The Duxbury Coastal Resiliency Task Force and the Woods Hole Group convened this week to launch a comprehensive habitat restoration plan for the Upper Bluefish River, a project aimed at revitalizing a marsh system currently choked by invasive species and threatened by rising sea levels. Project manager Connor Austin of the Woods Hole Group explained that the study area, stretching from Harrison Street to the Amory Dam, is suffering from significant ecological stress. Austin noted that this is all kind of taking a snapshot of the marsh, its past and its future and what we can do about that as the team investigates why 13-foot-tall invasive phragmites have overwhelmed native salt marsh grasses. While the study is technical in nature, the primary motivation stems from the vulnerability of Harrison Street, which serves as a vital but low-lying connection for the town.

Local officials emphasized the collaborative effort required to manage the state-funded initiative. Duxbury Planning Director Matthew Heins, who serves as the town's project lead, shared that it's been a great experience so far and I'm the project manager for the town on this project to ensure the study aligns with municipal goals. Jason Burtner from the Office of Coastal Zone Management highlighted the state's investment, stating, I'm Jason Burtner with the office of coastal management... and our office is helping to fund this initiative. Task Force Chair Lenore White formally opened the session, ensuring the proceedings met legal standards by reading a preamble noting that this meeting will be conducted in person and as a courtesy via remote means in accordance with applicable law.

Community stakeholders provided critical historical context regarding the river's health and the management of the Amory Dam. Peter Cleveland of the Bay Management Commission raised alarms regarding water quality, pointing out that Bluefish is the receptacle of the town's groundwater and reporting that nitrogen levels are 5x what the recommended limits are. Regarding the upstream dam, a resident named Pat clarified that the water does the tide does come over the dam during certain conditions, contrary to some assumptions of total restriction. Drew, who manages the dam’s weir boards, explained the manual process of controlling water levels, noting that there are boards that I have... and you're just able to remove or add them in depending on what's going on to support the local ecosystem and fish passage.

The technical team intends to spend the coming months collecting data through tide gauges and water quality sensors. Brian Walsh of the Coastal Resiliency Task Force identified himself by saying I'm Brian Walsh. I'm a member of the Coastal Resiliency Task Force, while Conservation Administrator Nancy Rufo assisted in the logistics, stating I'm Nancy Rufo, conservation administrator. The project is slated to conclude with a final habitat restoration report by June 30, which will offer recommendations for infrastructure improvements at the Harrison Street bridge and potential strategies for invasive species remediation. No formal motions were voted upon during this stakeholder listening session.