Executive Summary
The Bureau of Geographic Information (MassGIS), within the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (TSS), helped launch a first-of-its-kind regional collaboration to modernize hydrography data across New England through implementation of the U.S. Geological Survey’s 3D National Hydrography Program (3DHP). Recognizing that watersheds extend beyond political boundaries, Massachusetts partnered with Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont to coordinate cross-border data acquisition, standards development, and watershed prioritization in support of a shared regional water data infrastructure.
Supported through federal matching grants and state investment, the initiative is modernizing hydrographic mapping using high-resolution lidar elevation data to create interconnected three-dimensional stream networks, updated watershed boundaries, wetlands delineation, and stormwater infrastructure data. The project significantly improves the accuracy and completeness of water-related geospatial information, helping communities better predict flooding, design more resilient roads and stormwater infrastructure, improve emergency preparedness, and protect natural resources. As climate-driven weather events become more frequent across New England, the initiative provides a critical foundation for smarter planning and faster response across state and local government.
Implementation required extensive collaboration among federal, state, municipal, academic, nonprofit, and private-sector partners. The initiative also includes direct engagement with all 351 Massachusetts municipalities to collect and improve local stormwater infrastructure data, creating one of the largest municipal geospatial collaboration efforts undertaken by the Commonwealth. Massachusetts established a stakeholder working group through the Massachusetts Geospatial Information Coordinating Council (MaGICC) to guide governance, prioritization, and technical standards, while municipalities, Regional Planning Agencies, the University of Massachusetts Amherst GIS Support Hub, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection contributed to enhanced data collection and integration efforts.
Massachusetts is currently in Year 2 of a five-year implementation effort and has completed statewide QL1 lidar acquisition, completed the pilot watershed modernization effort and modernization of three additional watersheds, and begun expansion into additional priority watersheds.
The initiative has already improved statewide hydrography accuracy and established a scalable framework for long-term regional collaboration and data sharing. Based on national benefit estimates commissioned by USGS, full implementation of 3DHP capabilities is projected to provide nearly $24 million annually in economic and operational benefits to Massachusetts through improved decision-making, reduced flood risk, and enhanced environmental stewardship.
