systems:
Environmental Designs for the Future.
University of Massachusetts Press. Amherst,
MA.
Crow, G.E., and C.B. Hellquist. 2000. Aquatic
and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North
America, Volumes I and II. University of
Wisconsin Press. Madison, WI.
Gushing, C.E., and J.D. Allan. 2001. Streams:
their Ecology and Life. Academic Press. San
Diego, CA.
Hartel, K.E., D.B. Halliwell, and A.E. Launer.
2002. Inland Fishes of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, MA.
Hellquist, C.B. 2001. A Guide to Selected
Invasive Non-native Aquatic Species in
Massachusetts. Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Management. Boston, MA.
Kelly, W. 1999. A Guide to Aquatic Plants in
Massachusetts. New England Aquarium.
Boston, MA.
Master, L.L., S.R. Flack, and B.A. Stein, eds.
1998. Rivers of Life: Critical Watersheds for
Protecting Freshwater Biodiversity. The Nature
Conservancy. Arlington, VA.
McCafferty, W.P. 1998. Aquatic Entomology:
The Fishermen's and Ecologists' Illustrated
Guide to Insects and Their Relatives. Jones and
Bartlett Publishers. Sudbury, MA.
ipi>«>«a«!»^v
rj)e«ei<*3i*tr..^
National Research Council Committee on
Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems. 1992.
Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems: Science,
Technology, and Public Policy. National
Academy Press. Washington, D.C.
National Research Council Committee on
Watershed Management. 1999. New Strategies
for America's Watersheds. National Academy
Press. Washington, D.C.
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species
Program. 2001. BioMap: Guiding Land
Conservation for Biodiversity in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife. Westborough, MA.
Nedeau, E.J., M.A. McCollough, and B.I.
Swartz. 2000. The Freshwater Mussels of
Maine. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries
and Wildlife. Augusta, ME.
Nikula, B., J.L. Loose, and M. R. Burne. 2003.
A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and
Damselflies of Massachusetts. Massachusetts
Division of Fisheries &l Wildlife, Natural
Heritage &l Endangered Species Program.
Westborough, MA.
Pielou, E.G. 1998. Fresh Water. University of
Chicago Press. Chicago, IL.
Smith, D.G. 2000. Keys to the Freshwater
Macroinvertebrates of southern New England.
Sunderland, MA.
Voshell, J.R. 2002. A Guide to Common
Freshwater Invertebrates of North America.
McDonald &l Woodward Publishing Company.
Blacksburg, VA.
Living Water:
1
Glossary
Aquatic species - the plants and animals that
spend all or a substantial portion of their life
cycle completely underwater.
Biodiversity, or Biological diversity - the full
range of variety and variability of life. The term
encompasses ecosystem, community, species,
and genetic diversity.
Critical Supporting Watershed - the more
immediate portion of a Core Habitat's
watershed, representing the portion of the
watershed with the greatest potential to sustain
or degrade the Core Habitat. The boundaries of
the Critical Supporting Watershed were drawn
using a GIS-based computer model.
Exemplary aquatic habitat - a water body that is
presumed to support intact freshwater
communities based on one or more indications
from biological data, habitat evaluations, water
chemistry analyses, and natural landscape
settings.
Groundwater - water held within the
interconnected openings of saturated rock or
surficial deposits beneath the land surface,
similar to the way in which water is held within
a sponge. Groundwater supplies wells and
springs, and can supply water to, or draw water
from, neighboring water bodies.
Habitat - the area and resources used by a plant
or animal, defined by species-specific
requirements within the physical, chemical, and
biological environment.
Hard water - water with high levels of dissolved
minerals, such as calcium carbonate. Hard water
is created when water flows through and picks
up minerals from the soil and rocks in
areas underlain by marble and limestone
bedrock.
Kettlehole ponds - ponds formed at the end of
the last Ice Age when glaciers receded, leaving
behind massive ice blocks embedded in the
barren terrain. As the climate warmed, the
remnant ice blocks melted, creating large, kettle-
shaped hollows in the landscape that filled with
water to form ponds.
Living Waters Core Habitat - a lake, pond, river
or stream that provides habitat for a rare species
population, or that is known to be an exemplary
aquatic habitat in Massachusetts.
Nonpoint source pollution - pollution that
originates from many diffuse sources. Nonpoint
source pollution is caused by air or water that
picks up pollutants across the landscape, carries
them over and through the ground, and
concentrates them in water bodies. Some of the
pollutants that contribute to nonpoint source
pollution include: fertilizers, herbicides,
insecticides from lawns and farms; oils, greases,
and toxic chemicals from cars, roads and
industries; sediments from construction sites,
agricultural fields, and eroded stream banks;
and bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet
wastes, and faulty septic systems.
Nutrient enrichment, or Eutrophication - the
process by which a body of water becomes
overly enriched in dissolved nutrients (mostly
phosphorus and nitrogen) that stimulate the
growth of aquatic plant life usually resulting in
the depletion of dissolved oxygen.
