Alewife Brook Reservation
Alewife Brook Reservation | |
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Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation | |
Website | Alewife Brook Reservation |
Alewife Brook Reservation is a
Description
A large proportion of the park is
The southern end and single largest part of the reservation is adjacent to the
History
In the 1600s, the area from
The Fitchburg Railroad main line in 1843 was the first rail link constructed through the swampy area in western Cambridge. It still serves as the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line. The Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad was branched off in 1846, with the curving connection still visible today, passing under Alewife Brook Parkway, along the west side of the Alewife Station parking garage, and proceeding northwest along the right-of-way of the present-day Minuteman Bikeway. The Watertown Branch Railroad was opened in 1851, branching from the Fitchburg and curving south behind what is now the Fresh Pond Shopping Center on the east side of Alewife Brook Parkway (then merely swampland). By 1852, several spurs were serving local freight customers, including ice houses on the south side of Spy Pond.[7]
In 1870, the
The reservation was originally planned by landscape designer Charles Eliot in conjunction with the Alewife Brook Parkway, although it has been substantially altered since its initial set-aside. It forms part of Boston's Metropolitan Park District, established in 1893. The Alewife Brook was straightened and channelized next to the parkway between 1909 and 1912, with road construction completed by 1916. Landscaping was performed by the famed Olmsted Brothers firm.[citation needed] Especially in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, the surrounding land was developed with residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.[6]
Storm water management wetland
Beginning in 2011, the City of Cambridge constructed a 3.4-acre storm water management wetland in the reservation, just west of Alewife Station. The project opened in October 2013.[10] The wetland stores and gradually releases collected storm water runoff from nearby parts of Cambridge, including the Huron and Concord Avenue areas. A basin and native plantings will slow the flow of runoff and remove pollutants and nutrients before they enter the Little River. The area includes an amphitheater, interpretive signage, overlooks and boardwalks, and links the bike paths on either side. Habitats, ranging from deep marsh to riparian forest, were created.[11]
The land bordering Massachusetts Bay in eastern Massachusetts once consisted of spongy wetlands that worked to improve water quality and regulate flow in the surrounding rivers, however, the natural structure and
The outcomes of this plan proved to be highly successful as they have addressed various aspects of the region's broader urban systems. Not only has the project improved water quality and reduced flooding and sewage overflows within the area, but it has also promoted biodiversity by providing safe and healthy urban wildlife habitats as well as sustainability by reducing the environmental footprint of the city.[13][14] Additionally, the park's renewal has created shared public space that fosters a sense of community in the surrounding areas and provides an educational platform for those communities with environmental education opportunities and outdoor classroom space built into the park's design.[14]
Despite its success, the project has received some push back. Before the plan was implemented, a series of court cases arose from public discourse in the community that deemed the project "an inappropriate use of parkland".[12] Additionally, the initial predicted cost of the project was $3 million,[12] however it is now a part of a $171 million investment.[13]
Alewife Brook Greenway
A bike path project for the reservation received $4.5M from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[15][16] The Alewife Greenway, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) bike path following the parkway from the Mystic River to the Minuteman Bikeway near Alewife station, was completed in October 2012.[17]
Further reading
- Sheila G. Cook (2002). The Great Swamp of Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge (An Historic Perspective of its Development 1630-2001). Alewife Watershed Trust. ASIN B000H6PBGU.
References
- ^ "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ "Little Pond". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b "Alewife Brook Reservation". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ Map titled "Cambridge & Vicinity in Revolutionary Times / Compiled to Show the Patrol Limits of Burgoyne's Troops / 1777" by Samuel F. Batchelder, 1925? Included in: "Alewife Master Plan, 1. Introduction" (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2013., page 6
- ^ "Cambridge Highlands - Neighborhood 12". Retrieved March 15, 2013. (First picture on Images tab)
- ^ a b Greg Harris (August 11, 2022). "What I learned about urban development and environmental preservation from kayaking Alewife Brook". The Boston Globe.
- ^ See File:Middlesex Canal (Massachusetts) map, 1852.jpg
- ^ "1903 Alewife Brook map".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Alewife Reservation Constructed Wetland Opens". City of Cambridge. October 21, 2013. Archived from the original on October 28, 2013.
- ^ "Alewife Reservation Constructed Wetland Project Overview". Cambridge Department of Public Works.
- ^ a b c d e "Alewife Stormwater Wetland" (PDF). The Trust for Public Land. 2016.
- ^ a b c "Alewife Reservation Stormwater Wetland". www.stantec.com. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "Alewife Stormwater Wetland Project Named Public Works Project of the Year". www.cambridgema.gov. July 31, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "Project Summary: Alewife Greenway Corridor Restoration". Recovery Act: Recipient Project Summary. U.S. Government. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ "Chapter 7. Analysis of Needs". Town of Arlington Open Space and Recreation Plan, 2015-2022. p. 111. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Taking a new path". Boston Globe. October 26, 2012. p. B3 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Alewife Brook Reservation Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Friends of Alewife Reservation