Water Resources Management in the Mystic River, Watershed I: Water Quality History and Challenges for the Future

The watershed of the Mystic River (eastern Massachusetts) is a heavily developed area with a long history of water quality problems. First settled by Europeans in the 1600s, the watershed has been used for farming (c.1630–1920), industry (c.1850–1950), and residential and commercial development (c. 1920–present). The main water quality problems include sewage-borne bacteria, chemicals leaching from old waste disposal sites and from contaminated sediments, excessive inputs of plant nutrients, and pollutant loadings in stormwater runoff (e.g., fuel hydrocarbons, road salt, toxic metals). As the population of the watershed has increased, interest has grown to improve water quality enough to allow recreational activities such as swimming and fishing. This paper explores the history and causes of water quality problems on the watershed with the goal of helping to prioritize problems should be addressed as part of an overall watershed management strategy. Understanding the history of water quality problems in a watershed is essential to avoid repeating past abuses and to foresee future challenges for improving water quality.