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Alewife Brook/Little River Stream Team Shoreline Survey and Action
Plan
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Findings 1. Nuisances posed by abutting residential and commercial properties. 2. The presence of invasive vegetation including principally Japanese Knotweed and Phragmites. The former are particularly troublesome in some shoreline sections as they preclude access to the shore and may not be conducive to habitat of native species. 3. Perceptions of the area as isolated and thereby unsafe are potential deterrents to more common use. |
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5. Dry weather flows and other evidence of contamination from storm drains and combined sewer overflows (see figure). These may be evidence of illicit sanitary connections that contribute to the degradation of water quality through introduction of nutrients, bacteria, and pathogens. 6. Excessive nutrient and sediment loading in upstream water bodies, Blair Pond and Little Pond. 7. The area is a phenomenal habitat area with many endangered species in the immediate vicinity of commercial and residential neighborhoods. The need to balance public access and the maintenance of undisturbed habitat ecology was a persistent theme in the discussions of the stream team, with a range of opinions expressed as to the desirable extent of public access. Something of a consensus was reached in the end, recognizing that the needs of habitat and access need to be carefully balanced so that irreparable harm is not done to the presently undisturbed portions of the reservation. Some stream team members described using existing wildlife refuges as a model for development of the reservation. The stream team agreed to oppose any planned “improvements” that are not sensitive to this important priority; and to advocate to the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) and other municipal agencies for the needs of balancing public access and habitat. Action PlanAn action plan was devised and adopted based on the Stream Team discussions. It follows in outline form after this executive summary. The action plan includes the task of reporting the stream team findings to appropriate municipal and state agencies as well as the formation of task forces for implementation of long term goals and priorities. Preliminary findings have already been reported to Senator Steve Tolman, Representative Alice Wolf, and the Friends of Alewife Reservation advisory board. The action plan calls for the creation of an Education Task Force, a Water Quality Task Force, a Habitat and Public Access Task Force and a Land Conservation Task Force. The Education Task Force will work to increase awareness of the Alewife Reservation and abutting properties, promoting it as an educational resource, with the additional long-term benefit of developing the support of the community for its preservation and improvement. The group will work with FAR to promote nature walks, prepare public relations material, conduct cleanups and otherwise endeavor to build awareness in the community of the Alewife Reservation and other shoreline properties. The Water Quality Task Force will advocate for improvements in water quality in the Alewife Brook Watershed. Short-term actions include reporting the findings of dry-weather flows to municipalities. Working closely with watershed professionals, FAR Advisors and interested environmental groups, the task force will promote more intensive monitoring of the watershed, as well as ongoing investigations, and capital expenditures to reduce the negative impact of combined sewer overflows and illicit storm drain connections. A long-term goal of the task force will be to advocate for strict enforcement of water quality regulations and the continued reduction of sewage flows beyond the current set of planned improvements. The Habitat and Public Access Task Force will promote the preservation of natural habitat in the Alewife Reservation, while promoting ecologically sensitive improvements to public access and observation. One of the principal responsibilities of this task force will be to work with the MDC in planning improvements to the reservation in a manner consistent with the stream team’s goals and priorities. The Land Conservation Task Force will focus on preservation of open space through the granting of conservation easements by private property owners, or purchase of abutting private properties and deeding these properties to organizations capable of maintaining these lands as open-space. Jerry’s Pond and its shoreline and the ADL wetland are properties which may be considered for acquisition. This will require the acquisition of public and/or private funding for the purchase of privately held open-space. Possible sources of funding include municipal, state and federal sources as well as private and corporate contributions. SummaryThe stream team has developed a comprehensive description of the condition of the water and shoreline resources in the Alewife Brook Watershed and developed an action plan for implementation of the identified short and long term goals and priorities. An outline of the Action Plan follows this section. A summary of the shoreline survey results follows the Action Plan arranged by segment from upstream to downstream. Narrative descriptions; lists of problems, assets and priorities; and sketches are included for each segment. The stream team plans to continue to advocate for improvement of water quality and public access through the initiation of task forces dedicated to implementation of priorities selected by stream team members. The task forces will work cooperatively under the aegis of the FAR Advisory Board in association with the Mystic River Watershed Authority, the MDC, and other state agencies and municipalities engaged in protection of water quality in the watershed. Download the entire document (1.88MB PDF file). |
Several
themes arose in the stream team discussions of the survey findings including:
4. Highly variable water quality along the course of the Alewife Brook
and Little River, as noted by visual inspection and smell.