In Worcester, you can find over 20 lakes and ponds that support a variety of recreational activities, including bird watching, walking, swimming, fishing and boating. The City recognizes these "blue spaces" as valuable resources, and strives to maintain the quality of these waters for recreational use and the promotion of economic development. Worcester works with the Commonwealth, watershed groups and other local organization so identify and remediate threats to the quality of our lakes and ponds. We monitor water quality parameters in four of our biggest lakes, work with local scientists and universities to understand the data, create management plans and host educational workshops to help residents better understand the threats to our water quality, and learn how they can improve it.
Learn more about how we work to keep our watersheds healthy on our Green Worcester Dashboard.
Ensuring that our lakes, ponds and watersheds are healthy for you and for our urban environment means closely monitoring pollutants that can damage the aquatic ecosystem. It also means planning for better ways to keep our blue spaces healthy for generations to come. That's why the Lakes and Ponds Program has launched Project Blue Worcester in 2025. Focusing on three major waterbodies and surrounding land and tributaries - the Tatnuck Brook, Mill Brook and Quinsigamond watersheds - we are identifying the volume of key pollutants, where they come from and how best to restore and protect our precious blue spaces.
Our Top Priority: Reduce Phosphorus Pollutants
Our biggest challenge is managing and reducing the flow of excess nutrients into our waterbodies. In particular, we are focused on identifying phosphorus pollutants such as excess fertilizer as well as sediments from decaying leaves and other organic litter that are carried into streams, rivers, ponds and lakes by rain runoff and snow melt. We are also investigating the impact of harmful bacteria from various sources. Phosphorus pollutants can contribute to overgrowth of cyanobacteria, which can sicken pets, irritate skin and necessitate beach closures. Excessive phosphorus can also accelerate the growth of invasive species, upsetting the intricate aquatic ecosystem and choking out recreational spaces.
A Roadmap for Best-Practices Restoration and Protection
Project Blue Worcester will create a plan with several goals and action steps, including:
Share Your Ideas at a Public Workshop in April
Your thoughts and concerns are essential for our information-gathering phase! Please join us at one of three public workshops and share your input. Depending on demand and availability, translation and other accessibility accommodations may be available with pre-registration.
Tatnuck Brook Watershed (Coes Reservoir, Patch Reservoir, Cooks Pond)
Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
242 Mill St., IBEW Local 96 union hall or Virtual
Register Online
Mill Brook Watershed (Indian Lake, Salisbury Pond)
Tuesday, April 15, 2025, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
140 Shore Dr., Unitarian Universalist Church or Virtual
Register Online
Lake Quinsigamond Watershed
Thursday, April 24, 2025, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
181 Lake Ave., Worcester Marine Corps League or Virtual
Register Online
Order a discounted 60-gallon rain barrel starting at $84! By delivering barrels at a bulk distribution event, the Great American Rain Barrel Company is offering discounted rates to customers who purchase barrels for delivery in Worcester. Rain barrels must be picked up on Thursday, May 15 between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor Visitors Center (3 Paul Clancy Way, Worcester).
Pre-order by midnight on May 4. Worcester residency is not required! Pre-order is required for pickup. Not available for purchase on-site.
To pre-order a barrel visit greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community. Under "Community Programs," select Massachusetts as the state and Worcester as the city to order for pickup at this distribution event.
For more information, email info@tgarb.com, or call 800-251-2352.
Check out the map below to learn about what activities you can do at each of Worcester's public waterbodies!
Sign up to receive text message alerts whenever beaches or lakes are closed for normal operations. Alerts will be sent if a beach closes for a bacteria exceedance, for lake cyanobacteria blooms, or for lake treatments that require the closure of the waterbody. Lakes included in this alert system are Indian Lake, Coes Reservoir, Lake Quinsigamond and Bell Pond.
State of the Lakes Reports are now available! Learn about the water quality and projects happening at your local lake below!
View the previous Water Quality Monitoring Program Results below.
