State awards $716,000 for regional water restoration efforts

The Healey-Driscoll administration on Oct. 9 announced the award of $716,000 in grants to support partnerships to restore rivers and wetlands, provide clean water, and mitigate flood risk.

The Regional Restoration Partnerships Program supports increasing the capacity of regional organizations and planning agencies that work with municipalities and other local partners to lead watershed-scale ecological restoration within their regions.

The competitive grants are funded by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration through its Regional Restoration Partnerships Program.

The funding is supporting three partnerships:
• Berkshire Clean, Cold, Connected Partnership: $276,000
Lead awardee: Housatonic Valley Association
Funding supports regional capacity expansion for climate solutions, aquatic barrier removal, and coldwater habitat restoration.

• Buzzards Bay Watershed Restoration Partnership: $212,000
Lead awardee: Buzzards Bay Coalition
Funding supports local and regional capacity building to implement priority restoration projects such as river and stream connectivity and wetland and salt marsh restoration.

• Merrimack Restoration Partnership: $228,300
Lead awardee: Merrimack River Watershed Council
Funding supports priority ecological restoration projects and bolstering urban stream revitalization in Lowell and Lawrence to improve water quality.