Alewife Brook Flooding in 2023
A child riding her bike through Alewife sewage flood water on 9/19/2023. Photo by Ann McDonald. There is a long history of Alewife Brook flooding during rain storms. Alewife Brook flooding occurs because of its topography and because of urbanization. The area is relatively flat and has been heavily developed with impervious surfaces like pavement […]
Big Splash at 2024 HONK! Parade
We made a huge splash at this year’s HONK! parade, once again doubling the number of our supporters. Youth members handed out hundreds of fish stickers to child spectators along the way. Hundreds of petition signatures were collected from Somervillians and Cantabridgians. And we handed out 1000 flyers! photos by Jimmy Johnson 1000 Flyers handed […]
DCR Cleans the Alewife Brook
In December 2023, Save the Alewife Brook took Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Brian Arrigo for a dramatic tour of Alewife Brook’s sewage pollution, flooding, & inequity. Hopes were high that something great would come from the meeting. This month we found out what! There were rumblings that something was afoot this spring when Charles […]
Biodiversity Builders Learn the ABCs of CSOs
On August 8th, 2024, Save the Alewife Brook provided an “Alewife Brook CSO*s 101” class and walking tour to students participating in the local Biodiversity Builders program. We explained the basics and some of the details of Alewife Brook’s Combined Sewer Overflows**. Our course materials are available for download below. Biodiversity Builders is an environmental […]
Alewife Brook Water Quality Variance: Flaws and Solutions
In August 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may issue a water quality variance for Alewife Brook to allow CSO sewage discharges to continue through 2029. Water quality variances for Alewife Brook have been issued for the last 25 years, since 1999. Discharge of sewage into […]
A DCR Tour of Alewife Sewage Pollution, Flooding, & Inequity
Zach Crowley, David White, Steven Nutter, Gwen Speeth, Brian Arrigo, Gene Benson, David Stoff in front of the flooded-out Alewife Greenway path. Photo credit: Kristin Anderson DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & RECREATION, SAVE THE ALEWIFE BROOK, & GREEN CAMBRIDGE Take A Tour of Alewife Sewage Pollution, Flooding, & Inequity A Perfectly Stormy Day A storm rolled […]
Alewife Brook CSOs & Flood Map
The following is an interactive map that is fairly complex with a lot of information. The six red dots are the six Alewife CSOs that discharge untreated sewage pollution into the Alewife Brook. “1% Annual Chance of Flood Hazard” is a FEMA designation for the “100-year” flood area. That means that there is a 1% chance […]
YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE!
Thank you to the over 200 supporters for coming out against sewage pollution at the November 15th CSO Meeting #3. Many Somerville supporters came out! Cambridge was there! Arlington showed up! Folks from Belmont and Medford and Winchester were there! There is power in numbers and over 300 supporters registered for this meeting. Thank you. […]