ABSTRACT

In the world of watershed restoration, many landscape projects arise with fanfare, garnering local community and volunteer support, scientific inquiry, notoriety among participating agencies and funding sources, and discussion among design and engineering professionals. Yet, these same projects inevitably outlast the attention spans of these audiences, and seldom receive review beyond the requisite final grant reports. In June of 1997, a “Final Report on Monitoring, Community Involvement and Education” was submitted by the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, summarizing the successes of the Spragues Cove stormwater remediation constructed wetland project in Marion, Massachusetts (Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP) 1997). At this time, the stormwater wetland was 2 years old and its construction had already led to the reopening of shellfish beds that had been closed for harvest due to “nonpoint source” pollution. Nearly a decade later, the Spragues Cove wetland remains fully functional as both an ecological solution to water quality problems and as a valued landscape for the local community. As is the case with many landscape remediation and restoration projects, the project’s

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 161 Background .................................................................................................................................... 162

Buzzards Bay and its Resources ........................................................................................ 162 Shellfish Beds in Buzzards Bay ......................................................................................... 163 Focus on Stormwater ......................................................................................................... 164

Spragues Cove Stormwater Remediation Project .......................................................................... 165 Wetland Design: Grading, Vegetation, and the Need for Flexibility ................................. 166

Project Benefits .............................................................................................................................. 169 Environmental Benefits...................................................................................................... 169 Project Funding & Economic Benefits .............................................................................. 169 Community Benefits .......................................................................................................... 171

Discussion: Replication of Sprague’s Cove’s Design ..................................................................... 173 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 175 Literature Cited .............................................................................................................................. 175

longevity exceeded the timelines for grant reporting requirements. Thus, the 1997 “Final” Report is not the last word on the Spragues Cove wetland.