Our Guiding Principles l Healthy rivers, a sustainable water supply and a sustainable economy go hand-in-hand. Rivers will sustain us if we help sustain them.

l Every river should be an asset to its community, whether it flows through forest, farmland, suburb or city.

l Every resident of the Commonwealth has the right to clean, safe drinking water and outdoor recreation in a healthy environment. Water 2020: A Shared Vision for Massachusetts l Decisions about water management should be based on sound science and meet the needs of both people and nature.

l We will work toward these goals in good faith with all who support sustainable water management; we welcome non-traditional partners and allies. Organizational Signatories Appalachian Mountain Club Green Berkshires, Inc. North and South Rivers Watershed Association Belmont Citizens Forum Hop Brook Protection Association Organization for the Assabet River Berkshire Environmental Action Team Housatonic Valley Association Parker River Clean Water Association Blackstone Headwaters Coalition Ipswich River Watershed Association Rushing Rivers Institute Blackstone River Coalition Lake Cochituate Watershed Council Saugus River Watershed Council Blackstone River Watershed Association Mass Audubon Sharon Garden Club Charles River Conservancy Massachusetts Association of Conservation Sudbury Valley Trustees Charles River Watershed Association Commissions Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Wild and Clean Water Action Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition Scenic River Stewardship Council Coalition for Buzzards Bay Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters Taunton River Watershed Alliance Connecticut River Watershed Council Massachusetts Rivers Alliance The Kestrel Trust Conservation Law Foundation Massachusetts Watershed Coalition The Nature Conservancy Eel River Watershed Association MASSPIRG The Trustees of Reservations Environment Massachusetts Merrimack River Watershed Council Water Supply Citizens Advisory Committee Environmental League of Massachusetts Millers River Watershed Council (WSCAC) Essex County Greenbelt Association Mystic River Watershed Association Westfield River Watershed Association Friends of the Blue Hills Nashua River Watershed Association Westport River Watershed Alliance Greater Northfield Watershed Association Neponset River Watershed Association PHOTO CREDITS: Front Cover Nature Conservancy interns conducting a dragonfly study ©Amy Deputy, Westfield River ©Jerry and Marcy Monkman, Bog turtle in Berkshire wetlands ©Tony Gola, Bald eagle©istock.com, Girl kayaking ©istock.com Page 1 Nature Massachusetts Conservancy interns surveying osprey nests by boat ©Amy Deputy, Girl with trout ©istock. com, Westfield River ©Jerry and Marcy Monkman Page 2 Connecticut River ©Jerry and Marcy Monkman, Eel River © Venessa Salvucci/TNC, Alewife ©Dan Grenier/TNC, Family Rivers Alliance on dock ©istock.com, Spring Peeper ©Cheryl Rose, Girl near pond ©Erika Nortemann, Kayaking on the Concord River ©David Griffin Back Cover Girl drinking from fountain ©istock.com, Great blue heron ©David Spier, Girl in stream ©Amy Vitale, Drinking from a Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities free-flowing spring © Scott Warren The Future of Water in Massachusetts What Actions Will Get Us There? Americans value clean water above all other environmental amenities. Public opinion surveys consistently Keep rivers flowing Ensure that during dry times and rivers support highlight concerns about our water supply: Is it safe to drink? Will we run out of water? We also worry about minimize flooding of our fish and other the health of our rivers and lakes: Can I swim in that river? Can I eat the fish that I catch in this stream? communities in wet times. 3 aquatic life. l1 Integrate management of drinking l Restore the continuity of The key to making sure we meet all of these needs is sustainable water management. water, wastewater and stormwater stream habitat by removing so that our built environment mimics obsolete dams and improving “natural” water cycles. bridge and culvert designs. All water is connected. In Massachusetts, rivers and Sustainable water management also takes into account the streams—working in concert with the aquifers and reservoirs predicted effects of climate change, such as increased frequency l Establish streamflow standards based l Maintain adequate flows on the best available science to guide and water levels. to which they are inextricably connected—provide water that and severity of droughts and floods, helping to ensure the resil- water management decisions. l Restore priority habitat underpins the health of our residents and the vitality of every iency of our rivers, streams and water supplies. l Balance water budgets within areas, including wetlands, corner of our