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The process of installing a nitrogen-reducing septic system can be daunting and expensive. Our guide walks you through the installation process, provides recommendations for local engineers, and updates you on available financing tools.

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The Buzzards Bay Coalition has commissioned Newport’s IYRS School of Technology & Trades to construct a new replica lifeboat for the Horseneck Point Life-Saving Station.  

The current lifeboat was loaned to the Buzzards Bay Coalition from Cuttyhunk Island and will be returning to the Island to be showcased in their own visitors center. The new replica is based on the Race Point Surfboat, the closest design to the original lifeboats that once protected mariners on the waters off Horseneck Point. 

Built in 1888 to protect sailors along this dangerous stretch of Buzzards Bay’s coastline, the Life-Saving Station is one of the last of its kind in Massachusetts, and the only one on Buzzards Bay. After being decommissioned in 1913, it lived several lives before being restored to its original appearance by the Westport Fishermen’s Association in 2007. The restoration was completed in 2009 and the Life-Saving Station was opened as a museum and visitor center in 2014. 

IYRS, renowned for its expertise in traditional and contemporary boatbuilding, has embraced the challenge of breathing new life into this historical artifact. The school’s commitment to preserving maritime craftsmanship and heritage aligns seamlessly with the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s mission to protect and restore the Buzzards Bay ecosystem while fostering an appreciation for its maritime history. 

The Race Point Surfboat, a design that emerged in the late 19th century, played a crucial role in the efforts of life-saving stations like the one at Horseneck Point. These boats were meticulously crafted to navigate treacherous coastal waters and swiftly respond to distress calls.

The construction process involves a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern techniques, ensuring the replica not only captures the essence of the original design but also meets contemporary safety standards. Vice President of Outdoor Exploration Stuart Downie shared his excitement about the new vessel’s impact on Buzzards Bay Coalition’s outdoor learning and community programs. “We’re thrilled to soon have a brand-new lifeboat that will not only represent the history of Horseneck Point Life-Saving Station, but also breathe life back into the museum with exciting new programming connecting the local community with Buzzards Bay.” 

The lifeboat replica is expected to serve dual purposes – as a functional vessel for educational programs and as a living artifact that visitors can experience firsthand. The Coalition plans to use the new lifeboat for rowing programs and community events throughout the years to come, providing a unique opportunity for the Buzzards Bay community to step back in time and experience a piece of local history. 

 

Two key projects, one complete and one in progress, will preserve a total of 436 acres of land in the Mattapoisett River Valley and Dartmouth’s Paskamansett River Valley, protecting local public drinking water supplies. 

The first initiative, completed this summer, is the Mattapoisett River Valley Drinking Water Resilience Project, spanning Acushnet, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. This landmark project safeguarded 240 acres of land, protecting clean drinking water in the towns of Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, Marion, and Rochester. The Coalition worked together with all five towns to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the underlying groundwater aquifer, one of southeastern Massachusetts’ most critical sources of drinking water. This project is a partnership of the Buzzards Bay Coalition, the towns of Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, Marion, Rochester, and Acushnet; Mattapoisett River Valley Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee; Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program; and the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program. 

The project, made possible with support from a Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant, enhances resilience to climate change and will also benefit important fish and wildlife habitats, outdoor recreation opportunities, and sustainable local agriculture. 

Community members will soon be able to explore expanded trails on these lands that connect to the Coalition’s Mattapoisett River Reserve trail system and enjoy Buzzards Bay Coalition activities and community programming in the farm buildings at Red Brick Farm. The portions of land that are currently being farmed will continue to be used for agricultural purposes. 

Henri Renauld, Superintendent of the Mattapoisett Water & Sewer Department, added, “The Town of Mattapoisett, working with its fellow communities and the BBC, have once again secured and protected a section of land that will ensure the protection of the existing water infrastructure. It will also allow for future wells to be placed within these properties to ensure our communities will have safe drinking water into the future.” 

The second initiative, located in Dartmouth, is the Paskamansett River Drinking Water Land Protection Project. Upon its completion, the project will protect 196 acres of open land over the town of Dartmouth’s public drinking water supply aquifer and protect an existing gap in the protected land along the river corridor. The initiative will also benefit local wildlife, both on land and in the river, provide public access for outdoor recreation, and preserve the scenic, rural landscape in this part of Dartmouth.  

Buzzards Bay Coalition was recently successful in securing a $350,000 grant for the Town, and last month, Dartmouth Town Meeting approved $250,000 in Community Preservation Funds. The Dartmouth Department of Public Works will acquire the land and Buzzards Bay Coalition will hold a permanent conservation restriction.  

“It is so easy for us all to take for granted the clean drinking water flowing from our faucets,” said Brendan Annett, Vice President of Watershed Protection. “there are so many good reasons to protect natural land around Buzzards Bay, but ensuring that we have clean water is certainly one of the most important.” 

Since breaking ground in October, construction at Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Mattapoisett Bogs wetland restoration site has made considerable progress.

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