Upper Charles River Reservation
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Upper Charles River Reservation
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| location | Massachusetts , United States | |
| Geographical location | 42 ° 22 ' N , 71 ° 11' W | |
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| Framework plan | Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston | |
| administration | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation | |
The Upper Charles River Reservation area is a state park in the state of Massachusetts in the United States . The park is administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston . The sanctuary covers an approximately 15 miles stretch of the Charles River and extends from the dam in Watertown ( 42 ° 21 ′ 55 ″ N , 71 ° 11 ′ 21 ″ W ) through the urban areas of Newton , Waltham , Weston and Needham to Riverdale Park in West Roxbury ( 42 ° 16 ′ 17 ″ N , 71 ° 10 ′ 25 ″ W ). Part of the Charles River Reservation Parkways also runs through the area.
description
There are contiguous trails throughout the reserve that take visitors along the banks of the Charles River. Renaturation measures carried out have enabled the return of native birds and wild animals, which with a bit of luck may now be encountered. Especially in the Lakes District to Great Blue Heron , Night Heron , mallards , mergansers , cormorants , kingfishers , warblers , sparrows , swallows , woodpeckers , muskrats , rabbits , raccoons , mice, turtles , snakes and frogs are observed.
history
Designation as a protected area
The banks of the Upper Charles River were designated as a protected area at a very early stage by the Metropolitan Park Commission , the predecessor organization of the DCR. In the early 19th century, this created historic parks such as Hemlock Gorge Reservation , Riverside Amusement Park (now Six Flags New England ), and Norumbega Park , which quickly became the most popular recreational areas in the Greater Boston metropolitan area .
In the 1960s, Riverside and Norumbega parks were closed due to heavy pollution of the river. However, since the 1970s there has been an increased public interest in environmental issues, which has led to improvements in water quality and bank cleanliness. In the 1980s, a total of five new parks were opened in cooperation with the neighboring towns.
A 6 mi (9.66 km ) long stretch of the river that extends from Watertown Square to Commonwealth Avenue in Newton and Weston has been restored as a self-sustaining nature reserve. A hiking trail now uninterruptedly connects the Upper Charles River and its surrounding communities to the network of hiking trails along the Charles River in Cambridge and Boston .
Renaturation
The appearance of the Upper Charles River Reservation has changed fundamentally over the past 25 years. Both the water quality and the condition of the bank areas could be improved considerably. In particular, emphasis was placed on improving the living conditions for animals and plants by introducing appropriate rainwater management and relocating mainly native plants.
Traditionally, the major rivers in the United States have been viewed as an essential industrial resource and route of transportation for centuries. From 1634 to the early 19th century, nine dams were built along the Charles River between Natick and Watertown to harness the power of water for new industries. The Moody Street Mill , which opened in Waltham in 1814, was the first of its kind in the United States to combine the spinning and weaving of cotton in a single factory. The first water-powered looms were also used there. Today the building houses the Charles River Museum of Industry , which shows a comprehensive portrait of the river's industrial past.
The settlement of industries was followed by the disposal of solid and liquid waste as well as rainwater into the river. The dams, combined with industrial pollution, caused significant damage to the ecological balance of the river throughout the 19th century. It was not until the end of the century that the effects were noticed and the first measures to protect the river and its banks were initiated. Much of the estimated 18 mi (28.97 km ) of unprotected and undeveloped riparian areas in what is now the protected area were acquired in the late 1890s by the Metropolitan Parks Commission , the predecessor organization of the DCR. The purchase was followed by 40 years of river development and park construction.
Between 1930 and 1970, however, the proportion of sewage and industrial waste rose again due to the increasing population density in the metropolitan area, as the sewers built at the turn of the century could not keep up with the growth. As a result, the recreational value of the protected area fell along with the water quality, so that in the early 1960s the Riverside and Norumbega parks had to be closed due to dilapidation.
The reserve benefited directly from the environmental movement of the early 1970s. Efforts by public institutions and civic movements such as the Charles River Watershed Association have again led to a noticeable improvement in water quality. The remnants of the Riverside and Norumbega parks that still exist have been modernized and reopened. The improved water quality directly led to a renewed focus on the banks of the Charles River and the establishment of today's green belt along the reserve.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Upper Charles River Reservation. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, accessed September 7, 2012 .
- ↑ a b c d e Reclaiming the Upper Charles River Reservation. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, accessed September 7, 2012 .