economy. Some rivers serve as municipal water The environmental community has come together to watersheds and subwatersheds. river corridors and supply sources, while many others feed water supply reservoirs create Water 2020—a shared vision for water and rivers in l Promote local recharge of stormwater and wastewater to replenish floodplains. around the state. Even those of us who rely on water from wells Massachusetts. The vision highlights shared priorities and aquifers. l Maintain and improve water quality, including protecting are tapping into groundwater aquifers that provide flows to rivers the temperature of cold and cool rivers. actions that will help us work together to achieve sustainable l Protect lands in floodplains, river corridors and aquifer recharge and streams during summer months. areas. water management in the Commonwealth by the year 2020. l Build water management systems that will be better able to cope with Our rivers also help define the Commonwealth’s unique anticipated impacts from climate change, such as intense seasonal Invest in water quality of life. Rivers shape the characters of our communities What is Our Vision for the rain and drier summers. and water and serve as destinations where families explore and enjoy nature infrastructure. Year 2020? l Select “green” infrastructure (wetlands and rain gardens) over “gray” together. infrastructure (pipes and culverts). 4 l Create new financing mech- Enough clean water for current and future l Promote water conservation, efficient water use and water re-use. Yet most Massachusetts rivers and many of its streams generations anisms to support the pro- suffer from pollution, loss of surrounding natural areas and de- We must ensure that there is enough clean water to meet the tection of water resources and water supplies and to struction of wildlife habitat. Despite the fact that Massachusetts Clean up polluted needs of people, our growing economy and wildlife into the assist municipalities in receives more than 45 inches of rain and snow each year, some rivers and make sure foreseeable future. updating inadequate water streams dry up in the summer and many don’t meet water quality clean streams stay infrastructure. standards. These are the unhappy results of ill-planned develop- Clean rivers that support a growing economy that way. l Keep all water supplies ment, inadequate storm- and wastewater management and in- The rivers, streams and wetlands of Massachusetts must l2 Promote proper treatment and local protected for the benefit of recharge of wastewater. efficient water use. As a result, not all Massachusetts communities continue to provide ecological services critical to our health, everyone. safety and economy.1 l Reduce pollution from stormwater have enough water or water that is as clean as it should be. l Adequately fund state environmental agencies that manage runoff through source control, water and ensure compliance with laws protecting rivers, What is sustainable water management? Managing A healthy river flows through it smart development and on-site wetlands and aquifers.2 water sustainably means meeting current needs without We envision healthy rivers flowing through vibrant, sustainable treatment and infiltration. l Create incentives that allow water suppliers to fund their communities. Every river in Massachusetts should be an asset to l Reduce pollution at the source. compromising the needs of future generations. Sustainable operations while conserving water. water management is essential to the health, safety and economic the communities through which it flows. Rivers and streams l Improve understanding of how “emerging contaminants”—such as l Develop financial incentives to promote stormwater and provide family time and habitat for fish and other wildlife, while pharmaceuticals—affect the health of people and fish. development of Massachusetts communities and to the health wastewater recharge. adding natural beauty to our landscapes. l Eliminate combined sewer overflows. of fish and other native wildlife—now and in the future. l Prioritize State Revolving Fund (SRF) projects according to l Reduce existing paved surfaces in urbanized watersheds through their environmental benefits and promote green infrastructure. retrofitting.

1 These services include storing and purifying drinking water, providing recreational opportunities for tourists, maintaining biological diversity, providing spawning opportunities for commercially valuable fish such as herring, raising property values, supporting agriculture and commerce 2 and protecting people and property from flooding. These services have been valued at over $2.5 billion per year (“Losing Ground: At What Cost?” Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Fish and Game, Mass Audubon Society, 2003). Department of Conservation and Recreation.