Community Meeting Slides

SHAWSHEEN RIVER MASTER PLAN COMMUNITY UPDATE

August 10, 2022

COMMUNITY INPUT – WHAT WE HEARD

• Beneficial uses (e.g., educational, recreational)

• Riverwalk along Shawsheen

• Increase public access along the river

• Boat launch in the Steven Street area

• Wider Stevens St & Essex St bridge to enhance pedestrian access and places to stop and enjoy the view of the river

• Enhance existing trail network

• Portions of Vale Trail flood occasionally

• Increase recreational programing along the river

• Expand and build regional partnerships

• Create programs using the river to improve overall well-being of residents, especially introducing new residents

• Infusion of art along the Shawsheen River Corridor

• Goal to improve opportunities for water based recreation and especially for people with disabilities

• There should be permanent artwork including sculpture along the Shawsheen River to enhance connection with this stunning waterway

• Flood risks and climate impacts

• Acquisition of sensitive land areas

• Green infrastructure for all new parking lots along the river

• Roadways in proximity to Shawsheen River should take into account past flooding when redesigning

• Burnham Road area drainage issues

• Too much pavement on local roadways

• Take down Ballardvale Dam

COMMUNITY INPUT – WHAT WE HEARD

• Historical context of the River and key surrounding areas

• Interpretive signage to celebrate river

• Use historical markers as branding along the river celebrating history

• Expand opportunities to showcase the river

• Gather historical context of early settlers prior to the industrial revolution.

• Use history to acquaint residents about the Shawsheen River. Many do not know its significance.They will become advocates and users.

• River health and water quality, including pos/neg impacts to dam removals, fisheries/wildlife

• Remove pavement along river, expand riparian buffer

• What is impact of fertilizers/chemicals used to maintain playing fields

• Pollution and runoff from industrial area off Lowell Junction Road

Town of Andover

Shawsheen Resilience

August 10, 2022

Shawsheen Master Plan Community Meeting #2

Joyce Losick-Yang, PhD

Director of Sustainability and Energy, Town of Andover

Record Breaking Heat Wave

One noteworthy record is the streak of 80+ degree days in a row in Boston. We claim the top spot, as of today [August 9, 2022] with 25 days. The old record was 24 days set in 1953; third place is 22 days in 1876; fourth place is 21 days in 2021; and fifth place is now 20 days in 1872.

- Meteorologist Pamela Gardner, NBC Boston

Shawsheen in the Context

of Climate

Change Hazards

Temperature Rise

Heat Wave

Drought

Shawsheen in the Context of Climate Change

Municipal Vulnerability

Preparedness (MVP)

Project Phase I

• $131,700 grant in FY22

• Funding covered field assessments, GIS map analyses, climate data integration, community engagement, and planning to identify best parcels (private) to acquire for flood storage and restoration work

• Final report accessible here: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7f8

4651bc78f461680c5dd2990f306d0/page/Fin al-Plan

Town of Andover

Plans for MVP Phase II

• Quantify flood mitigation benefits gained from acquire high-impact parcels and the implementation of flood storage or restoration projects

• Complete hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to evaluate existing and projected future flooding conditions from Andover to Lawrence

• Model the impacts of up to 5 priority sites to improve resilience of at-risk properties

• Model the impact of removing Ballardvale Dam (2.5 miles upstream of Atria Marland Place)

ACCESSIBLE KAYAKING ON SHAWSHEEN RIVER & POMPS POND

Pomps Pond

River St.

Nason’s Landing

Shawsheen Pines

DECISION

• POMPS POND – THIS WILL GO TO BE A CIP ITEM

• NASON’S LANDING – WE ILL BE APPLYING FOR A GRANT WITH M.O.D. & ADA FUNDS IN CIP

• SHAWSHEEN PINES – NON-ADA EROSION CONTROLS

NEST STEPS

• PARCORP TO HAVE DESIGNS DEVELOPED AND COST ESTIMATES

• GRANT APPLICATION TO M.O.D.

• CIP DEVELOPMENT FOR THE FUNDING OF THE PROJECTS

• CONSERVATION COMMISSION APPLICATIONS

• A.A.B SUBMITTAL FOR SHAWSHEEN PINES VARIANCE

SHAWSHEEN RIVER IN CONTEXT

❑ Merrimack River is undergoing a renaissance as a recreational resource

Shawsheen River

❑ The health of the river is becoming more of a regional focus (recent legislation about CSO notifications is an example)

❑ National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released a report about the importance of the Merrimack River for migratory fish

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/problemplan-restoring-migratory-fish-merrimack

❑ The Shawsheen River is an important tributary of the lower Merrimack River

NOAA.: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/problem-plan-restoring-migratory-fish-merrimack

SHAWSHEEN RIVER IN CONTEXT

❑ Watershed area of 78 square miles

❑ Encompasses parts of Towns of Andover, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Concord, Lawrence, Lexington, Lincoln, North Andover,Tewksbury,Wilmington, and Woburn

❑ Parts of the watershed are urbanized and heavily populated – mix of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses

❑ Main stem flows 25 miles – headwaters in Bedford to its confluence with the Merrimack River in Lawrence

❑ Flashy flows (notable flood events in recent past, along with low summer/early fall flows) are relatively common

https://www.mass.gov/files/2017-07/Shawsheen%20River%20Watershed%20Action%20Plan.pdf

SHAWSHEEN RIVER IN CONTEXT

Great Stone Dam - first upstream obstruction to migratory fish on the Merrimack River (fish passage does exist)

Confluence of Shawsheen River/Merrimack River

Shawsheen River

SHAWSHEEN RIVER RESTORATION – DAM REMOVALS

❑ Increased stream connectivity for aquatic life – from the Shawsheen’s headwaters to the Merrimack River to the Atlantic

❑ More efficient distribution of sediment load and nutrients

❑ Reduced flood potential

❑ Increased resiliency in times of droughts and floods

❑ Decreased stream water temperatures

❑ Increased recreational potential

❑ Enhanced recognition of the importance of the Shawsheen River’s health by residents of Andover and other communities within the watershed and region

SHAWSHEEN RIVER RESTORATION – HERRING COUNT

Photo courtesy Cheryl McKeough 5-5-22

ENDANGERED SPECIES

DALE STREET/SHAWSHEEN PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

DALE STREET/SHAWSHEEN PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

DALE STREET/SHAWSHEEN PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

SHAWSHEEN RIVER WALK FEASIBILITY STUDY

RIVER PARTNERS

PROJECT WEBSITE AND INFO

• Project website: www.andoverma.gov/ShawsheenRiverMasterPlan

QUESTIONS/FEEDBACK

How to Participate:

• Upcoming community workshops

• September 22nd @6:30pm, Memorial Hall Library

• November 5th – Interactive Workshop with stakeholders

• Project website: www.andoverma.gov/ShawsheenRiverMasterPlan

• Public Feedback Form

• Public Input Portal

Robert Douglas

Director of Conservation

(978) 623-8630

conservation@andoverma.gov