NepRWA 

Projects

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Getting Our Feet Wet:   Wetlands & Streams Restoration

NepRWA is working to restore damaged wetlands and dammed streams in the Neponset Watershed via a Pilot Wetlands Restoration Program. Funded by a seed grant, NepRWA will select one or more wetland sites to restore, based on reports, data from our own dam surveys, and feedback from local conservation commissions, residents and environmental organizations. NepRWA recently began its first wetland restoration project, partnering with the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, and under the guidance of the MA Coastal Zone Management Wetland Restoration Program, to improve the ecological quality of the wetlands of Fowl Meadow and Brookwood Farm, using a biological control method. Released biocontrol beetles will control populations of the exotic, invasive plant Purple loosestrife. Learn more.

See pictures of NepRWA's latest river cleanup.

Restoring the Neponset River through Dam Modification

Historically the Neponset River supported tremendous spring runs of herring, shad, smelt and other anadromous and catadromous fish species. These runs have been nearly eliminated since the river was dammed for waterpower. The Neponset contains an abundance of high quality (though inaccessible) spawning habitat. Some species still spawn in the Neponset below the first dam. If fish could get past the two most downstream dams on the Neponset—the Baker Dam in Milton/Dorchester and the T&H Dam in Hyde Park—they would have access to more than 17 miles of habitat. For approximately 10 years, NepRWA has been advocating for the complete or partial removal of these two dams, both of which are owned by the state. Through our partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Riverways Program of the MA Department of Fish and Game, we have engaged the US Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of removing these two structures. Further investigations of sediment quality by the US Geological Survey indicate that the Neponset is contaminated with carcinogenic PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyl’s), particularly in the Hyde Park area. Removing these two dams and remediating the PCB’s are NepRWA’s top advocacy priorities. Learn more about restoring the river. For further information, contact Ian Cooke, Executive Director, at cooke@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Planning the Quincy Riverwalk

Working with the Quincy Environmental Network, NepRWA has persuaded Mayor Phelan to help design and obtain approval for a "Riverwalk" along the shores of the Neponset River Estuary. NepRWA has already convinced four private waterfront property owners to build portions of the Riverwalk and allow public access across their land (Adams Inn, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Boston Scientific, and a new residential development at 2 Hancock St. in Quincy). View a conceptual plan for the Riverwalk. Learn more by contacting Steve Pearlman, Advocacy Director, at pearlman@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Dealing with Infiltration & Inflow: Fixing the Leaks!

NepRWA has just completed a Municipal Handbook entitled Minimizing Municipal Costs for Infiltration & Inflow (I/I) Remediation for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs. "Infiltration" refers to groundwater that seeps into cracked sewer pipes. "Inflow" refers to illegal stormwater connections to sanitary sewers. "I/I" not only costs sewer ratepayers millions of dollars, it also can cause overflows of sewers into streets and wetlands during rainstorms. MWRA estimates that I/I diverts an annual average of 6.6 billion gallons of water per year from the upper Neponset River Watershed to Boston Harbor via the Deer Island Treatment Plant. View this handbook. Learn more by contacting Steve Pearlman, Advocacy Director, at pearlman@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Organizing the Citizen Water Monitoring Network ("CWMN")

CWMN is NepRWA’s volunteer-based water quality monitoring program. CWMN collects water quality data on the river and its tributaries to determine the overall quality of the river system, to locate and prioritize water quality "hot spots," to design water quality improvement projects, and to evaluate the effectiveness of past water quality restoration efforts. CWMN brings together a wide array of resources from volunteers, the private sector, local state and federal agencies and donors. Volunteers record observational data and field measurements and collect water samples. NepRWA and various laboratories then assess the water samples, and the data generated are reported back to the volunteers and to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the MA Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP), local municipalities and other interested parties. Learn more here, or contact Laura Hallowell, CWMN Assistant and Willett Pond Manager, at hallowell@neponset.org or 781-575-0354, or Bill Guenther, Environmental Scientist, at guenther@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Planning the Installation of Tree-Filter Boxes

NepRWA is working towards installing tree-filter-boxes in the Town of Milton to treat polluted stormwater runoff from streets. Tree-filter-boxes use the same technology as a bioretention cell, but are prefabricated and easy to install with little or no permitting. Each box consists of a precast concrete box filled with a specialized mix of soil and an appropriate tree or shrub. The box is installed at the curb-line, right along the gutter, just uphill of an existing catchbasin. Learn more by contacting Ian Cooke, Executive Director, at cooke@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Neponset Reports, Comment Letters & Newsletters

Six times each year, NepRWA publishes a newsletter that we mail to our membership and colleagues. The newsletter includes descriptions of projects, environmental legislation updates, event listings, volunteer opportunities, and more. NepRWA posts comment letters, reports and water-testing data. Learn more by contacting Carly Rocklen, Outreach Director and Restoration Manager, at rocklen@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Older Projects

Educating Watershed Residents About Septic System Maintenance

NepRWA and the Walpole Board of Health have been working together to keep local water clean through proper septic system maintenance. As a part of this project, a public education program was initiated concerning septic system maintenance, and the possibility of a town-wide septic utility was reviewed. Why the focus on septic systems? Septic systems act like water-recyclers, treating wastewater from our homes and returning it to local groundwater. Problems occur, however, when septic systems are not properly maintained – for example, when a homeowner waits too many years to schedule a pump-out of the septic tank. A septic system that has been neglected can contaminate local water with untreated sewage, creating a public health hazard and an ecological mess. Learn more about septic system maintenance here, contact your local Board of Health, or find a septic hauler in the phonebook. Questions? Contact Carly Rocklen, Outreach Director and Restoration Manager, at rocklen@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Working with the Advocates for Wetlands & Watersheds

NepRWA was a founding member of Advocates for Wetlands and Watersheds (AWW), a coalition of environmental and watershed associates that lobbies state environmental agencies for strict regulations and policies to protect these resources. Other active members of AWW include MassAudubon, the New England Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Mystic River Watershed Association, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Learn more by contacting Steve Pearlman, Advocacy Director, at pearlman@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Partnering to Protect Pine Tree Brook

NepRWA, the Milton Department of Public Works, and the Pine Tree Brook Neighborhood Association have been working together to improve the water quality in Pine Tree Brook in Milton. Applying progressive stormwater treatment techniques has been a key aspect of this project. Bioretention cells have been constructed along the edge of the brook, adjacent to a walking path. Runoff diverted from adjacent streets now drains into these cells and also into a wooded wetland. The stormwater is filtered by the soil, plants and microorganisms before entering the brook. A public education program has also been implemented to encourage residents to pick-up after their dogs and use fewer chemicals on their lawns. There has been an informational canvas of the neighborhood, application of decals on catchbasins, and installation of signage and mutt mitt stations. Learn more by contacting Carly Rocklen, Outreach Director and Restoration Manager, at rocklen@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.

Inventorying & Assessing Neponset Dams

While NepRWA is advocating for the removal of the two most downstream dams on the Neponset River, we are also investigating the other 100+ dams in the Neponset Watershed. The purpose of the Dam Inventory and Assessment Project is to conduct a basic inventory of dams and other obstructions to fish movement in the Neponset Watershed. Amazingly, during the pilot phase of the project, 87 structures were found in just the East Branch watershed! Read about our dam survey volunteers' work. Learn more by contacting Carly Rocklen, Outreach Director and Restoration Manager, at rocklen@neponset.org or 781-575-0354.