Letter from the Director
Friends and Colleagues,
The sound of hydraulic hammers and excavators are in the air as construction starts on many of DER and partners’ river and wetland restoration projects. River herring and water quality are getting a boost from removal of the Armstrong and Ames Pond Dams on the Monatiquot River in Braintree and the High Street Dam on the Town River in Bridgewater. The City of Chicopee, with DER funding and technical assistance, broke ground on the Lower Bemis Pond Dam Removal, jump-starting the re-wilding of Abbey Brook and building resilience to flooding in Szot Park and surrounding areas. The Town of Washington is restoring a coldwater habitat and creating jobs with a DER grant for culvert replacement on Savery Brook. And on the Cape, construction continues on the Herring River Restoration Project.
In June, DER was deeply honored to host a dam removal site visit from Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Secretary Haaland visited the High Street Dam Removal Project in Bridgewater, where she met with DER staff, Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea, municipal staff, and federal partners. Check out photos and a short article about Secretary Haaland’s visit in this issue of Ebb & Flow.
I’ll see you in the field! Don’t forget your hard hat.
Beth Lambert, Director
Staff Welcome
DER is excited to welcome six new staff members to our expanding team!
Sabrina Braunlich, Social Media and Outreach Coordinator
Sabrina joined DER in May to expand our communications. She brings over five years of social media and outreach experience from her work at Whale and Dolphin Conservation in Plymouth, MA. She is excited to learn all about rivers and wetlands and has already begun posting on our social media. When not working, Sabrina enjoys listening to music, trying new breakfast spots, and walking along beaches. She is excited to join DER’s growing team and use her creativity to raise awareness about the benefits of ecological restoration.
William (Bill) Giuliano, Cranberry Bog Program Manager
Bill joined DER in June as a Program Manager for our Cranberry Bog Program. He began his career as a professor focused on wildlife and habitat management. For over 20 years, he taught and led research while also participating in ecological restoration projects on farms, ranches, and urban areas. Most recently, he served as Director for various nonprofits/conservancies that concentrated on ecological restoration in the western US. He is thrilled to come back to Massachusetts, build DER’s Cranberry Bog Program, and spend time boating and fishing.
Susie Bresney, Dam Removal Restoration Specialist
Susie also joined in June as a Restoration Specialist in our Dam Removal Program. She previously was with the Merrimack River Watershed Council where she built and led the Merrimack Restoration Partnership, one of the three organizations that make up DER’s Partnership Program. She brings experience in planning and managing restoration projects that focus on water quality, climate resiliency, and more; experiences that are applicable to her new role in DER. She loves spending time outdoors, canoeing, gardening, walking her dog, and when the weather forces her indoors, crafting.
Ian Balcom, Technical Services Branch Manager
Ian joined DER in July as Branch Manager to our new Technical Services Branch. Most recently, he was a professor teaching environmental sciences and before that, worked as an Environmental Toxicologist where he assessed ecological impacts of contaminated land and water to inform remediation projects. We are excited to have him as he looks to expand our technical services to best support our restoration projects. Outside of developing a new branch for DER, he enjoys spending time outdoors as the seasons change either on skis or a mountain bike.
Liz Gorrill, Coastal Wetlands Restoration Specialist
Liz joined in July as a Restoration Specialist in our Coastal Wetlands Program. Before coming to DER, she worked as a research assistant in salt marsh restoration and coastal habitat resiliency while working towards her Masters. Prior to that, she was an environmental scientist in a private consulting firm working on hazardous waste remediation throughout New England. Her experience in wetlands made this a great fit as she looks to support the restoration projects we currently have and those to come. She loves spending time in the mountains or at the beach, either hiking, surfing, or practicing photography.
David Azinheira, Stream Crossing Specialist
Lastly, David joined us in August as a Stream Crossing Specialist in our Capacity Building Branch. He brings over ten years of experience as an engineering consultant with a primary focus on hydrology and hydraulics of stream systems. A few of our staff knew David before as he has worked on a number of dam removal and culvert replacement projects with DER as a partner. We are looking forward to the fresh outlook that he will give our numerous projects. When not working, he enjoys spending time with family, reading, and playing board games.
Construction Look-Ahead
DER has five projects that started construction this summer. Check out what has broken ground:
Abbey Brook Restoration and Revitalization: Phase One of the Abbey Brook Restoration and Revitalization Project focused on removing Lower Bemis Pond dam and making stormwater management improvements along Abbey Brook in Szot Park in Chicopee. This work will eliminate the risk to public safety posed by the aging dams, reduce flood risk, restore natural river processes, improve water quality, and enhance recreational opportunities. Construction started early 2023. Project partners include the City of Chicopee, DER and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
Monatiquot Restoration: The Monatiquot / Fore River Restoration Project will remove two dams along the Monatiquot River in Braintree, make associated improvements to restore fish passage, and enhance public access and recreation. This work will open 36 river miles, strengthen community resilience, improve water quality, and restore natural river processes. Construction began in August and project partners include DER, Division of Marine Fisheries, Town of Braintree, the private owner of the dams, Fore River Watershed Association, NOAA Restoration Center, and US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Savery Brook Culvert Replacement: The Town of Washington will replace an undersized, partially collapsed culvert along the Savery Brook at Frost Road in Washington. This work will increase stream connectivity, improve aquatic habitat, and reduce flooding hazards. This project started construction this July. DER is supporting this project with a grant of $367,000 through the CRMA Grant Program.
