Over
100 friends of the Neponset River Watershed Association came
together on the evening of Tuesday, June 14, for presentations
about watershed conservation, a tour on foot of a daylighted
section of the Neponset River, and a conversation about the green features of the
Stadium. Featured Speakers included Julia Blatt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Rivers
Alliance; Ian Cooke, Executive Director of the Neponset
River Watershed Association; and Dan Krantz, Director of Site Development for The Kraft
Group.
We
started the night off at
5:30PM, when more than 50 of us headed out to explore the nearby Neponset River,
a segment of which has been flourishing on the heels of
its release from underground pipes. For almost four decades,
1/3-mile of
river had been piped underground, below parking lots and a horse
racing track. During the redevelopment of Gillette Stadium,
the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots embraced the
opportunity to restore the river, and brought it above-ground.
A diversely shaped river corridor was excavated from the
landscape, and native vegetation and old tree stumps were installed
to
provide wildlife habitat. See an aerial
view of this river segment. Dan Krantz of The Kraft Group
discussed the river restoration project and the other green practices of the Stadium
(learn
more), and Ian Cooke, Bill Guenther and Carly Rocklen of
NepRWA discussed some of the history of the project as well as
what is growing and swimming there, now. Bill took a sampling
of benthic macroinvertebrates from the river, and showed us
crayfish, stonefly nymphs, and a leech, among other small
organisms. Bill also touched on the stormwater treatment
structures present in the parking lot at Gillette. Carly
pointed out some biocontrol beetle-chewed Purple loosestrife
growing on the riverbanks. Then, at
6:30PM, we began the indoor portion of our celebration,
with hors d'ouevres, a cash bar and featured presentations!
Neponset
River, daylighted & restored by Gillette Stadium
The
Neponset River was released from a pipe
beneath a race track and parking lots during the
construction of Gillette Stadium. View the daylighting
and restoration process above, beginning at top
left, proceeding downward, then go to right column
and view top to bottom.
FEATURED PRESENTATION
Although the "water wars" are traditionally associated with drier western states, here in New England the issue of water allocation
-- how to balance our thirst for water against the water needs of rivers and aquatic wildlife
-- can be surprisingly contentious, as well. Julia Blatt delves into the state's Sustainable Water Management Initiative
(SWMI).
SWMI is a state-led, multi-stakeholder process to reform the state's
Water Management Act regulations to better protect
streamflow. SWMI began in January 2010 and should conclude this fall. Julia
introduced the SWMI goals, its progress, and issues, and talked about
water allocation issues unique to our region.
FEATURED
SPEAKER
|
Julia
Blatt, Executive Director,
Massachusetts
Rivers Alliance
|
Julia Blatt has been protecting rivers since 1987, when, as an aide to then-Congressman Chester Atkins, she helped eight communities gain federal Wild and Scenic River status for the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers. She worked as a planner for the state’s Riverways
program (now, the Massachusetts Department of Ecological
Restoration), and served as the Executive Director of the Organization for the Assabet River (OAR) for eight years. During her tenure
at OAR, the group took on
the challenge of reducing the river’s phosphorus pollution, and their
efforts |
|
resulted in phosphorus limits for the
river's four wastewater treatment facilities, that set a precedent in New England. Since 2009, Julia has served as Executive Director of the
Massachusetts Rivers
Alliance. The Alliance is a statewide group that works to improve river protection across the Commonwealth and strengthen and connect other groups that share a river protection mission. The Alliance currently has 32 organizational members and a growing membership of individuals, families, and businesses. Their current highest priorities are protecting
streamflow and cleaning up stormwater – the two biggest issues for rivers in Massachusetts. Julia received an undergraduate degree in history from Brown University and a master’s in Urban and Environmental policy from Tufts. She lives with her family in Belmont, in the Mystic River watershed. |
