Upper Quashnet River

Mashpee, MA

John’s Pond, a freshwater lake, feeds the Quashnet River which flows into Waquoit Bay. Decades ago, berms were built in nearby cranberry bogs to prevent contaminated water from entering the river. However, a 1999 breach in one of these berms altered the river’s course, impacting its flow and water quality. A feasibility study was conducted in 2022 to assess the best approach for restoring the river’s natural flow. Over the next four years (2024-2028) the project will move forward with public engagement, detailed design plans, and construction. This restoration effort aims to improve the ecological health of the Quashnet River, a coldwater fishery that supports both native brook trout and river herring migrating upstream to spawning habitat in John’s Pond.

Additional Resources

Project Funding

The project has received funding secured by the town of Mashpee through the Air Force Remediation and the Community Preservation Act. Most recently, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod secured Federal funds under award NA24NMFX463C0065-T1-01 from the NOAA Restoration Center, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Partners

Association to Preserve Cape Cod
Cape Cod Conservation District
Falmouth Rod & Gun Club
Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge
Horsley Witten Group
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
NOAA Restoration Center
Orenda Wildlife Trust
Town of Falmouth
Town of Mashpee
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
US Fish and Wildlife Service Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve