MYSTIC RIVER COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

Current Work | Background and Previous Work | Additional Resources

In our continued effort to develop Blue Cities™, CRWA has expanded our unique approach to urban and landscape design beyond the boundary of our own watershed, partnering with organizations based in the Mystic River watershed to promote our common goal of improving the Mystic River watershed. The Mystic River Collaborative Project was initiated in December 2008.

Mystic River Collaborative Partners include:

• Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA)
• La Comunidad, Inc. (LCI)
• Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc. (Tri-CAP)
• Conservation Law Foundation (CLF)
• Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE)
• Groundwork Somerville
• Chelsea Creek Action Group (CCAG) which consists of Chelsea Collaborative in Chelsea and Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) in East Boston

Current Work

Design and Implementation

“Greening” Chelsea

CRWA’s work throughout 2009 led to implementation of two low impact development stormwater management improvement projects. These projects, funded by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, include the addition of four stormwater tree pits along Chester Ave. in Chelsea, and a new stormwater management design at the Mace Apartments housing complex. 

CRWA’s goals for these projects include:

• Improve water quality in Chelsea Creek (and its upstream reach, the Mill Creek) by reducing stormwater runoff and pollution.
• Demonstrate the feasibility of using small scale vegetated retrofits in a dense urban setting to improve water quality, reduce the volume of stormwater runoff entering the storm drain system, and provide community benefits.
• Determine the pollutant removal capabilities of installed vegetated stormwater treatment units.
• Educate and inspire residents and public officials in the lower Mystic River communities about the potential for green streets to help clean up the river and improve their neighborhoods.

Chester Ave. Stormwater Tree Pits

Chester Ave. is a residential street adjacent to the downtown area of Chelsea, which was scheduled for major infrastructure upgrades in fiscal year 2010. The City of Chelsea had funding in place for the replacement or rehabilitation of water, sewer and storm drain infrastructure in the street.  CRWA, along with our project collaborators, met with City officials from the Department of Public Works and the Planning Department to develop a design which incorporated the addition of four stormwater tree pits into this larger reconstruction project. 

CRWA sought and received funding to make this project a reality.  Four stormwater treepits were installed during the summer of 2010. Click here to see a photo album of the project’s progression. These four stormwater tree pits have added stormwater treatment and infiltration to the area as well as much needed greenery to this previously hardscaped street. 

Mace Apartments

Ariel view of Mace Apartments showing the parking lot next to Mill Creek

Site plan showing the location of the stormwater retrofits

The Mace Apartments, located directly adjacent to Mill Creek at the intersection of Clinton St., Mill Ct., and Crescent Ave., are owned and managed by the Chelsea Housing Authority (CHA). CRWA is working with the Horsley Witten Group to retrofit the parking lot at the end of Crescent Ave. with stormwater controls. The design includes the modification and enlargement of a central island in the parking lot with a rain garden to collect and treat sheet flow coming down Crescent Street and from the upper portion of the parking lot itself; a stormwater planter along Clinton Street to collect flow from the street as it flows into Mill Court; and a bioretention area along the northern edge of the parking lot, adjacent to the Creek, to collect and treat sheet flow from the lower portion of the parking lot.

In addition to treating stormwater runoff prior to it discharging to Mill Creek, the proposed project will add greenspace and beauty to the area, reduce impervious cover, and attract people to this Creek-side location. Finally, CRWA has also implemented a stormwater runoff monitoring program at this site to quantify and compare water quality of site runoff pre- and post-construction. For more information on the monitoring program contact Julie Wood. 

 “Greening” East Boston

CRWA is currently partnering with NOAH and the Boston Transportation Department to design and implement a Green / Complete Street project at Central Square in East Boston. The redesign of the Square provides an opportunity to not only make it a much more pedestrian and bike friendly area but also incorporate a variety of low impact development technologies to manage stormwater with green infrastructure.

Promoting Blue Cities

CRWA regularly collaborates with MyRWA, CCAG, Tri-Cap, and La Comunidad, Inc. to develop and implement outreach mechanisms to inform lower Mystic River communities about water quality and other environmental issues facing their region and how intelligent, green infrastructure based stormwater management projects can address these issues. CRWA is working with CCAG and other community organizations, including youth groups, to help initiate grassroots based projects and programs for restoring the Chelsea Creek. CRWA regularly presents information on our Blue Cities work to government officials and community residents in public or individual meetings.

In 2010, CRWA conducted a comprehensive Blue Cities Training for our project partners, taking them through a mock Blue Cities development project, beginning with an existing conditions assessment of a sample neighborhood and concluding with a design charette for the study focus areas.  For more information on such training opportunities contact Pallavi Mande.   

Background and Previous Work

After joining the Mystic Collaborative in December 2008, CRWA undertook an assessment of the Chelsea Creek sub-watershed, which includes parts of Chelsea, Everett, Revere and East Boston, with the goal of improving water quality and access to the Creek. The assessment included identifying select neighborhoods and key properties which could be designed to incorporate green infrastructure that would lead to significant environmental improvements.

CRWA carried out an extensive assessment of Chelsea Creek sub-watershed including collecting and reviewing historical data, land use maps, stormwater and sewer infrastructure maps with pipes and outfalls, and photos of existing conditions; analyzing impacts of construction and pavement on historic environmental conditions; evaluating existing open space and Creek access issues; and developing restoration goals. 

USGS Historic Topographic Map, circa 1890	Map of Chelsea Creek subwatershed

CRWA also compiled existing water quality data, conducted water quality monitoring along the Creek, and collected information on hydrological problems such as flooding in coordination with MyRWA, La Comunidad, Inc., and CCAG. In May 2009, we recruited and trained volunteers to conduct neighborhood assessment surveys. Five community and youth groups surveyed different parts of their neighborhood to identify potential pollution sources, barriers to river access, areas with poor drainage/flooding problems, and other common signs of stormwater issues. Based on the results of these surveys, CRWA identified priority problems and characterized areas with restoration potential.

Throughout the year, CRWA attended numerous public meetings which provided a forum for us to receive community input and feedback. These meetings and the dialog they eventually created were essential to guiding our design work.

Community members at a public meeting

Based on the existing conditions analysis and neighborhood assessments, CRWA developed Blue City™designs for select neighborhoods in the Chelsea Creek subwatershed, some of which have currently moved to the implementation phase. The objective of the designs is to decrease flooding and pollution, promote a cleaner Creek, protect infrastructure, “green” priority streets and routes through neighborhoods and promote better access to Chelsea Creek. Click here for copy of CRWA’s June 25, 2009 presentation, which provides an overview of the project and our current subwatershed plans and recommendations.

 Presentations to educate the public, and local government authorities and committees about pollution and restoration issues and CRWA’s work to address these issues through stormwater redesign work are an ongoing part of this effort.

For more information

• Learn more about CRWA's Blue Cities work
• Malden River: Past, Present and Potential, a video produced by Tri-Cap featuring CRWA’s Julie Wood and others discussing environmental improvement opportunities for the Malden River       
• Chester Ave. site construction photos album

Please contact Pallavi Mande if you would like more information on this project.

Support for this project provided by:

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Updated December 2011