Christopher Nicodemus

Charlestown, MA

Tidal Wetlands and the Value of Pier 5 to the Community and our Harbor

When I came to school in Boston in the 1970’s, Boston Harbor was renowned as one of the nation’s

dirtiest harbors. While my classmates and I would occasionally visit the difficult to access waterfront,

one always hoped there would be an off shore breeze at the time to keep the odors away. Abandoned

piers were the predominant image.

Pier 5 in the Charlestown Navy Yard is different from most of the waterfront piers. It was re-constructed

during the heroic war effort in World war II to bear the weight of ships placed on its surface. Rather

than using creosote laden toxic piles, it was constructed with concrete and steel piles placed at high

density. It served its industrial purpose for the war effort and for an additional 30 years until Richard

Nixon ordered the Boston Naval Shipyard to be closed. For 50 years following, those steel piles have

created a dense intertidal wetland zone, the harbor waters have been cleaned, and sediments have

settled over and capped the industrial waste that lies 35 feet below the low tide line on the harbor floor

below.

Massachusetts Chapter 91 shoreline regulations seek to preserve and enhance our tidal wetlands and

enhance our aquatic environments while fostering planned community growth and vitality.

Regarding tidal wetlands under pier 5, the water is deep. As is typical of deep water ports, the shoreline

is vertical not estuarian. The 100 foot from shoreline intertidal zone definition would only extend a short

distance out the pier itself. However if considers that the dense placed piles, themselves, represent an

intertidal aquatic environment that has flourished undisturbed for the past 50 years, this may explain

why city dwelling fisherman come daily to this location on foot and bicycle carrying buckets and rods to

fish the waters near the pier. It has been teaming with marine life for many years now. The steel piles

themselves form a unique and dense human constructed intertidal zone reef structure that is nourishing

marine life throughout the harbor.

It may be that the darkness at the center of the pier limits the biological value of the “pier 5 reef” and

would suggest that opening light windows down its center so that the marine life will pass through to

the center—(analogous to the fish windows that were placed under the middle of the Zakim Bridge and

are visible form Paul Revere Park.) might enhance its aquatic value.—-I would think that preservation of

the reef structure, selective reinforcement to provide safety for pedestrian use especially around the

perimeter and perhaps various open areas and under a small and architecturally compelling weather

protected space could provide artistic, educational, environmental and coastal resiliency benefits and

perhaps allow for useful expansion of Courageous as well. Perhaps in an age of changing tides and

pending ocean encroachment, a wheel chair accessible glass ramp –“tidal tube” could extend down into

the intertidal zone and back up allowing visitors to walk down into the intertidal zone. Visitors could

observe the reef structure and the complex marine life directly. This would be a living underwater and

intertidal exhibit that would change daily. Such a concept could also allow daily observations of the

high and low tide lines as they fluctuate with the moon, the winds and melting icepacks and allow for a

living historical demonstration of the pier itself and its unique wartime construction.

Funds for preservation of the pier and reef and its structural reinforcement to allow for light service

duty as an educational and living outdoor natural exhibit as part of a coastal resiliency demonstration

should be secured and the pier preserved as a great community asset.

Certainly, Imagine Boston 2030 as an updated city masterplan has revised the visions originally

articulated in earlier municipal harbor plans and its guidance is now consistent with chapter 91 concepts

regarding the tidal water sheet. I would argue the vison of Imagine Boston 2030 should drive the future

of this unique and special community place.

Applying letter of the law compliance achieved by the weaseling through inconsistent regulatory

language to implement plans that are inconsistent with the community will and the best interest of the

people of Boston, should not be taken countenanced. Let us imagine creative solutions for the

revitalization of pier 5 and celebrate its value as an aquatic sanctuary and educational resource on a

beautiful and dynamic activated waterfront.