South Coastal Watershed

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to list water bodies as "impaired" if they do not meet one or more of a defined list of water quality standards. It also requires the states to determine Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the pollutant(s) in each impaired water body that are contributing to the impairment. TMDLs determine the amount of a pollutant that a water body can safely handle without violating water quality standards.In 2001, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) classified 32 ponds and stream segments as "impaired" under Section 303(d) in the towns of Plymouth, Kingston, and Pembroke in southeastern Massachusetts. These towns fall within the state's South Coastal watershed. Many of these water bodies were impaired due to noxious aquatic plants, but other pollutants included metals, turbidity, bacteria, and nutrients.The regional watershed coordinator with the MassDEP for the South Coastal watershed identified the need to conduct a further investigation of the 32 listed water bodies to assess the nature of the pollution problems and to identify which water bodies were in most need of attention.