71Site ID:RowleyTown:16.7Acres:NoRapid Technical Site Assessment:RestrictionFillAgricultureOtherCompleted ProjectMediumPriority:Site consists of ~17 acres of marsh south of the Rowley landfill, east of the railroad line, and west of Red Gate Road. The site has been restricted from tidal flow by both the railroad installation and the placement of Red Gate Road. In the late 1990s, the MBTA conducted a mitigation project by installing a new culvert beneath Red Gate Road in an attempt to increase tidal flow to the site. Because tidal flow within the marsh downstream (east) of the site is also tidally-restricted due to under-sized culverts beneath Route 1A, the new Red Gate Road culvert appears to have had little effect on the tidal exchange within the marsh south of the landfill. Residents and the Rowley Conservation Agent have suggested that there may have been a culvert at the western edge of this site beneath the railroad line before the line was upgraded in the 1990s. The MBTA and resource agencies investigated this possibility in late 2006 by digging into the ballast in the suggested locations. No evidence of a buried culvert was found. The marsh within the site exhibits several indicators of degraded conditions, including dominance by large, vigorous stands of Phragmites. Restoration actions would potentially re-establish the tidal connection beneath the railroad line to the west and also replace the culvert(s) beneath Route 1A downstream of the site (see site #54). Restoration potential is considered medium based on the overall severity of marsh degradation and the potential to address downstream restrictions to the east at Route 1A. Potential is reduced due to the complexity and cost that would be associated with any railroad line modifications.Site Summary:Under DevelopmentImpact Type(s)StatusPotential Project
