USGS Adds 30 New Monitoring Sites in Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is adding or reestablishing up to 18 streamgages, one precipitation gage, and 10 continuous groundwater gages throughout Massachusetts as a part of the state’s cooperative hydrologic monitoring network with USGS.
A recent analysis of the hydrologic monitoring network, conducted by USGS and state partners, identified data gaps that informed the locations of these new stream and groundwater gages. The analysis also identified what current monitoring wells should receive equipment upgrades to collect additional data.
“The Commonwealth is making a historic increase in investments in streamflow, groundwater, and precipitation monitoring that will benefit residents through a wide range of applications from drought and flood monitoring to septic system design,” said Viki Zoltay, the Massachusetts State Hydrologist. “With additional monitoring locations throughout the state, information on precipitation, streamflow, and groundwater levels will be more locally accurate and relevant, allowing for better management of water resources. In addition, with a changing climate it is critical to monitor how the water cycle is changing so that the Commonwealth can adapt to the new normal conditions.”
Monitoring the quantity and quality of groundwater and surface water, which includes rivers, streams, and bays, helps the state make water resource management decisions based on sound data. The data collected by USGS at wells and streamgages informs flood and drought risk, weather forecasting, water use and availability, recreational safety, dam operations, bridge and stormwater infrastructure design, aquatic habitat restoration for fish and other wildlife, wetlands protection, pollution mitigation, public health problems, and a variety of other research.
USGS hydrologic technicians assembled the gage enclosures at the USGS Massachusetts office and then deployed them at the field sites. These enclosures are equipped with data and data logging and telemetry equipment that relay the real-time data to the USGS National Water Information System, a publicly-accessible dashboard.
The expansion of the monitoring locations is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and is expected to continue with additional sites in 2026.
