Mystic River: Online Resources

June 2009; This report goes over the strategies involved in the creation of a Mystic River corridor by connecting existing public spaces and advocating for the expansion of services and protections in order to better facilitate community enjoyment of the river.

Fall 2006; This plan outlines the ways that the city of Medford can collaborate with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to connect the greenway along the Mystic River and Alewife Brook with Medford Square and other commercial centers to enhance community enjoyment of both spaces.

August, 1997; This comprehensive report goes into depth regarding the historical land use and development along the Mystic River and how its recreational network has changed, the changes to local ecology that those developments have caused, and the design opportunities and challenges that will present themselves during the creation of a master plan for development.

November 2009; This master plan was developed to build upon other expansion plans that have improved the Mystic River parks and public spaces in the past and to further link public spaces, improve the ecological health of the river, and facilitate recreational water usage. The master plan covers the existing conditions, the many aspects of the plan itself, and the operations and maintenance that are considered to be ongoing.

The Watershed Action Plan is concerned with the ecological wellbeing and public use of the Mystic River Watershed. After a summary of the watershed's history and resources, it goes over in detail the current state of the watershed, including flooding, water quality, land use, recreation, and habitat. Finally, it presents an action plan and a way to improve on the watershed's health and usefulness in the future.

May 2007; This is a curated collection of case studies that relate to the lower Mystic River redevelopment zone. Points within these case studies are highlighted as things to consider in the improvement of this area.

1904; John Freemon writes his opinion here on the construction of tide gates in the Mystic River and in Alewife brook and whether or not they would improve sanitary conditions and/or make it possible to construct buildings in areas where high tide would previously reach.

1861; This report covers the Mystic Pond and River, their relationship with the estuary, and their relationship with the Boston Harbor. This includes surveys of the tides in many of the stations along the river, the currents of the river, and how each part of the river plays a part in the ecology of the waterways as a whole. This survey was done for the purposes of development as well as the provision of water for the city.

This Mass.gov page on the Mystic River Reservation provides links to the parks that are a part of the Reservation as well as general information about the area. Parking information and hours of access are given on the pages of the Parks themselves.

The National Park Service's webpage about the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston gives a historical overview of the public parks in and around Boston. Included among these is the Mystic River Reservation.

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is a group concerned with the diversity, maintenance, and community of the Mystic River Watershed. They organize educational experiences, clear invasive plants, monitor native herring populations, as well as perform many other services vital to the watershed's health. They also have a page on their website that lists climate data for the watershed.