Fish are important parts of the aquatic ecosystem, both affecting and impacted by water quality. Over time, fish populations have shifted in our local lakes and ponds. The following is a report that compiles available data on how and why these changes have occurred, synthesizing years of data by MassWildlife, local water quality data and surveys by resident anglers to track how fish populations have shifted, where they are now and why. Below is also a presentation that includes a summary of the report's findings, as well as the steps the Lakes and Ponds Program is taking to make sure our fisheries thrive.
The Angler Event Series is an ongoing series of events to highlight the connections between healthy waters and healthy fisheries, celebrate and share the unique fishing opportunities Worcester has to offer and bring the sport of fishing to more people. The series is a collaboration between Tatnuck Brook, Indian Lake and Lake Quinsigamond Watershed Associations, as well as other state and local entities. Check out upcoming and past events at WooAnglerSeries.com.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health issues guidance on the consumption of fish from our freshwater resources.
Worcester's industrial history, as well as urbanization, poses challenges to maintaining the quality of the water in the City's lakes and ponds. Major threats to our waterways include nutrient loading and invasive aquatic plants.
Nutrient loading is the addition of nutrients to our lakes and ponds. An overabundance of nutrients promote the growth of algae and aquatic plants, which, in excess, can degrade the quality of water, lead to aquatic life dying and difficulty swimming, boating and fishing.
Nutrients enter our lakes in several ways. Runoff during rain events can carry nutrient-rich fertilizers and pet and geese waste into storm sewers or tributaries that empty into our lakes. Malfunctioning septic systems can leach nutrients into adjacent waters and sanitary sewers illegally connected to the storm water system can also contribute to the problem.
Invasive aquatic plants are generally introduced by accident. Seeds or pieces of the plant will hitch a ride on a boat trailer, boots or an animal traveling between waterbodies. These plants can rapidly reproduce and be difficult to eradicate.
Worcester's situation is not unique in the region, and is common to most urban areas. The City has taken proactive steps in the reduction of nutrient and sediment inputs into our waterways, as well as in the management of algae and aquatic plants.
Watch these videos to learn more about the health, safety and beauty of our lakes and ponds in Worcester.
June 21, 2023
Blue Space Minute: Indian Lake Alum Dosing Station In Action
October 13, 2022
Blue Space Minute - Boat Cleaning Stations
June 27, 2022
Blue Space Minute - Water Chestnut
March 11, 2022
Blue Space Minute - Litter at Bell Pond
February 24, 2022
The State of the Lakes 2022
February 9, 2022
Blue Space Angler Series 2021 - Introduction to Ice Fishing
January 20, 2022
Blue Space Report - 2021 Cyanobacteria in Worcester
July 19, 2021
Blue Space Angler Series 2021 - Worcester Area Wild Trout Fisheries
June 17, 2021
Blue Space Angler Series 2021 - Tangled in the Weeds
May 5, 2021
Blue Space Angler Series 2021 - The Biology of Fly Fishing
April 27, 2021
Blue Space Angler Event Series 2021 - Nutrient Management, Cyanobacteria and Fish Health
April 20, 2021
The State of the Lakes 2021
Watershed groups are nonprofit organizations of citizens advocating for our water resources. Check out the below links to learn more about what these organizations are doing to protect our waters:
This park is located at the summit of Bell Hill, also known as Chandler Hill Park. It features Bell Hill Pond, formerly known as Bladder Pond, which was Worcester's first reservoir/water supply in 1845.
The area around Coes Resevoir (commonly referred to as Coes Pond) consists of 20.79 acres and incorporates five properties including the John J. Binienda Memorial Beach, Coes Park, Columbus Park, the former Fenton Parcel and the former Knights of Columbus.
Indian Lake consists of 193 acres and attracts many visitors each year for a variety of recreational activities including boating, swimming, fishing, ice fishing and much more.
Quinsigamond State Park sits on the shore of Lake Quinsigamond. Take a swim in the lake, or enjoy a picnic while watching the boats sail by.
Sustainability & Resilience
51 Sever Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Mailing Address:
455 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: 508-799-8324
Email Us
Office Hours:
By Appointment: Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
