Press Release: 10/8/2025
Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $1.1 Million to Protect Coastal Water Quality and Restore Habitat
Funding supports local efforts to assess and treat stormwater pollution and support comprehensive habitat restoration planning
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/08/2025
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Anne Donovan, Communications Manager
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BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $1.1 million in grants aimed at tackling stormwater pollution to coastal waters while advancing coastal habitat restoration efforts. The grants, provided by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), were awarded to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Charles River Watershed Association, Cohasset, Duxbury, Kingston, Mashpee, Mystic River Watershed Association, Weymouth, and Yarmouth.
“These important projects provide effective solutions to address pollution from stormwater runoff and create a clear pathway for restoring coastal habitats,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We are committed to investing in the future of our coastal communities, ensuring that everyone can enjoy and benefit from our healthy coastlines.”
“Through the Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants, CZM has the opportunity to support the work of coastal communities and nonprofits to address water pollution and habitat priorities,” said CZM Director Alison Brizius. “These grants reflect our commitment to local leadership, sound science, and lasting environmental benefits for the coast.”
The Coastal Habitat and Water Quality (CHWQ) Grants fund projects to assess, collect, and treat stormwater runoff, which is a leading source of water pollution. Reducing stormwater pollution is essential for protecting coastal water quality and habitat, as well as keeping beaches open for swimming and shellfish beds open for harvest. A priority of the CHWQ Grants is to support green stormwater infrastructure, which are methods like rain gardens that replicate natural processes to trap and filter stormwater before it reaches local waterbodies. These grants also support development of comprehensive habitat restoration plans, restoration planning for priority land acquisition, and data collection and engineering to support infrastructure-focused habitat restoration activities.
“The towns I represent along the coastline on the South Shore are incredibly fortunate to receive this critical grant funding, which will help in protecting and restoring our local ecosystems. These projects are not just about preserving natural heritage and town infrastructure; they are an investment in the future of our coastal communities,” said State Senator Patrick M. O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “By addressing climate change, stormwater runoff, and habitat degradation, we will ensure that our environment is durable for years to come. I am proud to continue to work in and alongside these towns to take precaution regarding the health of our coastal waters and the livelihoods that depend on them.”
“I’m thrilled to see the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the Town of Harwich receive this well-deserved funding to advance their work on the Herring River,” said State Representative Hadley Luddy (D-4th Barnstable District). “Cape Cod’s economy and shellfishing industry depends on clean water. This funding will help protect our region’s water quality, restore habitats, and help ensure cleaner, healthier coastal resources for our communities and future generations.”
The following nine projects have been funded through this year’s Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants:
Association to Preserve Cape Cod - $44,745 to finalize the design of a stormwater treatment project at the Herring River Boat Ramp to reduce nutrient and bacteria pollution entering the Herring River and Nantucket Sound. This project is in partnership with the Town of Harwich and builds on earlier planning and design completed with previous federal, municipal, and private funding. The design includes green infrastructure systems that use nature-based approaches to collect, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff and protect the adjacent salt marsh.
Charles River Watershed Association - $65,513 to develop a habitat restoration plan for the 9.1-square-mile Upper Charles watershed, including six miles of key river habitat, in partnership with the Town of Milford. The project will use field data, assessments, and community input to prioritize actions that improve habitat connectivity and water quality. The Milford Community Liaison Core Team proposed through another state grant will be involved in public engagement efforts, which will include significant opportunities for community feedback.
Cohasset - $117,340 to complete a comprehensive habitat restoration plan for the Gulf River Estuary, in partnership with the Town of Scituate, to restore coastal habitat and water quality in Cohasset and Scituate. To address climate change impacts and nutrient pollution from stormwater runoff, the project will establish baseline conditions, identify stressors, and prioritize restoration actions for the area. Building on previous assessments and plans, the work will synthesize existing data, collect new field data, and incorporate community input.
Duxbury - $94,415 to complete a comprehensive habitat restoration plan for the upper Bluefish River wetland upstream of Harrison Street. The project will evaluate habitat and water quality to identify stressors—such as tidal restrictions, stormwater, invasive Phragmites australis, and impaired fish passage—and develop restoration alternatives to restore the upper Bluefish River.
Kingston - $38,268 to assess, design, and permit structural stormwater best management practices on Drew and Seaver Avenues. Kingston has been implementing stormwater management at sites identified through a study funded by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) as having high contaminant levels from runoff. Ongoing efforts by the Town have involved using green stormwater infrastructure designs identified by the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership (MassBays). Drew and Seaver Avenues are the last remaining streets recommended for treatment through the study. The project will develop recommendations to reduce stormwater pollution that is impacting shellfish, aquaculture, and beaches, as well as to reduce erosion.
Mashpee - $250,000 to construct green stormwater infrastructure at the Mashpee-Wakeby Pond boat ramp, which drains to the Mashpee River and Popponesset Bay. The work includes construction of multiple green infrastructure systems to filter, infiltrate, and hold stormwater. The project builds on previous planning and design funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast New England Program (SNEP) and CHWQ Grants. Partners include the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Office of Fishing and Boating Access.
Mystic River Watershed Association - $147,250 to complete site assessments, design, and construction for eight stormwater street trenches, in partnership with the Town of Belmont. This project expands previous efforts to implement green stormwater infrastructure across the Mystic River watershed, funded by CZM and MassDEP and led by the Mystic River Watershed Association, Town of Arlington, and University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center. By targeting untreated stormwater runoff—the primary source of nutrient pollution for the watershed—this work will improve water quality and habitat.
Weymouth - $143,500 to evaluate the tide gate at the Pearl Street-Philips Creek crossing that currently restricts tidal flow to Pratts Meadow, a 14-acre marsh. This location was identified by MassBays as a top priority. The project will include field assessments, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, an alternatives analysis with conceptual designs, and public outreach.
Yarmouth - $172,268 to complete site assessment, design, and permitting for priority stormwater retrofits identified in stormwater assessment work funded through a previous CHWQ Grant. In partnership with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and subcontractor Horsley Witten Group, the project will advance designs for one site at Wings Grove Beach and six sites along Old Main Street and complete permitting and final design for a bioretention system on Grove Street. The work targets impaired water bodies south of Route 6 and prioritizes benefits to fish, shellfish, beaches, and Environmental Justice communities.
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is the lead policy and planning agency on coastal and ocean issues within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Through planning, technical and grant assistance, and public information programs, CZM seeks to balance the impacts of human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources. The agency’s work includes helping coastal communities address the challenges of storms, sea level rise, and other effects of climate change; working with state, regional, and federal partners to balance current and new uses of ocean waters while protecting ocean habitats and promoting sustainable economic development; and partnering with communities and other organizations to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats.