Saugus River Flow Study > Currents Fall 2001 > Saugus River Watershed Council

The Saugus River Flow Study being conducted under the leadership of the Department of Environmental Management is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

The final report is being drafted by project consultant Gomez and Sullivan. While the final recommendations section is still being developed, the Council reviewed a recent draft of the report.

Once complete, the report will provide a wealth of information about hydraulics in the Saugus River. The section on the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission Water Supply System provides detailed charts and diagrams documenting water withdrawals from the Saugus River.

Water quality information for the report has been provided by the Saugus River Watershed Council, Friends of Lake Quannapowitt, and the Department of Environmental Protection.

In addition to basic information about hydrology and water withdrawals by LWSC, golf courses and others, the report includes habitat suitability index curves for fish species in the Saugus River. The results of the report will help determine which species can most benefit from additional flow to the Saugus River.

Results of the flow study will influence the Department of Environmental Protection’s ongoing review of water withdrawal permits throughout the watershed. The report will also be used by SRWC and others to identify strategies for increasing flow and restoring anadromous fisheries to the Saugus River.