Point source pollution - pollution releases from
industrial and municipal pipes, ditches, and
other discrete sources.
Population - a group of actually or potentially
inter-breeding individuals of the same species
located in a particular time and place.
Public water supplies - surface and
groundwater sources that are used by the public
for drinking water.
Riparian area - an area of land that borders a
water body.
Runoff - the portion of precipitation on land
that ultimately reaches water bodies, often with
dissolved or suspended material. Runoff reaches
receiving waters gradually through the porous
and varied terrain of natural landscapes, but it
runs quickly off the impervious surfaces of
urban landscapes, like roads, parking lots, and
buildings.
StatC'listed rare species - species protected
under the Massachusetts Endangered Species
Act, M.G.L. C.131A, and its implementing
regulations, 321 CMR 10.00. Rare species are
listed as Endangered (the most imperiled),
Threatened, or Species of Special Concern.
Stormwater - runoff from land and impervious
areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and
building rooftops during rainfall and snow
events. Stormwater often contains pollutants in
quantities that could adversely affect water
quality and species habitats.
Watershed - an area of land, defined by its
topography, within which all water flows to a
common point such as a pond or a river.
Photo and Illustration Credits
Illustrations:
Dave DiAngelis and Dana Dunn: page 9.
Barre Hellquist: page 38 (middle). Ethan
Nedeau: pages 36 (middle), 40 (top and bottom),
42 (bottom), 48 (bottom). Neves and Pels: page
11 (top).
Photography Credits:
Carrie Banks/Massachusetts Riverways
Program: page 23 (bottom). Matt Bume/
NHESP: front cover (bottom), page 26
(bottom). Bill Byrne/Massachusetts Division
of Fisheries and Wildlife: pages 6, 12, 15
(bottom). Donald Cameron/Maine Natural
Areas Program: page 44 (top). Brent Cooke/
Royal British Columbian Museum: page 42
(top). Frances Garretson/NHESP: page 15
(top). Ethan Gordon: pages 32 (top). Karston
Hartel: page 36 (top). Alexander Huryn and
Phillip Wick: page 1 1 (bottom right). Keith
Jackson: page 30 (bottom). Leo Kenney: page
32 (bottom). Bob Michelson: page 44
(middle). NHESP: pages 7 (bottom), 28 (top).
Ethan Nedeau: pages 34 (middle), 40 (middle),
44 (bottom), 46 (top). Massachusetts Division
of Fisheries and Wildlife: page 23 (top). Don
Padgett: pages 7 (top) and 28 (middle). Pam
PoUoni: page 46 (bottom right). Paul
Rezendes: front cover, back cover, pages 2, 5,
16, 22, 36 (bottom), 38 (top), 46 (left). Fred
SaintOurs: page 8. John F. Scarola/New
Hampshire Fish and Game Dept.: pages 26
(middle), 34 (bottom). Konrad Schmidt: front
cover (top), pages 30 (top), 32 (middle), 38
(bottom). Joanne Singfield/NHESP: page 28
(bottom). Paul Somers/NHESP: pages 9
(bottom), 26 (top). Bruce Sorrie/NHESP:
pages 30 (middle), 42 (middle). Chloe Stuart/
NHESP: page 34 (top). L. Wagner/
Massachusetts Audubon: page 13. Barry
Wicklow: page 1 1 (bottom left).
Living Waters
1
Afterword
Although freshwater species are easily overlooked, they include some of the most imperiled
in Massachusetts. To ensure their survival, it is imperative that we continue to address their
conservation needs. The Living Waters conservation plan provides an important conservation
tool for aquatic biodiversity by identifying specific "Core Habitats" in rivers, streams, lakes,
and ponds based on scientific information on freshwater species and their habitats. The
Living Waters concept of the "Critical Supporting Watershed" challenges us to transcend
political boundaries and consider a watershed-based approach to aquatic conservation.
Within these areas, aquatic species can, and should, be protected through both traditional
land conservation measures and through management practices tailored to restore water flow
and quality, and thus their habitat.
Two years after the release of Natural Heritage's BioMap: Guiding Land Conservation for
Biodiversity in Massachusetts^ BioMap is being used by many individuals, conservation
organizations, towns, and state agencies to guide land protection. We hope that Living
Waters will be as useful as the BioMap, and that it will help incorporate freshwater
biodiversity considerations into land conservation strategies and resource management
practices. We also hope that Living Waters will raise the profile of Massachusetts' freshwater
species and inspire more scientific work to further understand this important component of
our native biodiversity.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & WildHfe
Natural Heritage
& Endangered Species
Program
Route 135, Westborough, MA 01581
www. state. ma. us/dfwele/dfw/nhesp
508.792.7270 Ext. 200
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Mitt Romney, Governor
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Printing funds provided by:
MASSAt IIIIMI IS
ENVIRONMENTAL
TRUST
Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Secretary
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs