Management of rivers and embayments is a critical concern due for many coastal cities due to issues such as high runoff volumes, rising sea levels, and poor water quality. The City of Chelsea, a coastal city near Boston, MA, occupies a land area of 1.8 square miles and has a diverse population of approximately 35,000 is a city that is facing these issues. Mill Creek, a tidally influenced tributary in the city, discharges to the Mystic River and ultimately to Boston Harbor. The Creek is an urban but biodiverse salt marsh that is impacted by sedimentation and historic contamination resulting from industrial pollution. The creekâs marsh system is bordered by environmental justice communities, high density commercial development, and major roads and highways with multiple roadways crossing the creek. It is lined with tidal flats, salt marshes, and densely vegetated embankments. Due to a legacy of unjust urban policy, land use patterns, and unbridled development, Mill Creek remains as an impaired waterbody exhibiting significant deterioration. The City and local non-profit organizations are undertaking an ecological restoration and resilience program. The goals of the program are to protect the surrounding neighborhoods from flooding, improve water quality, and increase accessible open spaces for residents. This presentation develops an approach for restoring the creek that improves water quality, promotes restoration of the natural ecosystem, and enhances open space. Technical considerations include tidal hydraulics, water quality and ecological function while the social considerations include consideration of open space and the engage the needs and participation of the local community. The approaches include increasing tidal flushing, reduction in inflows of untreated storm water, integration of coastal stabilization, and development of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions that can improve the water quality and promoting the development of enhanced open space for residents.
