Leonard's pond will be a good area for site interventions, the large peninsula of land I will probably remove to allow for more water area, and the houses that surround Leonard pond had an interesting relationship to the area but we all fenced in separated from the water.

The river between the transfer station and condo development was relatively wide and had steep banks. When in the condo development the river was barely visible, so I would like to alter the river plantings and change the wide areas of lawn that run up to the banks, for wildlife and so people that live here can enjoy the river.

revisiting the highschool fields made me realize just how large they are, there is a definite possibility to daylight the river and still have sports fields. I plan to daylight the river and make vast meadow lands for wildlife (and have the possibility to leave some sports fields if need be!)

now that foliage is down and bittersweet berries are in season it was easy to see how much they have taken over, every site I went to had bittersweet all over all shrubs.

The Davidson Park wetlands were much easier to see now that the foliage is down along the water. The existing wetlands space is pretty significant but seeing how large the open space(below) between the wetlands and houses there is a definite possibly to expand the wetlands.

Walking to the southern side of Davidson park I was surprised how much open space is there between the river and houses, and the amount of houses that lined the park. It was interesting to see how the houses connected with one another and the park.

Final Problem Statement

The Aberjona River was once the center of attention within the town of Winchester and provided sustenance for its people. Today the rivers watershed area has been taken over by urbanization and become contaminated by urban runoff and surrounding industrial areas. The over urbanization of the Aberjona has also lead to a lack of open space and forest area surrounding the river, preventing habitation of native species. Many native plant species have been forced out of the area due to the invasion of exotic species like purple loosestrife, phragmites and glossy buckthorn. The overall moving, straightening and channeling of the river have lead to unnatural banks not suited for denning or burrowing sites for mammals, reptiles of amphibians. Residential development and urban parks that have maintained lawns that run to the edge of the river have limited the inhabitants to warm water species because of the lack of shade cover. These aspects will be the focus of the flood mitigation projects along the Aberjona River. The flooding issues will be apprehended using sustainable approaches such as flood water collection and reuse strategies. In the end the Aberjona will become the center of attention once again in the town of Winchester, and become a viable riparian habitat connecting to surrounding wildlife areas.

Goals

• Connect neighborhoods across the river
• Enhance the rivers functionality making it a town jewel
• Clean the river and reintroduce native species of plants and wildlife
• Connect open space and create more parkland and recreation areas
• Create a system for flood waters to benefit the town instead of be a threat to the town
• Make the river wider and more deep so that water recreation can be introduced
• Create educational points along the river with history of the river and species that thrive along the watershed area
• Create bike paths and walkways along the river for commuting and exercise, therefore reducing the need for parking lots along the river and in the downtown
• Highlight art along the river to include the town in the design process

Draft Problem Statement

The overall improvement of the Aberjona will include numerous projects to connect neighborhoods within the town and allow for wildlife migration throughout the Mystic Valley Corridor. The flood problems will be addressed so that houses will no longer be affected by the floods of the river. The river will be cleaned so that water sports can be established on the river, drawing in people from surrounding areas that will bring revenue into the town to assist in keeping the river up to par. Native plant species will be re-introduced along the banks of the river to allow for wildlife to return to the area. Open space around the river ways will be connected for wildlife to connect to surrounding key open areas such as the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Key connection points along the river will be addressed to connect neighborhoods together instead of having the river be a cut-off line of the town. The river will include educational areas to add to the users experience and bring in additional people to the town. Innovative flood storage ideas will be used so that flood waters will be used to the towns’ advantage.

Questions about the Aberjona

1. Can we restore the natural path of the river without having to disturb neighborhoods too much?
2. How much water/how many year flood do we need to plan for?
3. Can we connect open space within the Mystic Valley Corridor to the national corridor for wildlife?
4. What kind of contaminants are evident in the river and how can they be removed?
5. Can we make the river more accessible to water sports (removing dams and adding to the depth of the river)?
6. Can we remove houses along the river banks to ensure safety of the people?
7. Can the industrial areas be moved away from the river entirely to promote less runoff during storms, and less chance of anything hazardous being dumped into the river?
8. Can the surrounding neighborhoods be better connected to the river?
9. Can the river be more of a focus of the town, and bring people to the town?
10. How can you increase parking around the river without adding to runoff from impervious pavements?
11. Is there a way to use the flooding to the town’s advantage?
12. Will using native plants help with flooding, and restoring wildlife habitats?
13. If so, what is a list of native plants, and possibly plants that once thrived on the river but have been killed off because of contaminants?
14. What are the key areas for design that were marked on our field trip?

Summary of Open Space

When it comes to the open space of the Aberjona river watershed there is a definite lack of connection. An important aspect of any design is to consider those who will use it. I believe it is important especially in this case to consider the wildlife. Being that Winchester is a densely populated town amidst many other dense cities I believe it’s necessary to maintain the current open space and add to the percentage of open area. Only 17.5% of Winchester has open space that would be appropriate for wildlife that lives solely on the land. There are multiple areas of opportunity around the Aberjona for expansion of open space. The Middlesex Fells Reservation is a large opportunity for open space connection, this area is already home to many species and it would be beneficial for the environment and ecology of the Aberjona watershed for the species to be able to migrate within the area and especially over to the Aberjona river and Mystic Lakes region.
Another area of possible expansion is the amount of sports fields and recreation space. Currently Winchester has 4.3% open space designated to sports fields and recreation; as Juli stated on our field trip there is a definite need for more space for sports games in the town. 5.5% of Winchester is considered ‘urban open’ which are possible areas to clean and landscape into usable space.