Saugus-01

“Ballard Street”

Saugus, Saugus River

42.450605, -70.982544

Comprehensive field assessment conducted in 2024

Upstream Invasive Species: Yes
Downstream Invasive Species: No
Invasive Species Notes: Phragmites along channel and to upland boundary.
Additional Comments (2024): Tide gate is left mostly closed to mimic original leaky tide gate. Phragmites is encroaching into high marsh area and is mixing with native high marsh plant species. Small pockets of low marsh do exist but are mixed with die off areas and encroaching phragmites. Tide gate appears to be retaining excess water.

Legacy data from previous surveys and documentation

Operation Comments: initial inventory inspection: Only slightly open - held open with chains that are attached to the culvert December 2021: The permit conditions require monitoring to document maintenance of salt water leakage similar to prior to the repair: insufficient tidal flow similar to the makeshift chained plate of steel which was used as a tide gate by the town since the original cast iron flap gate fell off the concrete headway which was spalling.
Gate Comments: initial inventory inspection: Leaking temporary flap gate December 7, 2021 Culvert repair and tide gate project email from Town consultant reports a new head wall on the river side, inlet control on the marsh side, existing pipe cleaned and lined, new adjustable combination tide gate (vertical sluice with a hinge flap gate) installed, cofferdams removed. Awaiting photo documentation and installation of a tide gage.

Elevation Comments: This tide gate will not protect against flooding as tide water also reaches the marsh from the Bristow Street east and west culverts and tides exceeding elevation 7-8 will cross over Ballard Street.
Other Comments: This culvert and tide gate affects water levels at the Ballard Street salt marsh as well as the adjacent Winthrop Shores extraction area. The extraction area has turned partly to wetland dominated by cattail and Phragmites.