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Watershed Management |
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ESS Group, Inc. Water Resources Unit specializes in the complete analysis of aquatic ecosystems and in solving water quality problems for both natural and man-made waterbodies. ESS has performed numerous diagnostic and feasibility studies for lakes and ponds, riverine systems, and storm water conveyance systems, with an emphasis placed on the complete evaluation of the system as part of a watershed.
ESS has the in-house experience and capability to evaluate the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of a system in order to identify existing problems. From these evaluations, ESS scientists, engineers, and regulatory specialists provide management recommendations that are cost-effective and compliant with regulatory requirements.
ESS Aquatic Ecosystem & Water Quality Expertise
Watershed Delineation and Characterization
Surface Water Monitoring and Assessment
Groundwater Monitoring and Assessment
Drinking Water Supply Protection
Pollution Source Investigation
Nutrient Loading Analysis, Modeling, and Total Maximum Daily Load Development
Hydrologic Modeling and Hydrogeologic Assessments
Watershed Build-Out Analysis
Biological Assessments
- Aquatic Invertebrate Sampling and Analysis
- Fish Surveys
- Plankton Analysis
- Vegetation Mapping
Aquatic Restoration Program Design, Evaluation, Permitting, and Monitoring
Management Alternatives Analysis
Funding Options Review and Grant Application Assistance
In the past five years alone, ESS has successfully completed more than 50 Massachusetts Watershed Initiative (MWI) and other state-funded watershed management and ecosystem restoration projects under the direction of various state agencies and municipalities. Critical tasks for these projects have included diagnostic/feasibility studies, water quality monitoring and modeling, nonpoint source assessments, biological assessments, and design and permitting of structural and non-structural Best Management Practices (BMPs). In addition, ESS regularly provides technical assistance to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) and Massachusetts municipalities on watershed protection issues. In conjunction with MADEP, ESS was the first consulting firm in New England to apply DNA Ribotyping as part of the nonpoint source assessment process, allowing the speciation and confirmation of bacterial pollutant sources and the design of appropriate BMPs. ESS has designed successful storm water BMPs for towns throughout the Commonwealth, most recently in Westport on the Westport River, Hull at Straits Pond, and Littleton at Mill Pond. These projects typically include habitat enhancements such as provisions for fish passage and wetland restoration, as well as complex regulatory permitting and substantial community outreach.
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