SAUGUS — The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded the Saugus River Watershed Council $56,700 through the Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grant program, part of a total of $628,702 distributed to communities throughout the Commonwealth.
The grants are provided through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).
“The Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grant program is crucial for combating pollution and strengthening climate resilience. By funding stormwater solutions and habitat restoration, we are safeguarding our coast and ensuring its health and vitality for future generations,” EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper said in a press release.
CZM Director Alison Brizius said in the release that the funding provided is instrumental in ensuring the resiliency of coastlines, and that her office “can’t wait to work with our partners to drive real, lasting change in coastal water quality and habitat protection.”
“A priority of the grant program is to support implementation of green stormwater infrastructure, which replicate natural processes to trap and filter stormwater prior to reaching local waterbodies. The CHWQ Grants also support the development of comprehensive habitat restoration plans,” the release reads.
Saugus River Watershed Council President Debra Panetta said that the council will be looking at properties owned by the federal, state, and municipal governments to identify where “non-point source pollution from stormwater runoff is negatively contributing the water quality within the Saugus River.
“As a result of this wide geographic range of urban development, suburban infrastructure, and wooded areas that drain to a sensitive coastal environmental receptor, the benefits of controlling non-point sources at a wide area throughout the watershed will have a cumulative impact downstream and improve water quality and habitat within the watershed,” Panetta said.
Data that had been previously collected will be compared to the data that will be captured with the grant funding, which Panetta said will be more in-depth.
“Being able to get a better handle on where the pollution is coming from in our watershed will be beneficial to everyone,” Panetta said
She also thanked the CZM, saying that the council is grateful for its support and looking forward to working together.
The Saugus River Watershed Council will hold a meeting next spring, at which stakeholders will have an opportunity to mull over the data points.
