Massachusetts Interbasin Water Transfer Regulations

The Interbasin Transfer Act dataset contains the legal and regulatory framework governing significant water transfers between Massachusetts river basins. The Massachusetts Water Resources Commission (WRC) administers the regulations, which include specific quantitative thresholds for review. This dataset details the statutory authority, review processes, and environmental criteria for water diversion projects.

Use Cases

• Analyze regulatory thresholds like the 1,000,000 gallons per day limit for determining transfer significance.
• Model environmental impact assessments based on criteria such as the 5% instantaneous flow withdrawal limit or 7 Q 10 flow standards.
• Study the WRC's review timeline, including the 90-day response period for Requests for Determination of Insignificance.
• Examine the legal prerequisites for transfers, including the requirement to exhaust all practical water conservation measures.

Strengths

• Contains specific regulatory thresholds (e.g., 1,000,000 gallons/day, 5% flow withdrawal).
• Defines clear procedural timelines (e.g., 90-day and 60-day review periods).
• References concrete environmental metrics like 7 Q 10 flow for wastewater dilution needs.

Limitations

• Dataset scope is limited to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts river basins.
• No quantitative data on actual transfer applications or decisions is provided.
• The raw description is purely textual with no structured data fields or sample records.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS via NASA Earthdata, citing Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L. c. 21, 8B-D) and Code of Massachusetts Regulations (313 CMR 4.00).

Collection Method

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Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Massachusetts river basins.