Boston's Fort Point Channel- A Photographic Tour

Fort Point Channel A Photographic Tour And an Opportunity For Using Oysters to Restore the Environment The Massachusetts Oyster Project for Clean Water An oyster filters 30 gallons of water per day.

The Fort Point Channel is a Uniquely Attractive and Interesting Site for Oyster Restoration
The Channel is an enclosed, shallow water body with limited access and numerous areas that could be interesting for raising oysters.
The water is slightly brackish ranging from 27 to 22 parts per million in our low tide testing.
Water quality is a problem with numerous urban surface water inflows.
There is a strong community desire to utilize this resource.

Fort Point Channel
A remnant of a wonderful wetland
A piece of our industrial heritage
A once working canal
An opportunity

How did it get this way? It started as a bay/inlet among wet lands. Then the industrialization began… Fill to build out the leather district Fill to widen the Boston Neck Dredging to create more dockage And the Channel became narrower and the bay it led to smaller

This view shows the growing industry on the West Side and the complete fan pier.

How did it get this way? It started as a bay/inlet among wet lands. Then the industrialization began… Fill to build out the leather district Fill to widen the Boston Neck Dredging to create more dockage And the Channel became narrower and the bay it led to smaller And it became more industrial. Then with upstream fill for the rail-system to replace the docks we wind up with the sliver for water movement we have left today.

Fort Point Channel A Photographic Tour From start to Harbor

On May 23 our volunteers surveyed the channel at low tide.
We tested for salinity
We measured bottom silt
We found many attractive opportunities for water cleansing oysters and to involve the Fort Point Channel Community.
We see multiple opportunities for education and involving the arts community.

The start
Initial flows from Roxbury Conduit, Dorchester Brook Conduit
Drainage from Boston, South Boston, Roxbury and Dorchester.
Box culvert is CSO 070

The first section
Stony banks
Mud Flats
Green Water
East Bank West Bank Shopping carts

Bridge 1Broadway Bridge
Activation plan calls for kayak launch and urban wild.

Bridge 2- Unidentified
Narrow foot bridge
Takes walkers from East side to closed in area on West Bank that is closed in by highway.
Cobbles on both east and west banks

Bridge 3 MBTA Railroad
Substantial wide bridge with cement piers

Space Between Bridge 3 and 4
Cobble on East Bank
Wall on West Bank
Traffic Barrel

Bridge 4 Dorchester Avenue
Extensive pilings at North End beneath building

Seawall Basin
A vast expanse of open water
With unique opportunities for oysters
Eventual site for a boat launch
West Bank Post Office East Bank Gillette Plant

Gillette Plant
Uses 30 million gallons of water per day for cooling.
Discharges warm water (Could it keep properly placed oyster colonies growing year round? Is their food?)

Cobbled Area With Pilings
Located behind Post Office
Could be an area for raising oysters.
Across the channel from a drainage outlet. They are numerous throughout the channel.

Existing Dockage Opportunity
Could be fixed up and used as platform for hanging o ysters and education
Structure needs some attention.

Bridge 5 Summer Street

Hard Bottom
Hard to access
Signs of existing shellfish.
Cobble Opportunity Live Mussel Clam Shell

Bridge 6 Congress Street
Carries foot and car traffic to Boston Children’s Museum.

Channel Hub
There are numerous resources for educational tie-ins.
Boston Children’s Museum
Barking Crab
Hooks lobster
Heavy foot traffic

Bridge 7- Evelyn Moakley
Wide
16 foot clearance
Ample sidewalks
Low clearance at high tide. Restricts access to the Channel

Bridge 8 Northern Avenue
Disrepair
Closed to traffic
Hut would make terrific bar
Pilings create lots of opportunity for structures to support oysters.

Fan Pier Marina can accommodate an upweller.
The location is protected.
The location is highly visible.

What will the future of Fort Point Channel be? Special thanks to: Friends of the Fort Point Channel www. friends of fortpointchannel .org/ Boat Captain Dave Wolfe

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Boston's Fort Point Channel- A Photographic Tour

by Massachusetts Oyster Project for Clean Water

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