Mass. awards $800K to stormwater projects

To advance local waterway pollution control efforts, Massachusetts officials announced more than $800,000 in grants to support four projects targeting stormwater runoff and erosion across the Commonwealth.

The grants will fund projects based in the Town of Braintree, the City of Framingham, and Berkshire County, as well as a statewide project focusing on watershed restoration on farms.

The grant program focuses on implementation of measures to control nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to both surface and groundwater. Two of the recommended projects will implement best management practices (BMPs) to mitigate the effects of polluted stormwater runoff, while two other projects will support public outreach and education, and involve healthy watershed projects.

Common types of NPS pollution include phosphorus and nitrogen from lawn and garden fertilizers and agricultural operations, bacteria from pet waste and waterfowl, oil and grease from parking lots and roadways, and sediment from construction activities and soil erosion. The selected projects will help to protect Massachusetts’ water resources by restoring and preserving watershed areas, constructing BMPs, demonstrating innovative technologies, and educating the public on how to protect sensitive natural resources.

“These projects allow the Baker-Polito Administration to continue to build strong bonds with our regional and municipal partners and other stakeholders to help control nonpoint source contamination,” said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “These investments are critical to preserving and protecting our clean water ecosystems across the Commonwealth.”

Each of the projects was reviewed and approved by MassDEP’s regional and program staff, and staff from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the EPA. Funding for the projects will be available in mid-2022. The four grants awarded are:

• Town of Braintree: Watson Park BMP Implementation Project – $375,000
  The project will result in the construction of BMPs in Watson Park to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff discharging into the Monatiquot River and the Weymouth Fore River.
• City of Framingham: Lake Waushakum BMP Project – $249,980
  The project will result in the design and construction of BMPs to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff discharging into Lake Waushakum, improving water quality in the 82-acre kettle pond located in Framingham and Ashland.
• Geosyntec Consultants: Massachusetts Watershed-Based Plans-Enhancement and Implementation Project – $139,400
  The project will update and enhance the Watershed-Based Plan (WBP) web tool now being used by MassDEP’s regional partners and will help complete at least seven WBPs across the Commonwealth.
• Housatonic Valley Association: Increasing the Pace of On-Farm Watershed Restoration in Berkshire County – $96,024
  The project will create a new Agricultural Nonpoint Source coordinator position to lead the planning and implementation of BMPs to reduce agricultural related NPS pollution. It will also establish a new partnership between the Housatonic Valley Association, Hoosic River Watershed Association, Berkshire Conservation District, and Berkshire Agricultural Ventures to reduce agricultural NPS pollution in the Housatonic and Hoosic watersheds and to remove existing water quality impairments.