Letter from the Director
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
DER’s Stream Continuity Program helps cities and towns replace undersized or failing culverts with larger, safer structures that provide fish and wildlife passage and help communities build resilience to large storms associated with climate change. Massachusetts has over 25,000 culverts and small bridges, the majority of which are undersized or falling apart. Undersized culverts block fish and wildlife from reaching habitats they need to survive. Furthermore, undersized culverts contribute to flooding and road washouts during floods. Around 17,000 culverts are owned by cities and towns!
This year, with support from the Administration, DER expanded its culvert replacement technical assistance and grant funding. In this issue of Ebb & Flow, you will read how DER has used that additional funding to help 30 municipalities replace culverts to benefit habitat and resilience.
DER’s 15th Anniversary Year is winding down, but our work is ramping up. Check out the new Department of Fish and Game Strategic Plan, which highlights the important role that DER will play in meeting ambitious restoration, resilience, and environmental justice goals.
I’ll see you on the river,
Beth Lambert, Director
DER's Notice of Upcoming Opportunities
DER currently has one opportunity available for municipalities to advance restoration.
- Dam Removal Program: A Request for Responses for dam removal preliminary design services was released this November. Massachusetts municipalities are eligible for this opportunity which will study dams to help landowners and partners assess opportunities and constraints during early planning phases of potential dam removal projects. Selected projects will be eligible to receive technical assistance from DER staff and DER-led contracted technical services from qualified vendors. Applications are due November 22nd, 2024 by 4:00pm ET. Learn more and apply on DER's website.
Be sure to follow DER on Instagram and LinkedIn or sign up for the DER Notices e-newsletter to get timely updates on future opportunities.
Construction Check-in
DER had four projects under construction this fall. Here’s a look at the projects:
Abbey Brook Restoration and Revitalization, Chicopee: Phase One of construction is wrapping up this year by finalizing the Lower Bemis Pond Dam removal and public access along a section of Abbey Brook in Szot Park. This includes planting around 200 trees, creating and stabilizing walking paths, and finalizing stream channel restoration. The project reduced public safety threats and flood risk posed by the aging dams, restored river habitat, will improve water quality, and is creating new recreational opportunities. Partners on this project include the City of Chicopee and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
Herring River Estuary Restoration, Wellfleet: With traffic moving over a temporary bridge in Wellfleet, work is progressing on the largest tidal restoration in the northeastern U.S. This fall, the construction crew began installing the piles and pouring concrete in the southern abutment for the foundation of the permanent bridge, as well as many other construction elements. Partners on this project include Town of Wellfleet, National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NOAA, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Friends of Herring River, and many others.
Monatiquot / Fore River Restoration, Braintree: After finishing the fish ladder along Fore River in Braintree this summer, construction has shifted to manufacturing the components of the boardwalk and viewing platform along the river for public access and recreation. This project opened 36 river miles, strengthened community resilience, improved water quality, and restored river habitat. Partners on this project include Division of Marine Fisheries, Town of Braintree, a private owner of the dams, Fore River Watershed Association, NOAA Restoration Center, the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal Program, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Quinapoxet River Restoration, West Boylston: Construction is beginning on a dam removal and river restoration in West Boylston. This fall, the crew has been doing necessary clearing and grading to establish access for the construction equipment. Additionally, the water control has been installed and is operational with “in water” work starting in November. This project will restore fish passage from the Quinapoxet River to the Wachusett Reservoir by removing an aging dam, improve water quality, and enhance public river access and recreation. Partners on this project include the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Department of Fish and Game, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Department of Conservation and Recreation.
There are a few projects breaking ground soon so keep an eye out this winter for our next Ebb & Flow. In the meantime, check out previous issues to learn about the culvert replacement, wetland restoration, dam removal, and cranberry bog restoration projects that wrapped up this year.
Funding for a Resilient Future
In the first five months of the 2025 fiscal year (which began in July), DER awarded over $6.1 million to advance river and wetland restoration projects across the state. Through three DER programs, these projects strengthen community resilience to climate change, reduce flood risks, improve climate-ready infrastructure and public safety, and restore crucial wildlife habitat and water quality.
In August, the first round of funding was announced, with over $2.1 million awarded to 17 municipalities to replace outdated culverts with new and improved crossings. Replacing undersized culverts with those that meet stream crossing standards will improve fish and wildlife passage, reduce flood risks, and enhance public safety. Additionally, over $700,000 went to support three Regional Restoration Partnerships through the Regional Restoration Partnerships Program. This funding went to the Buzzards Bay Coalition, the Housatonic Valley Association, and the Merrimack River Watershed Association to build capacity for advancing restoration and to support initiatives throughout their regions. Lastly, over $899,000 went to the Friends of Herring River to support the Herring River Estuary Restoration Project—the largest tidal estuary restoration ever undertaken in Massachusetts and the North Atlantic coastal region. This DER Priority Project will restore approximately 890 acres of degraded salt marsh and estuarine habitats once completed.
In October, a second round of DER funding was announced, with over $2 million awarded to 17 municipalities for additional culvert replacement projects. Together, this amounts to nearly $4.2 million invested in culvert replacement, small bridge improvements, and technical assistance in fiscal year 2025 through DER’s Stream Continuity Program. DER also awarded $344,000 to two restoration projects, the South Middleton Dam Removal Project in Middleton and the Herring River Estuary Restoration Project in Wellfleet and Truro, through the Priority Projects Program. This program supports wetland and river restoration that will have the greatest benefit to the state ecologically, socially, and economically.
