The performance of a modified hydraulic potentiomanometer termed a littoral interstitial porewater (LIP) sampler was evaluated in the field. Patterned after the hydraulic potentiomanometer designed by the U.S. Geological Survey, this tube sampler allowed rapid characterization of groundwater interaction with surface waters. The littoral interstitial porewater sampler facilitates characterizing groundwater quality variability along a lake shoreline, and is used to corroborate information obtained from watershed well sampling. Results were not significantly affected by various sampling protocols or analytical error. Significant changes in water quality parameters were caused by spatial factors, and these corresponded to different land use patterns on shorelines sampled. A significant correlation between the littoral porewater samples and adjacent well water samples was shown. Littoral interstitial porewater pumping rate did not empirically estimate seepage rates. Descriptive statistics of littoral porewater quality data from 15 Massachusetts lakes were given. The correspondence between land use, specifically residential development intensity, and porewater chemistry was documented.