| Nov. 3, 2004
| We will be jointly reading both our wells and theirs on November 10. This was to happen in October, but was thrown off by some communications difficulties. |
| November 30, 2004
| We has a joint session with DCR's consultant (GEI) to read both their and our wells in the Storrow Drive underpass area. Christian will map DCR's wells into our system to be read and published as part of the network. |
| October 11, 2005
| The DCR has provided the Working Group with data on groundwater pumping at the Storrow Drive underpass. They have also laid out a schedule for reconstruction of the underpass that will include a public meeting, probably in November, to describe a conceptual design for the construction and necessary traffic diversion. If that meets with general acceptance, they anticipate a roughly one year design phase, with construction starting in Spring 2007 and completion three years later. Funding for design is in place. While construction funds are not yet set, Andrew Gottlieb anticipated that they would be available on the schedule outlined. |
| November 17, 2005
| The DCR continues to work on the design of the replacement Storrow Drive underpass, including necessary traffic diversion during construction. The schedule has slipped somewhat and now calls for a public meeting after the first of the year. The DCR representative at the Working Group meeting agreed that there had been a substantial change in pump flows starting in August 2004. He did not have a reason for it yet, but will investigate and get back. |
| January 11, 2006
| The DCR continues to work on the design of the replacement Storrow Drive underpass, including necessary traffic diversion during construction. Press reports have made clear that groundwater issues are among those that must be addressed. Other groups in the area, including the Esplanade Association and the Back Bay Association have raised serious issues about potential effects during the construction process, which may take three years or more. We should get more details at the Working Group meeting. |
| February 15, 2006
| I attended a briefing by DCR on the Storrow Drive project, as well as a public meeting. DCR has put forward several potential solutions and hope to eliminate those that are not considered feasible/acceptable before studying the others in detail. They will do a full draft and final Environmental Impact Report. Final alternative must be selected by about one year from now. They have committed that the project will be designed to eliminate the possibility of groundwater drawdown off site during construction. After completion they have committed that, at worst, the design will be such that it can have no negative impact on surrounding groundwater levels. They are studying how much they can recharge, with the possibility that all water, whether groundwater or rainwater, that drains from the tunnel (assuming there is one) would be recharged across the old seawall. |
| March 22, 2006
| DCR checked into flow readings they had provided to the Working Group for the pumps at the Storrow Drive underpass. These had indicated a drastic reduction in the amount of water pumped starting in August 2004. It appears that this was not what was really happening. An electrical problem caused the pumps to operate very inefficiently for an extended period of time. The readings had been indirect, based on pump operation and a calculated flow. After the problem was fixed, the pumps operated properly, and flow measurement was again accurate. I appreciate the cooperation of DCR in getting this information for us. The next public meetings on the reconstruction of the underpass will take place on March 27 and 29. I’ll continue to attend these to make sure that groundwater issues remain high on the list of problems being addressed. |
| April 27, 2006
| DCR has filer the Environmental Notification Form for the Storrow Drive underpass project. They have committed to the installation of a system to recharge any water that would be drained from a tunnel structure or any drains under it to the land side of the seawall. One study alternative is a surface road, in which case there would be neither drains nor recharge system. DCR also held a public meeting on the underpass on March 27 at which they discussed the various alternatives they have been looking at and again stated their commitment that the new construction would be designed so that it could not worsen the groundwater situation. Comment on the ENF is due in June. |
| June 5, 2006
| I have prepared comments on the ENF filed by DCR for the Storrow Drive underpass reconstruction project. They are being reviewed by the cochairs and will be filed before the June 13 deadline. DCR is studying the timing of the Storrow project vs. that for the reconstruction of the Longfellow Bridge. They are trying to avoid having both underway simultaneously. This may lead to a delay of the Storrow project start until 2012. |
| July 17, 2006
| The Secretary of EOEA has issued his findings regarding the Environmental Notification Form submitted by DCR of the Storrow Drive Underpass project. There is a specific section on groundwater highlighting the comments from the Trust. The Environmental Impact report will be required to address the groundwater issue both during and after construction in detail, including substantial detail on the recharge system. DCR will be required to maintain groundwater monitoring during and after construction and share data with the trust. |
| September 20, 2006
| The Storrow Drive Tunnel project is moving more slowly than originally planned, apparently because of delays in compiling and analyzing traffic data, which has been pushed back a couple of months. At this point, it is unclear if this project will proceed before rehabilitation of the Longfellow Bridge takes place. |
| October 26, 2006
