Town of Swansea awarded grant to improve water quality, reestablish shellfishing

SWANSEA 一 Community Development Director John Hansen announces that the Town of Swansea was awarded a grant for stormwater management planning in an effort to help reestablish shellfishing habitats in the Cole River.

According to Hansen, the Town of Swansea received a $99,900 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management to improve the water quality in the Cole River in order to reestablish shellfishing adjacent to the Compton’s Corner area near the intersection of Pinehurst and Ocean View Avenues.

The Town will work with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District and Save the Bay to assess and test the water quality of four outfalls that drain into the Cole River at Compton’s Corner.

Additionally, a stormwater training series will be facilitated by the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) for the town to learn more about best management practices.

The Town of Swansea was recently selected by SNEP to participate in a planning series that will provide technical assistance for a nature-based stormwater retrofit design at this location.

Public engagement will be key throughout this project to not only inform the public of the study’s findings but also to educate the public about the impact of stormwater runoff on the river. Input will also be sought about preferred solutions for retrofit designs.

The overall long-term results anticipated from this project include improved water quality in the Cole River, an expansion of habitat in the river’s estuary conditionally approved for shellfishing and fewer shellfishing closures in the Cole River following rain events.

“The Town is committed to improving the water quality in our waterways as evidenced by prioritizing the protection of shellfishing areas in its Municipal Vulnerability Plan, which this project will do,” said Community Development Director Hansen.

Added Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein, “As a coastal community, these opportunities are so valuable to us. We are happy to partner with the state in these endeavors and build on other stormwater management and planning work, like the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Culvert and Bridge Assessment and Harbor Advisory Plan.”