Westport Estuaries Project Description
4/10/06, David C Cole and Scott Soares
The two branches of the Westport River, the Noquochoke and the Acoaxet, have defined and
sustained the community of Westport from pre-historical times to the present. From Native
American clam shell mounds near the mouth of the river, through the first farm of Richard
Sisson established near the Head in 1671, the lumber and grist mills of the 18-19th Century, the
whaling ships of the mid-19th Century, the water-powered factories along the Upper East Branch
in the late 19th and early 20th Century, the extensive farming and commercial shell-fishing
throughout the 20th Century, to the recreational boating, fishing and shell-fishing of the latter part
of the 20th Century, the river has and continues to provided the linkages, the energy and the
aquatic resources for the people living along its shores.
In recent decades the pressures of development and poor land management practices have
negatively impacted the river and its ability to continue as an integral component of Westport’s
societal and community fabric. Unfortunately, if efforts to mitigate these impacts toward the
protection and preservation of the Westport River are not undertaken immediately, we risk the
loss of the River’s historically significant natural resources as well as the activities and
community connectivity that has defined Westport for centuries. As an indication of this
urgency, both branches of the Westport River are now on the Federal Environmental Protection
Agency’s list of “dirty waters” (section 303d of the Clean Water Act, MA95-54_2002) because
of excessive nutrient loading and bacterial contamination. While some progress has recently
been made in reducing bacteria counts, nutrient loading continues to increase, leading to more
extensive algae blooms, reduced oxygen levels, continued loss of submerged aquatic vegetated
habitat and ultimately the loss of fish and shellfish populations. Obviously, with the loss of these
invaluable natural resources, so too depart the economic and recreational opportunities that are
associated with the River.
Fortunately, the timing is right for the application of Community Preservation Act funding that
can now be coupled with an effort that is a necessary precursor toward the perpetual protection
and preservation of the Westport River. To that end, the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) established the Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP) in 2000
to address the problems caused by excess nitrogen loading in 89 estuaries in southeastern
Massachusetts. The MEP is a collaborative effort involving the DEP, the School of Marine
Science and Technology (SMAST) at UMass Dartmouth and local communities. The MEP has
two basic components or phases. The first is to compile data and build an embayment-specific
computer model for each estuary. The Linked Watershed-Embayment Model is then used by
the DEP to determine the total maximum daily nitrogen load (TMDL) limits for the estuary, to
identify the main sources of excess nitrogen and to guide the development of cost effective
remedial measures that might be taken to bring nitrogen loads down to acceptable levels to
achieve habitat restoration in the estuary. The second component involves organizing the local
actions necessary to achieve acceptable nitrogen levels and also to analyze the potential impact
of proposed new activities such as housing developments, storm water management projects, and
water and sewer systems on the future health of the river and estuary.
As a result of the MEP, the State is providing one half of the funding for the first phase with the
remainder to be provided by the local community. This commitment from the State currently
runs only through the 2008 fiscal year.
The Town of Westport established the Westport Estuaries Committee by vote of the Board of
Selectmen on ?????. The purpose of the Committee is to mobilize and organize the resources of
the community to implement the two phases of the project within the Town of Westport. For the
first phase, the Committee is responsible for mobilizing the financial and in-kind inputs from the
local community and working with SMAST to achieve successful implementation over the next
two years. The total cost for this phase is estimated to be $250,000 so the local community’s
share is $125,000. It is anticipated that approximately $5,000 equivalent will be provided in inkind services from town employees and private voluntary organizations. The Estuaries
Committee is requesting $60,000 per year for the next two years from the Community
Preservation Fund to meet the remaining local contribution for this first phase of the project.
It is difficult at this time to project the specific remedial measures that may be required for phase
two of this undertaking. Examples from other communities that have completed phase one and
are moving into phase two indicate that the more common initiatives include capital intensive
efforts such as: increased or improved wastewater treatment facilities in critical areas of the
watershed, widening of channels or inlets of streams to improve flushing action, installation of
storm water diversion or treatment facilities to prevent direct flows into the streams or river,
construction of ponds and wetland systems that would digest nitrogen and reduce nitrogen loads
due to natural attenuation. The results of phase one will help to identify the most beneficial and
cost-effective measures for remediation. Also, subsequent analyses with the computer model
will be used to assess the impacts of new development proposals.
The prospective sources of funding for these phase two activities will depend on the type of
activity and the availability of other State and Federal funding programs. The nearly completed
Head of Westport Stormwater Project is an example of the type of activity that might need to be
implemented in other parts of the town in phase two. The budget for this project was initially
estimated at $444,144 of which the town’s share is 40% or $180,000 with the remaining 60%
coming from the Federal Government. Wastewater treatment system repairs and new
installations that would eliminate nitrogen discharge into the groundwater might involve an
additional cost of $10,000 to $20,000 per household. State tax credits of up to $6,000 per
household are currently available for such projects. It is likely that some additional funding for
these and other kinds of projects will be requested from the CPC for phase two, but it is not
possible to give any firm estimates at this time.
The combined activities of phases one and two of the Estuaries Project are required not only to
meet the State-mandated nutrient standards for the Westport River, but, perhaps more
importantly, to preserve the River as a central element of the livelihood and enjoyment of the
Westport community.