Is the freshwater fish that you recently caught safe to eat? Fish can absorb pollution from the water, so before eating any local fish, make sure to check for advisories or warnings. If you fish in freshwater and eat your catch, it’s important to keep up to date on the Freshwater Fish Consumption Advisory List, […]
Make sure that the freshwater fish that you recently caught is safe to eat.
NepRWA needs your help with a new study of fishing and fish consumption in the Neponset River Watershed.
With new funding, NepRWA can now begin the process of removing two small dams and modifying a third to benefit native brook trout populations.
A variety of important watershed issues have prominent places on town meeting agendas across the basin this spring. Here’s just a small sampling…
After some initial setbacks, our small dams program has regrouped and is now targeting three dams on Pine Tree Brook in Milton. We've also been working on a list of "micro" dams that can be remediated using volunteer crews.
The frequency of dam removals on streams and rivers around Massachusetts and New England is picking up.
The Watershed Association has embarked on a program to remove small dams from streams around the watershed, to re-connect and restore the function and health of our river system. By removing small dams (over 115 exist in our watershed!), we: Restore opportunities for fish and other aquatic wildlife to travel longer stream lengths; to pass […]
Before we can restore fish passage past the Baker and the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dams, the PCB-contaminated sediments that have accumulated behind each dam must be cleaned up.
Dam removal would greatly expand fishing opportunities. Boating which is currently blocked by the dams would be safer and considerably more enjoyable, and the safety of those recreating along the banks of the river would be enhanced. Removing the dams also would change the appearance of the river as seen from the perspective of those […]
Neither the Baker Dam nor the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dam is used to generate hydropower, nor are they likely to be used to do so in the future. The characteristics of these sites are not conducive to generating power in this day and age.
Modifying or removing both the Baker and the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dams would open up passage for migratory fish to swim between the fresh water of the Neponset River and its tributaries, the brackish water of the Neponset Estuary, and the salt water of Boston Harbor.
Representatives of neighborhood groups and civic associations have been brought together to consider alternatives for restoring the Lower Neponset River.
The health of the Lower Neponset River is complicated by the contamination of its sediments with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), in the area downstream of Mother Brook, in Hyde Park, Mattapan, Dorchester and Milton.
The Neponset River has a long and rich industrial history, the remainders of which we continue to experience today.
The Baker Dam at Lower Mills causes increased flooding, and the T&H Dam upstream serves no meaningful flood control purpose. Removing these two dams would reduce flooding on the Lower Neponset River.
Over the last 30 years, pollution in the Neponset River has been reduced, the buildings along its shores have been converted to residential and commercial rather than industrial use, and its banks have been improved for recreation. All of these changes have dramatically increased the river’s importance as an aesthetically pleasing backdrop that people […]
Exotic, invasive species bring turmoil to a natural system; they can out compete native species and reproduce vastly, taking over a significant swathe of the ecosystem in a short time, changing the structure and composition of wildlife habitat, reducing diversity of species, and even changing the availability and make-up of water resources. Over the years, […]
Inhabited by people for thousands of years, and industrialized for 375 years, it’s not a surprise that Neponset River Watershed has its share of environmental issues, including: Climate Change Climate change affects Neponset land, water, people and wildlife, changing what we view as “normal.” Species adapt to these changes, migrate elsewhere, or deal with the […]
Land use along the Neponset River has had a lengthy and colorful history—from industrial to residential land use, commerce to quarrying. Many of these activities significantly have affected the health of the Neponset Estuary salt marshes. In fact, Boston Harbor Watershed salt marshes have dwindled since the arrival of European colonists. Much of Boston’s marshes […]