Two Fewer Barriers for Wildlife

A major focus of our Restoration and Resiliency work is restoring habitat conditions to support native

The existing culvert on Topsfield Road for Gravelly Brook (pictured here) will be replaced thanks to the Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grants Program.

fish and wildlife that rely on the Ipswich River. For thousands of years, the Ipswich ran free from source to sea and bountiful runs of migratory fish returned from the Atlantic every year. Times have changed. Roughly 70 dams and 500 crossings (culverts and bridges) now segment the river system. Most of the dams and a large percentage of the crossings block important migration routes and impair habitat conditions.
One of the best and most cost effective ways to improve overall river conditions is to reconnect fragmented aquatic habitats by removing these migration barriers. With our partners, we educate and share information about the effects barriers have on river health and highlight how habitat restoration provides an opportunity to make the river healthier for future generations of people and wildlife.

A former Ipswich River restoration priority is now a functioning passage for wildlife, thanks to the Town of Boxford and local partners.

We are so pleased to congratulate the Town of Boxford on their recent replacement of the Middleton Road culvert, improving flow for Crooked Pond Stream. The project was spearheaded by the local Trout Unlimited chapter and the Lakes & Ponds committee, led by amazing volunteer Greg Murrer. Working together with the Boxford Department of Public Works, with a grant from FEMA, this stellar team has made excellent progress towards a healthy, more connected Ipswich River.

Learn more about the new culvert here or visit the Nor’east Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s facebook page to give them the kudos they deserve!

Poorly designed culverts force wildlife to travel over roads, which can be dangerous for both animals and drivers.

Congratulations are deserved for the Town of Ipswich as well. The Town has received funding from the 2018 Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grants Program for the improvement of the Gravelly Brook culvert. The Great Marsh Barriers Assessment identified Gravelly Brook as a priority site, and we look forward to providing continued support to the Town as it works to improve the culvert to comply with the MA Stream Crossing Standards. In addition to erosion, the site is currently a difficulty for wildlife; the culvert provides no dry passage and roadkill is a common occurrence. When the culvert is successfully replaced it will mark one less barrier for the wildlife that depend on the Ipswich River.