Boston Harbor has always been a great natural resource - even before the arrival of English and European settlers. Local Native Americans fished and planted crops along the coasts of the 30 or so Islands that dot the Harbor. In the early 1600's the Massachusetts Bay Company, a small band of Puritans led by John Winthrop, landed and began settling the area, clearing land for livestock and firewood. Boston Harbor quickly became a busy trading port. By 1660 almost all English imports to New England came through these waters. As a British colony, Boston began to grow in size, laying the scene for the beginnings of the American Revolution one hundred years later.

In 1774 disgruntled conlonists used Boston Harbor as a giant tea cup. The Boston Tea Party, as it is called, happened when colonists thinly disguised as Native Americans stole on board a British ship and threw crate after crate of tea into the water to protest the high taxes which Britain had levied on the import. Once the Revolutionary War broke out in earnest in 1776 Boston Harbor became a crucial battleground. Even after the Revolutionary War and the drafting of the United States Constitution, Boston Harbor and her islands continued to play an important role in civil defense. In the War of 1812, for example, Fort Independence (the fort on Castle Island) protected Boston from British attacks. Even well into the 20^th century Harbor remained an important strategic position. So much so that during World War II the Harbor's entrance was guarded with mines and an underwater torpedo net.

And the Untold Story of Boston's Sewage - uck!

As Boston grew and flourished, however, the city's waste began to exert a toll on the Harbor. In 1876, to handle the growing sewage load, State legislators approved the construction of the Boston Main Drainage System. The new system, built between 1877 and 1884, diverted sewage from 18 cities and towns to Moon Island where it was held for release with the outgoing tide. In 1889 the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) was formed to build a regional sewerage system. It was a national first, and for years Boston had the best sewage system in the country. As advanced as it was, however, the sewage system did not "treat" or clean the sewage at all. The whole mess dumped directly into the Harbor. That meant that by the early 20^th century the Harbor was increasingly polluted. By 1933 all shellfish taken from the harbor required purification and in 1940, planners recommended the construction of treatment plants at each of the harbor's three raw sewage discharge locations: Moon Island, Nut Island and Deer Island.

What are primary and secondary treatment?

The treatment plants, which were completed during the 50's and 60's were a great step forward for Boston, but they were not enough to stop further pollution. The treatment plants only performed primary treatment on the sewage, not secondary treatment, and the facilities were often overloaded. Water quality in the Harbor remained extremely poor. In 1972 the federal government passed the Clean Water Act requiring secondary as well as primary sewage treatment, but Boston failed to update its sewage system to meet those requirements. By the early 80's the media was calling Boston Harbor the "filthiest Harbor in the nation".

Things were brought to a head when a Quincy city solicitor ACTUALLY stepped on a lump of raw sewage (otherwise known as poo) while jogging on a Boston beach. Exasperated by the dismal state of the Harbor he sued Boston in 1985 for violation of the 1972 Clean Water Act. He was successful. The judge ordered the city to begin construction of a new secondary treatment plant and a subsequent court case established a strict schedule for the "Cleanup". Control of the water and sewage systems was transferred to the newly created MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) - you can visit their website to learn more about Boston's invisible network of sewage and water pipes. Save the Harbor/Save the Bay was founded in 1986 by the attorney who brought the initial suit to clean up the Harbor, the judge who heard the case, and the reporter who covered it for the region’s largest newspaper.

In 1998 the new Deer Island treatment plant were completed - you can see its egg-shaped digesters from Logan Airport. Since 1985 the Harbor has become progressively cleaner. Native fish species like smelt, herring, striped bass, and bluefish have returned to the Harbor, and porpoises and harbor seals frolick along the islands. Today the Harbor is well on its way back to being a treasured natural and national resource.

Well, there you go, now you know Boston Harbor a little better!

Return to the Boston Harbor Information Station to learn more about the Harbor!

 

Sources: Kales, Emily and David, All About the Boston Harbor Islands, (USA: Captain George's Inc., 1983)