Silver Lake, in the northern suburbs of Boston, is heavily used for recreational purposes such as swimming, fishing, wildlife viewing, and boating. However, the lake is degraded from nutrients, sediment, and bacteria from the surrounding conventional stormwater systems (which include several direct discharge outlets to the lake) and nonpoint source runoff. Beach closures due to high bacteria counts had become a repeated occurrence. The Ipswich River basin in which Silver Lake sits is a heavily stressed watershed. American Rivers named the Ipswich River the third most endangered river in the country in 2003, reflecting the severe and chronic reductions in flow the river has experienced, mainly due to evapotranspiration rates from development and increased groundwater withdrawals. Long sections of the river had even occasionally dried up altogether.The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) received a demonstration grant from the U.S. EPA's Targeted Watershed Program to demonstrate an integrated approach to addressing the multiple problems facing the Ipswich River. Their goal was to employ innovative techniques to help increase groundwater recharge and base flow. The Town of Wilmington, working with the DCR, wanted to look into ways to minimize polluted stormwater runoff entering Silver Lake, improve the lake's water quality, and minimize the number of beach closings each summer due to bacteria violations. Low impact development (LID) strategies, such as landscaping and design techniques that capture stormwater and recharge it to the groundwater before it enters a surface water body, if employed widely, could potentially assist in meeting these multiple goals.