| The timing on the Storrow Drive tunnel replacement is now even more up in the air as DCR coordinates the project with major work on the Longfellow and Boston University Bridges. At the City-State Groundwater Working Group meeting DCR was asked to look into an interim recharge system if the project will be long delayed. |
| January 18, 2007
| I have been invited to attend the subcommittee meetings for the Storrow Drive tunnel project to make sure that groundwater impacts remain in the forefront. The Charles River Watershed Association has been very helpful in raising the issue at the Landscape Subcommittee. |
| February 15, 2007
| I was elected chair of the traffic subcommittee of the Storrow Drive civic review process. The project is studying whether they can install the portion of the recharge system that will utilize BWSC’s Back Street system before the rest of the project, now scheduled to begin construction no sooner than 2010. |
| March 22, 2007
| DCR will be meeting with the Technical Advisory Committee of the City-State Groundwater Working Group to consider possible recharge systems to meet the groundwater recharge commitments they have made for the Storrow Drive reconstruction project. They are looking at ways to utilize the system that BWSC is installing in Back Street. They are also looking at the possibility of installing a recharge system before construction, as either an interim measure or as part of the permanent system. |
| April 23, 2007
| DCR met with the Technical Advisory Committee of the Working Group yesterday to discuss the recharge system for Storrow Drive. It looks like it will not be practical to use Charles River water to supplement that drained from the system. They are now studying a different plan that might allow interim recharge before the new road is installed. |
| May 14, 2007
| DCR is scheduled to return to the Technical Advisory Committee of the City-State Groundwater Working Group on May 21 with an updated plan for recharge as part of the Storrow Drive tunnel reconstruction project. |
| June 21, 2007
| DCR is continuing to study the cost and feasibility of temporary recharge of water now being pumped from the west pump station at the Storrow Drive Underpass. They are evaluating the potential alternatives for rebuilding/replacing the tunnel and will include a recommended alternative in their DEIR filing, planned for the end of July. |
| August 2, 2007
| Life of the Storrow Drive Tunnel will be extended at least five years after completion of about six months of repair at a cost of about $8,000,000. They are still studying whether to provide recharge to the newly installed Back Street galleries during the interim before the major construction project. The long term project will include recharge to both Back Street and Mugar Way. The Draft Environmental Impact Report will be filed on August 31. |
| September 27, 2007
| The Storrow Drive advisory process was thrown somewhat off its anticipated track when the state reinstated consideration of a bypass road through a portion of the Esplanade. DCR has confirmed that they will implement repairs that will extend the life of the tunnel by at least five, and more likely ten, years. Recharge remains a commitment for the completed system, with a high likelihood that the interim recharge plan will be implemented. Final construction on Storrow may fall behind that on the Longfellow Bridge which appears to be in even more serious condition. |
| October 25, 2007
| The DCR has indefinitely postponed filing the Draft Environmental Impact report for the Storrow Drive tunnel project while they consider additional alternative solutions. They are currently in the design and bidding phase for interim repairs designed to extend the life of the existing tunnel. As part of that process, they continue to study the implementation of interim recharge along Back Street. A decision on whether to install the interim recharge system will come after the scope and duration of the interim repairs is clearer. |
| November 29, 2007
| The DCR continues to study the issues surrounding the Storrow Drive tunnel reconstruction along with those involving other DCR bridges and roadways in the Charles River Basin area. We have been told that the budget for interim repairs at the Storrow Drive tunnel includes funding for the interim recharge system, but its inclusion will not be committed until the budget and funding is clearer. |
| December 20, 2007
| The DCR continues to study the issues surrounding the Storrow Drive tunnel reconstruction along with those involving other DCR bridges and roadways in the Charles River Basin area. We have been told that the budget for interim repairs at the Storrow Drive tunnel includes funding for the interim recharge system, but its inclusion will not be committed until the budget and funding is clearer. |
| January 31, 2008
| The DCR is currently performing emergency repairs on the Storrow Drive Tunnel. They will be bidding the interim repair work on the tunnel in February. An interim recharge system that would bring all of the water removed at the west pumping station to the recharge galleys installed by BWSC in Back Street will be bid as an add/alternative. DCR has committed to include the recharge system unless bids are significantly over budget. The interim project is scheduled for installation between April and September. Long term repair/replacement of the tunnel awaits the DCR study of sequencing of repairs on all of the Charles River Basin roads and river crossings, to be conducted starting this spring. |
| February 27, 2008
| The DCR were to take bids this month on the interim repairs for the Storrow Drive Tunnel. We should have confirmation shortly on whether they will go ahead with the interim recharge system that will take the output of the west pumping station and recharge it through the galleries recently installed by BWSC in Back Street. |
| March 27, 2008
| The DCR is scheduled to hold a public meeting in early April to discuss the interim repairs to the Storrow Drive tunnel. At that time we should be able to confirm whether the interim recharge system will be included. |
