Read the press release here.
For 2020, MassDEP selected 6 grant recipients through a competitive process. The $220,000 in federal 604(b) funding will be matched by an additional $35,421 in local dollars – providing more than $255,000 in total funds for watershed-based nonpoint source assessment and planning projects in Massachusetts.
2020 Grants
1. Town of Monterey | Development of Preliminary Designs and Implementation Plans That Will Reduce Phosphorus Loading in Lake Garfield | $8,500
The Town of Monterey will evaluate structural and non-structural best management practice (BMP) options to develop a conceptual engineering design of drainage improvements along a section of Hupi Road. This will reduce phosphorus entering Lake Garfield from NPS pollution, with the eventual goal of improving the overall health and recreational enjoyment of Lake Garfield. Additionally, the Town of Monterey will partner with the Friends of Lake Garfield and the Lake Garfield Working Group to coordinate an outreach program communicating project information and updates to the public through monthly Monterey News articles, internet-based outreach, press releases and informational meetings.
2. Town of Bourne | Modeling in Red Brook Harbor to Support TMDL Development | $48,344
The Town of Bourne will partner with the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition to estimate sub-watershed nitrogen inputs for the Red Brook Harbor system that will be incorporated into a hydrodynamic and water quality model. The data generated will support site-specific efforts required to develop a nitrogen total maximum daily load (TMDL) for Red Brook Harbor. A future TMDL will provide guidance to formulate nitrogen input reductions needed to meet water quality standards. Project outreach will include engaging with estuarine management officials and producing publicly available digital content.
3. Town of Medfield | Town of Medfield Stormwater Retrofit Evaluation Project | $36,030
The Town of Medfield, in collaboration with the Neponset River Watershed Association (NepRWA) and Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), will assess Town-owned properties for potential installation of structural stormwater BMPs to address NPS pollution. Site assessment will include use of the stormwater retrofit suitability screening tool developed by NepRWA and Metropolitan Area Planning Council to identify sites with the highest priority for BMP installation based on estimated pollutant input, impervious area, soil types, and ownership. In-person visits to 40 sites identified using this tool will inform a final list of the top 10-12 sites, 3 of which will be selected by the Town staff for further advancement. Conceptual structural stormwater BMP design plans will be prepared for the top 3 sites and NepRWA and CRWA will prepare watershed-based plans for these watersheds.
4. City of Everett | Mystic Infiltration Trench Siting and Design Project | $40,450
The City of Everett, in collaboration with Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), will support the reduction of phosphorus inputs to the Mystic River as called for in the Mystic River Watershed Alternative TMDL Development for Phosphorus Management Final Report. This project will identify locations for the future installation of high efficiency, low-cost infiltration trenches in at least 8 municipalities within the watershed, resulting in conceptual design/sizing, cost estimates, and phosphorus load reduction calculations for 250 BMP installations. Detailed BMP packages with construction maps and impervious surface data will be produced for candidate sites. Outreach and education about green infrastructure in the Mystic watershed will be conducted for both public and municipal audiences.
5. Pioneer Valley Planning Commission | Improving Water Quality through Green Infrastructure Capacity Building | $41,400
The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) will build capacity on best design strategies for control of NPS pollution in the Connecticut River basin in Massachusetts. The project will develop green infrastructure stormwater management design guidance that supplements the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook by providing 5 to 7 readily implementable stormwater BMP designs optimized for nutrient removal, size, cost, and ease of maintenance. The project will also offer training and national certification in stormwater and green infrastructure installation and maintenance to local public works officials and technical community college students. This training will enhance capacity on the municipal scale and will produce a team of people available to municipalities for green infrastructure installations and maintenance in the region.
6. Town of Dennis | Dennis Impaired Waters BMP Assessment Project | $45,276
The Town of Dennis will work to improve water quality within the Bass River and Swan River watersheds by identifying and prioritizing municipal sources of nitrogen and bacteria. The project will evaluate and prioritize stormwater outfall catchment areas based on pollutant load contributions to impaired waterbodies and their tributaries. The project will develop conceptual design plans for three high priority locations and then advance one of the conceptual design plans to final design status for permitting and construction under a future grant project.