Tomas W. Smieszek

The Longfellow Bridge—completed in 1908 and later renamed for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow—is viewed here looking downstream along the Charles River from a window of the Museum of Science, which sits approximately 0.5 miles upstream of the New Charles River Dam and the USGS streamgage

The Boston Public Garden lagoon is a shallow, human‑constructed surface‑water body situated within the historic Public Garden in downtown Boston.

Smith Pond is a 15‑acre freshwater pond in Northborough, Massachusetts, forming part of the upper Hop Brook system within the French River watershed.

The Wachusett Dam in Clinton, Massachusetts, completed in 1905, impounds the Nashua River to form the 65‑billion‑gallon Wachusett Reservoir, a major water‑supply source for metropolitan Boston. This granite gravity dam regulates downstream flow and maintains stable reservoir levels that support long‑term regional water‑resource management.

Vibrant autumn foliage of maple trees near the confluence of the Stillwater and Quinapoxet Rivers at the Wachusett Reservoir in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Webster Lake—formally known as Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, the longest place name in the United States—is a 1,442‑acre freshwater lake in central Massachusetts. The lake contributes to the French River watershed through inflow from small tributaries and supports recreational boating, including the paddle‑wheel tour boat shown here.

Beehive Lagoon - Acadia National Park, Maine: View from the Sand Beach, September 19, 2015

A Great Black‑backed Gull stands on a rock at Plum Island, MA, looking out over the water with the sand dunes behind it. Its bright white head and big yellow beak stand out against its dark wings.