Surface water monitoring provides insight into how surrounding land use influences recreational and drinking water quality. Worcester State University, in collaboration with the City of Worcester and the Tatnuck Brook Watershed Association, conducts long-term monitoring of local recreational water bodies to support watershed management and public health goals. This study compares two freshwater systems within the Tatnuck Brook watershed: Cooks Pond, primarily surrounded by conserved land, and Patch Reservoir, which is largely bordered by residential development. These contrasting land-use settings allow us to evaluate water quality patterns along an urbanization gradient. Physical and chemical parameters, including dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and total phosphorus, were monitored throughout the season. Results indicate that Cooks Pond exhibited lower nutrient concentrations and only a brief period of bottom-water anoxia during peak stratification. In contrast, Patch Reservoir remained anoxic at depth for the duration of the monitoring period and showed elevated phosphorus concentrations. These findings suggest that surrounding land use may play a significant role in nutrient loading and oxygen dynamics, with implications for long term watershed management and water quality protection.