The Problem:
Although Massachusetts receives forty-four inches of rain a year, more than enough to supply our needs, water has become a precious commodity. Lake Cochituate, a marvelous water body here in eastern Massachusetts, is comprised of four major ponds (totaling more than 600 acres) and fed by four major tributaties encompassing 17.7 square miles. The watershed is currently stressed by nonpoint source pollution, primarily urban stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, decreased groundwater recharge, growing invasive weed infestations, and shoreline erosion from steep slopes, shoreline development, recreational use, and highway crossings.

Purpose:

• To promote a collaborative, community-based alliance that enhances and protects the environmental integrity of the Lake Cochituate Watershed in Massachusetts. We hope to educate the public about the "shed" part of watershed. Everything runs from the rooftops, lawns, streets and parking lots right into our waterways.
• Moreover, we want to explore and connect with other watershed organizations throughout New England by making visits, attending conferences, reaching out, and adopting successful educational and problem-solving strategies.
• Finally, we aspire to a comprehensive watershed approach - which includes public and municipal education; tributary restoration, water, habitat and wildlife monitoring.

Goals:

• Educate the public by promoting appropriate recreation, education and a broader appreciation of our dependence on a clean and healthy watershed.
• Monitor the watershed for pollution and stormwater runoff. Develop research, tests, and restorative methods.
• Protect and enhance the waterways, land, and all living organisms that depend on the health of the lake and its tributaries.
• Foster responsibility, cooperation and a sense of community amongst divergent "stakeholders."
• Seek support from the business community and provide financial and technical assistance to solve problems of water and land sustainability.