Cart Cr. is a forested headwater watershed located primarily in the Martin Burns Wildlife Management area in Newbury, MA. The watershed is mostly forested, although I-95 intersects the western corner. The watershed also has a significant amount of wetlands.

The Cart Cr. watershed is being studied because it is the most forested small headwater stream in the Parker R. and Ipswich R. watersheds. It is more likely to represent the hydrology and water quality of a stream draining a watershed that is unaltered by humans, and therefore can be used to assess the impact humans are having on water quality in other locations.

Why study small watersheds such as this one? Most rain falls on land surfaces that are drained by small streams. Although any given headwater stream is relatively unimportant, put together they contribute a lot of water. An understanding of how water quantity and quality differs in headwater streams is therefore important. Land use in small watersheds is often the most important factor determining water quality in small streams. When water from small watersheds flows downstream it influences drinking water sources, as well as water quality of lakes, larger streams and rivers, and the coastal zone.

Compare the water quality of the forested Cart Cr. with that in the highly developed Saw Mill Br. in Burlington by clicking on the "Paired Site" link. Note especially how the water quality responds to storm runoff events.