UMASS/AMHERST * 312066 0307 9572 9 p^if^ Guiding the Protection of Freshwater Biodiversity in lassachusetts .l^dLi^ ir.^ i'-'tt 'r^i<.t- ^- 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 '^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 s^ %' > im >?*^ ^-v- '» 't^ ) .s^b^ r ■•1 4- --^ 1 '1 .^^^^'l \^ ->«i*^«e^- ;-^ _„ ..jA^^ _ '-^^^l _;|v ;. i^S^S y^' .t ■-' • —1^ — . ywL Ol -i^' $. liAlO^ 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 ^1 mmm J 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 [\' ^=^: 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 ^ -