Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...

Paul J. Diodati
Director
Cotntnonwealth ofMassachusetts
Division of Marine Fisheries
251 Causeway Street, Suite 400
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
(617)626-1520
fax (617)626-1509
CMA'L'E't>
December 9, 2011 ~
Richard K. Sullivan, Jr.
Secretary, Executive Office ofEnergy and Environmental Affairs
MEPAOffice
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114
ATIN: MEPA Office
Deval Patrick
Governor
. Timothy P. Murray
Lt. GovenlOr
Richard K. Sullivan, Jr.
Secrefmy
Mary B. Gritnn
Commissioner
Re: EEA# 14427
Dear Secretary Sullivan:
The Division ofMarine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) has reviewed the Environmental
Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Report (EA/DEIR) for the Whittier Bridge Replacement
Project on the Merrimack River in the Town ofAmesbury and City ofNewburyport.
MarineFisheries has reviewed project plans with respect to potential impacts to marine fisheries
resources and habitat. The proposed project consists ofthe replacement ofthe existing Whittier
Bridge with two independent parallel bridges. In-water work will occur within cofferdams.
This section ofthe Merrimack River provides passage and foraging habitat for a variety of
diadromous fish species including alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa
aestivalis), American eel (Anguilla rostrata), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), rainbow smelt
(Osmerus mordax),whit e perch (Morone americana), lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), gizzard
shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), and
shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum). The Merrimack River also provides habitat for
hatchery-raised smolts, juveniles, and retired adult broodstock ofAtlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
[1]. Sections ofthe project area also contain salt marsh, an important habitat for a variety offish
and invertebrate species [2].
MarineFisheries offers the following comments for your consideration:
• MarineFisheries previously recommended in a letter dated September.8, 2011 that the
installation and removal ofthe cofferdams occur outside ofthe March 1 to November 1
time-of-year (TOY) restriction perIod. This recommendation was designed to ensure safe
passage for a variety ofdiadromous· fish species including American shad (Alosa
sapidissima), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), and shortnose sturgeon
(Acipenser brevirostrum). Based on additional project information, cofferdam installation
will be staged to reduce impact by only installing a single cofferdam at any given time. By
avoiding simultaneous installation ofmultiple cofferdams, this project design would limit
the area ofimpact to less than 5 % ofthe river width at any given time. This staging
approach combined with the nature ofthe river bottom at the project site (predominantly
bedrock) should allow for safe passage ofdiadromous fishes during the construction