The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is proposing an aquatic ecosystem restoration project to restore Milford Pond in Milford, Mass. Milford Pond and surrounding wetlands cover 120 acres formed by an impoundment of the upper Charles River. The town of Milford is the non-Federal sponsor of this proposed project. Since the late 1970s, the aquatic ecosystem of Milford Pond has been impacted by sedimentation and a proliferation of aquatic weed species. The proposed federal action is to deepen approximately 20 acres of the southern portion of the pond to 12-feet deep by dredging approximately 200,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment and disposing of the dredged organic-rich sediment to construct emergent and forested wetlands in the northern portion of the impounded area. Only limited areas of the pond will be dredged to avoid impacts to existing emergent wetland vegetation that is potential habitat for waterfowl and wading birds, including State-listed rare species.

A revised Environmental Assessment is being prepared (see public notice). A plan proposed in 2005 was to hydraulically dredge approximately 45 acres of the pond and pump the material to an upland disposal area north of the pond. However, use of the upland disposal area is no longer feasible, replaced by the proposed disposal location in the northern portion of the impounded area. Therefore, the Environmental Assessment is being revised to address the environmental consequences of the new proposal.

For more information, please contact the Project Manager, by e-mail or by calling 978-318-8547.