To address the increasing need for funding and technical support for ecological restoration across Massachusetts, DER will be releasing more grants this fiscal year. Be sure to follow DER on LinkedIn and Instagram or sign up for the DER Notices e-newsletter to get timely updates on future opportunities. Learn more about the recipients of both funding announcements on DER's website.
DER Celebrates 15 Years of River and Wetland Restoration
2024 is an exciting year for DER because it celebrates 15 years of leading ecological restoration work across Massachusetts! Since its inception in 2009, DER has spearheaded over 150 restoration projects including removing over 50 dams, replacing more than 20 culverts, reconnecting approximately 700 river miles, and restoring over 3,000 acres of wetland and salt marsh habitat. To put that in perspective, the equivalent of 700 river miles is like driving between Boston and Worcester around 15 times!
These efforts have been instrumental in enhancing biodiversity, improving water quality, and restoring the resilience of our rivers and wetlands. As the years progress, the benefits of completed DER projects are appearing in communities and ecosystems. For example, the Eel River Headwaters Restoration in Plymouth was the first cranberry bog ever restored in Massachusetts and today, it is 40 acres of flourishing wetlands. Muddy Creek Restoration Project in Harwich and Chatham replaced two undersized culverts, restoring 55 acres of degraded estuary into a healthy tidal wetland where people now kayak. Sucker Brook River Restoration removed two barriers, an undersized culvert and a stone dam, to restore Sucker Brook in the Keyes Parker Conservation Area in Pepperell, a beautiful area open for recreation. Each DER project has a lasting positive impact on our state’s wetlands, waterways, and wildlife.
This is not done alone, though; DER works with many incredible partners—from federal and state agencies, to local nonprofits, municipalities, and landowners—to advance all stages of restoration. The diversity of partners adds to the success of many projects. In addition, since ecological restoration projects can take years to complete, many partners have been working alongside DER staff for over fifteen years. Having diverse and dedicated partners that work toward the same goals as DER can be instrumental to success. Thank you to our Ebb & Flow readers and partners for working with us to advance ecological restoration. Here’s to another exciting 15 years! Read more about this anniversary on DER's website.
A Look at Fall Fieldwork
Fall is a great time for DER staff to get out to project sites for fieldwork. DER staff collect and track data such as changes to vegetation communities, water level shifts, and water velocity; sample macro or micro invertebrates; and much more. Since the purpose of ecological restoration is to assist in the recovery of damaged ecosystems, collecting this information is useful to determine the current status of the site and restoration goals. Pre-restoration data is used to develop design and construction goals, as well as to have a point to compare post-restoration data. After construction is complete, DER continues monitoring at many sites to determine if the system is recovering as expected and to inform future restoration work.
DER’s summer and fall was spent conducting fish surveys along streams, brooks, and rivers; downloading stream gauge measurements to track water levels; moving freshwater mussels to protect them from construction for a dam removal project; assessing the status of culverts with municipalities and partners; and other activities.
Another vital part of restoration is documenting the process visually, so DER also worked to capture imagery from restoration sites. Photo stations are set up at the beginning of a project so a photo can be taken repeatedly from the same location. It allows the project team to see the progress especially through the different phases of restoration. The images below are from one of the photo stations of the Traphole Brook Dam Removal Project before construction, and then two years later post-restoration. This DER Priority Project removed a small masonry dam along Traphole Brook in Norwood.
While staff may enjoy fall fieldwork with the softer ground and changing leaves, data is collected year-round in order to get a complete picture for DER’s restoration projects. Follow DER on Instagram and LinkedIn for occasional fieldwork updates or restoration techniques from the staff.
Project Highlight - Dudleyville Pond Dam Removal
How do you get rid of a dam? Where do you start? Unfortunately, many private dam owners find themselves in that position trying to figure out the next steps for an aging or hazardous dam. In late August, DER successfully completed an emergency removal of an unsafe dam in Shutesbury. During a study by American Rivers and an investigation by DER in early 2024, engineers found that the Dudleyville Pond Dam, a small privately owned structure, was an imminent public safety risk. The dam was rated as Significant Hazard by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Office of Dam Safety (ODS) and posed a threat to downstream residents and infrastructure if it were to fail during a storm. Additionally, the dam blocked native brook trout and other coldwater fish species from reaching important habitats upstream.
Thanks to the quick action of the dam owner, partners, DER, and funders, the Town of Shutesbury’s Conservation Commission issued an emergency certification to remove the dam and by August 28th, the dam was gone! As DER’s Dam Removal Program Manager Chris Hirsch said, “The emergency certification from the Conservation Commission allowed us to act quickly and remove this hazardous dam at an unprecedented pace and cost savings. Now not only is the community safer, but the ecological benefits of the dam’s removal are already underway.” With the 17-foot-tall dam removed, a stream channel is flowing where the pond used to be and the area is now seeing improved water quality, increased passage for fish and other wildlife, and lowered flood risk for the surrounding community.
DER thanks the partners involved in this project for their quick action including the private dam owner, Connecticut River Conservancy, Stantec, and SumCo Eco-Contracting. This work was funded by DER, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited, American Rivers, and the Connecticut River Salmon Association. Read the full story on DER’s website.
