Brownfields
Success Story
EPA Grant Recipient
Belle Isle Salt Marsh
(Boston, MA)
The 359-acre Belle Isle Marsh in Boston, Revere, and Winthrop is the largest
remaining salt marsh in Boston. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, birders
have documented 265 species of birds, including seven state-listed birds that
are endangered, threatened, or are a species of special concern using the
marsh for breeding, migration stopover, and overwintering habitat. In 1988,
the marsh was designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts along with the larger 1260-acre Rumney
Marsh, which is in Lynn, Revere, and Saugus.
Starting in 1996, and completed in 2002, a salt marsh restoration plan was
developed by a host of stakeholders including state, local, federal agencies
and non-profits. One of these projects was the site of the former Belle Isle
Fish Company. EPA's Brownfields program is among the federal state, and
local partners who came together to protect and enhance Belle Isle through a
$1.5 million project that brought a unique and welcoming recreation area to
land once contaminated by industry.
Background
Boston Redevelopment Authority
Grant Types:
cleanup
Current Use:
salt marsh preservation
The Belle Isle Marsh was the home to the Belle Isle Fishing Company from
1978 until it closed in about 1991. The company used the area to support its
fishing and seafood distribution operations. Once the company left, the
vacant 1.6-acre property at the entrance to the marsh became a nuisance
and subject to dumping of waste from nearby construction projects. These
wastes included contaminants such as asbestos, petroleum, lead, and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which can make the property
unsafe for people to use and threaten the health of the marsh. In 1991, the
City of Boston took ownership of the property with the goal of cleaning it up
and transforming it into a safe and welcoming public access point for the
marsh.
From 1995 to 2001, the city assessed the property to get a clear picture of
how much waste had been dumped there and how contaminated the area
had become. The city's Parks and Recreation Department during this time
developed partnerships with the Mass. Department of Conservation and
Recreation, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and Friends of Belle Isle
Marsh. In 2004, the Boston Redevelopment Authority won a $200,000 EPA
Brownfields cleanup grant to dispose of hazardous contaminants from this
property at the entrance to the marsh. As is often the case, EPA's funding
was only one piece of the puzzle.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Boston and many other coastal cities historically
filled in natural wetlands as they grew in
population. Marshes like Belle Isle provide a
barrier against strong winds and waves that come
from hurricanes and other storms. When
hurricanes hit, strong waves get pushed into
shorelines and high winds blow over the sea, both
are slowed down when passing through barriers,
natural or man made. /4s sand and dirt are
naturally moved over time, they can barriers that
help soften the impacts of strong waves and high
winds. The robust plant growth in salt marshes
keeps these barriers together and minimizes
erosion. Keeping living shorelines and coastal
wetlands intact will keep cities and towns along
the coast safer when they are hit by extreme
weather and natural disasters.
The protection and restoration of Belle Isle Marsh
is important as it helps protect against flooding
and will potentially play a role in the city's
resiliency efforts as Boston prepares for climate
change and the expected sea level rises that come
with it.

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"The Belle Isle Marsh stands as the last
major salt marsh in Boston, and it is our
continued mission to protect it. Through
our collective ongoing stewardship efforts,
the Belle Isle Coastal preserve site has
become an important part of the
community and the larger Belle Isle
estuary. The success the project will long
be remembered for the effective advocacy
of groups like the Friends of Belle Isle
Marsh as well as the extensive
partnerships created between the grant,
permitting, development and transit
agencies involved; together, all hands on
deck lead to a successful outcome in
restoring this area."
Paul Sutton
Urban Wilds Program Manager, Boston Parks & Recreation
Dept.
The city invested $393,000 to help with the cleanup, which ultimately meant
removing nearly 8,600 cubic yards of contaminated soil. Some clean debris
was able to be re-used on site in creating a walkway.
After the cleanup, the National Marine Fisheries Service awarded a $55,000
grant, matched by another $60,000 from the city, to help improve the overall
health of the marsh. This project included breaching formerly constructed
dikes to restore tidal flows to the marsh and planting native salt marsh
vegetation.
This $1.5 million collaborative project bringing together the city, Friends of
Belle Isle Marsh, the Woods Hole Group, the Nature Conservancy, and the
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation will be the first step
toward establishing a comprehensive management plan for the marsh.
Today
In addition to providing vital wildlife habitat and a buffer against hurricanes
and extreme weather, the marsh is now a popular open space used for
recreation. A parking lot and trailhead provide access to the trails that go
through the preserve. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
supports the preserve, collecting trash, managing vegetation, and monitoring
erosion to help keep the trails and walkways clean.The park is popular
amongst birders because of its unique ecosystem, which is home to 265
species, including seven listed species that spend some or all their life cycles
there. People frequent the area for nature walks, fishing, jogging, and even
picnics. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes Belle Isle Marsh as one
of the most biologically significant estuaries north of Boston, and the
National Audubon Society recognizes it internationally as an Important Bird
and Biodiversity Area. The Friends of Belle Isle Marsh regularly host events
inviting people to enjoy the beauty of the marsh. A local school, Knowledge
Link, uses the park as an outdoor classroom to teach children about the
natural world around them. The State awarded the Mystic River Watershed
Association a $30,000 Healthy Estuaries grant in July 2020 to inventory
environmental conditions of the marsh.
For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website at
www.epa.gov/browrifields or contact
William Lariviere, (617) 918 1231 and
Lariviere.william@epa.gov.
EPA 901 F 21 003
February 2021
Commercial and recreational fishing are central to New England's
history and cultural heritage. Many species offish lay eggs in protected
areas like salt marshes as an important part of their life cycle. These
habitats provide safe havens to eggs, smaller fish species, and
developing fish juveniles because larger fish and other predators are
too big to swim through the thick marsh grasses. Protecting and
preserving marshes such as Belle Isle is vital to maintaining and
restoring the fish populations, which provide food, recreation, and
commercial fishing opportunities.

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