| April 29, 2008
| DCR has confirmed that the interim recharge system from the west pumping station at the Storrow Drive Tunnel will be installed as part of the interim tunnel repairs. The recharge will go into the galleys installed by BWSC in Back Street. We will be carefully watching the effect of this recharge on groundwater levels along Back Street. |
| May 29, 2008
| DCR will be holding a public meeting on June 4 to discuss the Storrow Drive interim repair project. That should be an opportunity to pin down when the interim recharge system is expected to be in place. |
| June 27, 2008
| DCR confirmed at the June 4 public meeting that the recharge system will be installed early in the interim repair project for the Storrow Drive tunnel. If all goes well, we should see recharge from the project into the BWSC installed galleries on Back Street later this year. |
| July 31, 2008
| The recharge system to be installed as part of the interim repair project at the Storrow Drive Tunnel is expected to be connected to the recharge galleries on Back Street within 6-8 weeks. |
| August 29, 2008
| The recharge system to be installed as part of the interim repair project at the Storrow Drive Tunnel is expected to be connected to the recharge galleries on Back Street early this fall. |
| September 25, 2008
| The recharge system to be installed as part of the interim repair project at the Storrow Drive Tunnel is expected to be connected to the recharge galleries on Back Street early this fall. There is a public meeting on Storrow Drive this evening at which I hope to get additional information. |
| October 27, 2008
| DCR is working through a few technical and regulatory issues on the connection between the Storrow Drive Tunnel west pumping station and BWSC’s recharge galleries under Back Street. They expect the final design to be completed within two weeks and still hope for the connection to be made this fall. |
| December 18, 2008
| DCR was not able to complete all of the regulatory issues before the end of the construction season. However, they remain committed to installation of the temporary recharge system from the Storrow Drive west pumping station to Back Street and anticipate installing it when construction resumes in the spring. |
| January 29, 2009
| DCR has completed permitting issues for the interim recharge system connection from the west pump station at the Storrow Drive Tunnel. Construction on the main project is proceeding ahead of schedule, and completion of the connection is expected in the Spring. There will probably be a ceremony to commemorate the beginning of the recharge. |
| March 2, 2009
| DCR should be able to complete the connection that will allow any water handled by the west pumping station of the Storrow Drive Tunnel to be recharged into the galleys installed under Back Street by BWSC early this spring. |
| March 26, 2009
| DCR should be able to complete the connection that will allow any water handled by the west pumping station of the Storrow Drive Tunnel to be recharged into the galleys installed under Back Street by BWSC early this spring. |
| April 29, 2009
| Work on the connection that will bring the water pumped out of the west pumping station from the Storrow Drive tunnel into the existing BWSC recharge system under Back Street begins this week. The connection is scheduled to be complete before the end of May. |
| May 28, 2009
| The connection between the Storrow Drive West Pumping Station and the recharge galleys under Back Street should be completed imminently. There will be a ceremony when the flow is formally turned on. |
| June 29, 2009
| The connection between the Storrow Drive West Pumping Station and the recharge galleys under Back Street should be completed imminently. There will be a ceremony when the flow is formally turned on. |
| July 30, 2009
| The connection between the Storrow Drive West Pumping Station and the recharge galleys under Back Street was completed on July 9. DCR is studying the operation and its impact to make sure that it is operating properly. |
| August 26, 2009
| The connection between the Storrow Drive West Pumping Station and the recharge galleys under Back Street was completed on July 9. DCR is studying the operation and its impact to make sure that it is operating properly. |
| September 24, 2009
| The connection between the Storrow Drive West Pumping Station and the recharge galleys under Back Street was completed on July 9. DCR is studying the operation and its impact to make sure that it is operating properly. Groundwater levels along Back Street have been higher than normal during our most recent observations. |
| October 27, 2009
| The recharge connection between the Storrow Drive tunnel wet pumping station and BWSC’s galleries under Back Street appears to be working well. Groundwater levels at most of the observation wells along Back Street are at or near the highest we have ever observed. |
| July 29, 2010
| After informing us, DCR had to turn off the recharge pumps from the Storrow Drive Tunnel from June 15 to July 15 to complete testing of some modifications to their stormwater pumping system. We monitored that area closely, with dataloggers in multiple wells. We did see a gradual drop in levels during the month. We’ll be watching to see that they rebound as anticipated. Because the system is designed to switch to the stormwater pumps and discharge to the Charles River in the event of a major storm, the recharge system would not have received the water from the July 10 storm. DCR reported that those pumps were able to keep up even with that extraordinarily rapid rainfall. |
| September 16, 2010
| The groundwater levels at the observation wells along Back Street that had dropped when DCR needed to turn off the recharge have largely recovered. |
| October 19, 2010
| The groundwater levels at the observation wells along Back Street that had dropped when DCR needed to turn off the recharge have largely recovered. |