Herring River Restoration: The Town of Wellfleet is continuing construction this summer on the largest tidal restoration project in New England. With DER’s technical support and funding, work is currently happening to install a temporary car and foot bridge, which will allow the eventual removal and replacement of the berm and antiquated tidegate structure. Temporary bridge construction is expected to finish in the fall. Project partners include DER, Town of Wellfleet, National Park Service, NOAA, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and many other funding partners.
Secretary of the Interior Visits DER Dam Removal Project
Last month, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited High Street Dam in Bridgewater as part of a larger visit to Massachusetts and Rhode Island. DER and Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea were honored to show her the dam, along with our partners, and talk about this $6.3 million project that will restore the Taunton River Watershed, support aquatic connectivity, and help the Town of Bridgewater build resilience to climate change.
This project is one of the many great examples of multiple levels of government and other organizations working together for a joint goal. Partners in this project include DER, the Town of Bridgewater, the Nature Conservancy, a private dam owner, NOAA, Division of Marine Fisheries, Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal Program, US Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Taunton River Wild and Scenic Stewardship Council, and others. This work will open 10 miles of river habitat for river herring, sea lamprey, American eel, and American shad as well as open access to 354 acres of spawning habitat for river herring at Lake Nippenicket. Along with the environmental benefits, the dam removal will also have major benefits for the community. The dam is currently rated as ‘Significant Hazard’ by the Office of Dam Safety. This means that if it failed catastrophically, loss of life and property could occur. Just upstream of the dam, the undersized High Street Bridge, built in 1790 and thought to be one of the oldest bridges still standing in the Commonwealth, will be replaced with a safer structure that will better accommodate river flows during storms and prevent flooding. Construction began this past July.
DER Awards New Funding to 21 Restoration Projects
Climate change is bringing larger, more frequent storms to the Commonwealth, placing more of an emphasis on a need for climate resilient structures. To meet this challenge, in August DER awarded over $6 million in funding to 21 restoration projects. These projects will restore healthy habitat while helping to increase climate resilience, address aging infrastructure, and create opportunities for outdoor recreation. Governor Maura Healey said, “These restoration grants are an investment in our future. With extreme weather becoming more frequent, projects like these are a common-sense, nature-based approach to adapt to climate change.”
Of the $6 million, DER awarded $811,000 to 14 municipalities through its Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance (CRMA) Grant Program which help municipalities replace undersized and deteriorating culverts with crossings that meet improved design standards and restore fish and wildlife passage along rivers.
Additionally, $609,825.25 went to support three Restoration Partnerships through DER’s Regional Restoration Partnerships Program. This Program builds the capacity of local and regional organizations to collaboratively advance restoration work.
Lastly, $5,026,000 went to three of DER’s Priority Projects. The three established Priority Projects that are receiving funding include dam removal, cranberry bog restoration, and an estuary restoration project. Once completed, these Priority Projects will provide significant social, environmental, and economic benefits to the Commonwealth and local communities.
Learn more about these projects and the funding they received in this press release.
Project Highlight: Marsh Island
On May 8th, an excavator officially opened the channel at Marsh Island letting the tide spill into six acres of newly restored wetland. The Marsh Island Salt Marsh Restoration Project, located in Fairhaven, was chosen as a DER Priority Project back in 2006 so we were thrilled to see Phase One wrap up this summer. As the largest habitat restoration development in New Bedford Harbor, this project presents a rare opportunity to restore a large area of salt marsh in a region that has suffered substantial loss of coastal resources due to development. Historically, the marsh was filled with material dredged from New Bedford Harbor. Construction started in November 2022 to excavate the historic fill and regrade the site to establish marsh plain and tidal creeks. This project was unique because there were no photos or documentations that showed the historic details such as tidal creek shape or sinuosity, so our restoration specialists had to rely on the use of modeling and existing conditions when planning. Phase One planting wrapped up in early summer to aid recovery and help the habitat flourish. This work will provide many benefits such as improving hydrology and water quality, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat in a larger 22-acre property in Fairhaven, and providing opportunities for the public to access the shoreline and restored marsh for passive recreational activities. We are now looking ahead at Phase Two where the team continues to plan the management of existing infrastructure and the restoration of an additional 5 acres of salt marsh and natural resources.
This project is a joint venture with DER, New Bedford Harbor Trustees Council, NOAA Restoration Center, Buzzards Bay Coalition, Fairhaven-Acushnet Land Preservation Trust, the MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.