Watershed Action Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts (WAA) works with member organizations to protect and improve the health of the waterways and watersheds of southeastern Massachusetts.
We do this by:
-- Sharing resources and ideas with member organizations;
-- Raising public awareness of watershed issues; and,
-- Building effective relationships with our state and local decision-makers.
WAA membership is made up of 14 organizations including watershed associations, a neighborhood association and the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, spanning 66 towns in southeastern Massachusetts.
An overarching goal of the Alliance is to promote the sustainable use of water and the implementation of smart growth policies to protect the natural environment and keep water local. If water is returned to the ground near its source, we can provide sufficient water to meet the human needs of a growing population and still have enough in our streams and rivers to sustain the native fish, plants, and other aquatic life unique to southeastern Massachusetts.
Another goal of the Alliance is to restore the many fish runs that traditionally brought millions of shad, herring and other migrating fish into our rivers, streams and ponds to spawn in the springtime. These fish live in the ocean but must release their eggs in fresh water. Because of dams and other obstructions that stop their path (and for other reasons), populations of these anadromous fish have plummeted. Many Alliance members are working on removing dams and restoring rivers in their watershed.
We focus the following efforts to achieve our goals:
* Implementing common sense water conservation measures to prevent our surface and ground waters from going dry due to wasteful water use;
* Restoring free-flowing rivers by removing dams in order to bring back our ancient herring and shad runs, reduce risks to human health and safety, and enhance boating and recreation in healthy aquatic habitats.
* Reducing water pollution to make our drinking water safe and our waterways fishable and swimmable as mandated by the federal Clean Water Act.