Dorchester Shores Reservation

Dorchester Shores Reservation
Map showing the location of Dorchester Shores Reservation
Map showing the location of Dorchester Shores Reservation
Location in Massachusetts
Map showing the location of Dorchester Shores Reservation
Map showing the location of Dorchester Shores Reservation
Dorchester Shores Reservation (the United States)
LocationSuffolk, Massachusetts, United States
Nearest cityBoston
Coordinates42°17′50″N 71°2′44″W / 42.29722°N 71.04556°W / 42.29722; -71.04556
Area44 acres (18 ha)[1]
Elevation10 ft (3.0 m)[2]
Established1962
OperatorMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteDorchester Shores Reservation

Dorchester Shores Reservation is a Massachusetts state park consisting of three non-contiguous areas totaling 44 acres (18 ha) along the eastern edge of the Dorchester section of Boston. The area is composed of beaches and a park along the extended mouth of the Neponset River: Savin Hill/Malibu Beach, Tenean Beach, and Victory Road Park. Savin Hill is adjacent to Malibu Beach and has been restored to its original Olmsted Brothers design. The reservation is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.[3]

In October 2018, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a comprehensive climate change adaptation proposal to protect the Boston Harbor coastline from flooding,[4] and in October 2020, the Walsh administration released a 174-page climate change adaptation report for the Boston Harbor coastline in Dorchester.[5][6] In February 2022, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced an $8.2 million project to construct a 0.7-mile shared-use path from Tenean Beach to Morrissey Boulevard and that will connect the Boston Harborwalk with the Lower Neponset River Trail on the Neponset River Reservation via Morrissey (including a 670-foot boardwalk in the salt marshes near the National Grid gas tank) that will be included in the $9.5 billion in federal funds the state government received under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[7][8]

In August 2022, Governor Baker signed into law a bill co-sponsored by Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins and Massachusetts State Representative Daniel J. Hunt establishing a Dorchester Shores Reservation and Parks Trust Fund administered by the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to ensure the long-term conservation, maintenance, and improvement of Reservation properties.[9][10] In March 2023, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) announced a virtual public meeting to solicit public feedback from residents for an initiative titled the "Dorchester Resilient Waterfront Project at Tenean Beach/Conley Street" (that will involve staff from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the DCR, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) to formulate a climate change adaptation proposal for submission by the following June 30 to address coastal flooding due to sea level rise on Tenean Beach and Conley Street.[11] In July 2023, the BPDA issued its final report for the Dorchester Resilient Waterfront Project at Tenean Beach/Conley Street.[12][13]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2012acreagelist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Malibu Beach". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference dcr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Gellerman, Bruce (October 17, 2018). "Walsh Outlines Plan To Protect Boston Harbor From Flooding". WBUR. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Forry, Bill (November 5, 2020). "Operation Resiliency: Safeguards for Dot 'Shoreway' put at up to $215m". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Coastal Resilience Solutions for Dorchester: Final Report (PDF). boston.gov (Report). 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  7. ^ "Baker-Polito Administration Outlines Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Plans for Massachusetts". www.mass.gov. February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  8. ^ Dumcius, Gintautus (February 13, 2022). "Fed infrastructure dollars flowing for projects in Dot". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Dumcius, Gintautus (September 14, 2022). "New law sets up funding for Dot's shoreline and parks". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  10. ^ "Session Law - Acts of 2022 Chapter 164". malegislature.gov. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  11. ^ Dumcius, Gintautus (March 23, 2023). "City has Tenean Beach in its sights in planning to stem climate impacts". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  12. ^ Dumcius, Gintautus (July 28, 2023). "City seeks to turn Tenean into beachhead in climate fight". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  13. ^ Technical Analysis & Resilient Schematic Design Development Options for Dorchester's Waterfront – Executive Summary (Report). Boston Planning & Development Agency. June 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.