BELLINGHAM SUBWATERSHED RESTORATION PLANNING PROJECT

Project Background

In September 2010, the Town of Bellingham (Town) was awarded a Water Quality Quality Management Planning Grant by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP) under the 604(b) program. Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Nitsch Engineering (NEI) were subsequently selected by the Town to work with them to create a subwatershed restoration plan to address nonpoint source pollution problems and restore water function in a portion of Bellingham that lies within the Charles River watershed.

To accomplish this, the Town, CRWA and NEI identified a priority subwatershed within the Town, evaluated various restoration design options, estimated costs and pollution reduction potential, and selected a preferred subwatershed restoration plan that will enable Bellingham to significantly improve stormwater management at the least cost and with maximum environmental benefit.  The plan includes a priority list of projects which would bring the most benefit at the least cost, and which appear to have the fewest site constraints.

Goals & Objectives

Map showing Bellingham within the Charles River Watershed. Click map to see a larger version.

The goal of the project was to help the Town identify opportunities for both on-site and regional stormwater management approaches, especially techniques that use green infrastructure and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, as it works to address stormwater problems and water body impairments.   Specific activities conducted by CRWA and NEI during this project included:

• Selecting a subwatershed for further analysis
• Assessing existing environmental conditions, hydrologic functions, water resources,
  infrastructure, and restoration objectives in the subwatershed
• Identifying restoration objectives and develop restoration plan
• Conducting meetings to inform municipal officials and the public about the restoration opportunities identified.

Project Tasks and Highlights

Subwatershed Selection: CRWA evaluated 12 different subwatersheds within the Charles River watershed in Bellingham based on an evaluation of various conditions, including total land area, percentage of open space, land uses, impervious cover, EPA’s pilot stormwater permit program sites, and the municipality’s plans and priorities for the area.  Based on this analysis and in consultation with the Town, CRWA identified a subwatershed to be the focus area for this project’s restoration planning efforts.  Click here for a summary report of the subwatershed selection analysis.

Selected subwatershed shown in yellow. Click map for larger view.

Existing Conditions Assessment: CRWA carried out a comprehensive assessment of existing environmental conditions and hydrologic function, local water resources and infrastructure, and restoration objectives in the selected sub-watershed. Click here for a copy of the existing conditions report. CRWA also made a presentation to the Board of Selectmen in March 2011, to introduce the Board and the general public to the project and summarize the existing conditions and restoration goals.

Subwatershed Planning: CRWA and NEI worked with Bellingham to identify restoration objectives for the subwatershed, and develop a restoration plan designed to achieve those objectives.  For each small drainage area in the subwatershed, CRWA investigated on-site and/or regional treatment opportunities.  The project team evaluate a range of restoration options, considering environmental benefits, community needs, and site constraints.  Once a broad conceptual plan was developed, NEI undertook an engineering analysis of the plan, including conceptual design details for priority areas, to estimate feasibility and a range of implementation costs.   Based on this information, CRWA develop a specific set of restoration recommendations, with priorities, for the subwatershed and presented this plan to the appropriate local decision-makers.

Public Outreach and Education: Education of municipal officials and the public were integral to the project and ongoing throughout the project duration.  In addition to meetingg with the project coordination committee comprising of representative from various Town departments, CRWA held the two public meetings, one at the beginning and the second at the end of the project. Click here for the first presentation to the Board of Selectmen and here for the second presentation.

Download a copy of the Subwatershed Plan here. For more information on the project contact Pallavi Mande.