BMPs In Sturbridge Massachusetts

Throughout this article I will be discussing the best management practices, otherwise known as BMPs, in my local watershed of Sturbridge Massachusetts. 

When it comes to discussing best management practices in watersheds, the practices can be broken down into several different categories that are outlined by the United States Environmental protection agency (EPA). These categories include; Land Use Planning, Land Conservation, Aquatic Buffers, Better Site Design , Erosion and Sediment Control , Stormwater Best Management Practices, Non-Stormwater Discharges and Watershed Stewardship Programs (Kwon and others, 2021).. It is crucial for a watershed planner to take all of these categories of BMPs into consideration when dealing with a watershed, in order to properly care and protect the watershed in question. 

My local watershed of Sturbridge Massachuserrt is illustrated by Figure One, and is outlined in the highlighted section. This image was captured using the application “Streamstats” on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website. In Figure Two you can also dive into the basic characteristics of the watershed including the drainage area, percent of developed line, soil permeability, etc…. 

Figure One: Map of Watershed 

Figure 2: Basin Characteristics for Figure 1 Watershed (USGS, 2016)

Best Management Practices being  Practically Applied 

Watershed Stewardship Programs in Action

If you take a drive through Sturbridge in the summer season of May 1st through September 30th, you will notice signs stating that there is a mandatory water ban for the town. This ban goes in accordance with the Quabbin reservoir in an effort to conserve water, especially in the dryer months. There is also a voluntary water ban that suggests that houses with even numbers water lawns on even days and odd numbered houses water on odd days, as well as limiting outside watering to the hours of 8AM-5PM. Below in Figure 3 you can see a sign that promotes one of these water bans  Both of these acts fall in accordance with the BMP outlined as Watershed Stewardship Program, where in doing these bans, gets the local landowners of Sturbridge aware of Watershed maintenance and why it matters (Sturbridge Water Department 2017). There is also a report that goes out for the Town of Sturbridge in regards to Drinkingwater that points readers into the direction of selectmen’s meetings that specifically discusses the communities decisions when it comes to drinking water. This can also be considered a way of a Watershed Stewardship program as a way of sharing information with the public. Below in Figure four you can see an example of the report that is shared with the town. I think, although mandatory at some points, this gets the citizens of Sturbridge involved in water management and gets them asking questions about why and how this is happening. 

Figure 3: Picture of water ban sign for town of Sturbridge

Figure 4: Example of Drinking Water Quality Report

One of the best management practices that can not only be seen in this watershed, but also throughout the town of Sturbridge is the protection of the natural lands that surround these watersheds. In this watershed, you can find that much of the land is still uninhabited and forests occupy most of the space. This is important to the watershed as it allows it to not have additional human interference. In this watershed lies 57 acres of protected land that is known to be the site of the former Tantasquites mine that was owned originally by the Nipmuc tribe who used the leads to make paints (Tantiusques 2022).  This not only is important from a historical standpoint but also when water is considered as well as this area of 57 acres will never be industrialized or used to build houses on, which will ultimately protect the water. In Figure 5 you can see the sign for the reservation as you enter the trail. This is one of the many trails in Sturbridge that is on protected land and will benefit water sources and in turn the  population of Sturbriidge for many years to come.

Figure 5: Sign from the entrance to the Tantiusques reservation 

The last best management practice I will discuss is the buffer that is given to all water sources in Sturbridge from impervious covers. According to a report done by the town of Sturbridge, a zoning law assists in source protection by prohibiting the removal of earth within 6 feet of historically high groundwater levels that have been recorded. This goes for all areas of land in the town and can be illustrated in an example through Figure 6 that exhibits how specifically in this watershed, the land coming off of a water source is 6 feet, in this example, from a road. This benefits water sources as it leaves space for contamination (Sturbridge Water Department 2017).

Figure 6 :  Example of how the zoning law in Sturbridge prohibits an impervious cover from being 6 feet from a water source.

Overall, the town of Sturbridge seems to be well informed when implementing BMPs in their local watersheds. The three that were mentioned above, (Watershed Stewardship Program, Land conservation, and the use of buffers from Impervious land covers), all suggest that a great deal of time and thought has been put into protecting these waters. It is vital that the officials of Sturbridge continue to do so as BMPs are of the utmost importance as they keep the health of watersheds in good condition. In doing so will not only protect the aquatic life and nature surrounding the water, but the citizens that inhabit these areas safe as well.

References 

Developing Areas, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Watershed Academy Web,

accessed April 18, 2022 at https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/moduleFrame.cfm?parent_object_

Operated by – sturbridge.gov. Sturbridge.Gov. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://www.sturbridge.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3881/f/uploads/2017-ccr_final_pdf.pdf 

Tantiusques. The Trustees of Reservations. (2022, February 14). Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://thetrustees.org/place/tantiusques/ 

USGS, 2020, StreamStats Report for 41.85479, -72.35982, StreamStats

Application version 4.3.0, U.S. Geological Survey, accessed April 8th, 2022 at

https://streamstats.usgs.gov/ss/

Yeong Kwon, H., Winer, R, Schueler, T., 8 Tools of Watershed Protection in