📣📣The Mystic Shoreline Revitalization Plan is now available for viewing! Click here to learn more and share your priorities by completing a brief survey, or join us at an upcoming virtual “office hours” session on Wednesday, November 12, 6 PM to 7 PM (Click Here to Register) or Friday, November 14, Noon to 1 PM (Click Here to Register). 📣📣

Mystic shoreline Initiative

The Mystic Shoreline Initiative is an effort to provide universally accessible recreation opportunities along, and improve the ecological health of, the Mystic Lakes and Mystic River in Arlington, Winchester and West Medford.

Background

The shoreline along the Mystic River and Mystic Lakes - which span Arlington, Winchester and West Medford, is a remarkable environmental resource, historical home to indigenous populations , and an invaluable area for land and aquatic recreation. The waters and park spaces are home to regionally significant river herring populations, nesting bald eagles and an enviable forested canopy.  It is also a treasured recreational resource to diverse populations from throughout the region, who find a recreation site at Shannon Beach and the lakes that is welcoming and can host a desired set of activities.

Existing conditions

Although this shoreline has served as a valuable natural resource for human habitation, movement, recreation, and sustenance for millennia, its present condition provides little in the way of delineated access to water, nature, or conservation, exposing it to recreational overuse, erosion and habitat degradation. As demand for equitable access to these resources increases in the face of rising summer temperatures, a comprehensive effort is needed to ensure a resilient and welcoming shoreline for generations to come.

A Collective Effort

Responding to the archaeological and cultural significance of the area, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is fostering thoughtful partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), local municipalities and community members to provide universally accessible recreation opportunities along, and improve the ecological health of, the Mystic Lakes and Mystic River in Arlington, Winchester and Medford. 

Mystic Shoreline Revitalization Plan

Shaped by thousands of comments from hundreds of community members, and guided by a steering committee composed of local residents, the MyRWA completed the Mystic Shoreline Revitalization Plan, which identifies accessibility and ecological improvements for the eastern shoreline of the Mystic Lakes, as well as the Mystic River in West Medford. The work was made possible with generous funding from the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation and an Anonymous donor.

The plan recommends conservation-focused improvements including shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration and stormwater management for the roughly three miles-long area of study. Recreational improvements recommended include an enhanced path network, scenic viewpoints and overlooks, new launches for non-motorized boating, seating, and improved parking demand management. Core to the project’s conceptual plan remains a commitment to uplifting opportunities for cultural and historical features, such as memorials, public art, and educational interpretive signage highlighting the significant ecological and historical value of the area. Read the full report here.

The report will be used as a guiding resource for further project development in the interest of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, its residents and visitors. Over the next few months, MyRWA will be working to prioritize its work in advancement of the plan. Click here to learn more and share your priorities, or join us at an upcoming virtual “office hours” session on Wednesday, November 12, 6 PM to 7 PM (Click Here to Register) or Friday, November 14, Noon to 1 PM (Click Here to Register).

Mystic Lakes Path

In 2024, MyRWA completed a conceptual design and land survey for Mystic Valley Parkway along the eastern shoreline of the Mystic Lakes in Winchester and Medford, incorporating robust community engagement. This work was made possible by a MassTrails grant and a generous contribution from the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation.

As part of this process, MyRWA identified a steering committee of ten residents to help guide the project and ensure a resident-led voice on the conceptual design. A series of public meetings were held between January and June 2024 to solicit public input and guide the design process.

The recommended conceptual design features hundreds of new trees and a new corridor of native understory plantings. Safety and accessibility improvements include a lane width reduction of Mystic Valley Parkway, a multi-use path, and secondary pedestrian footpaths where possible. Several pedestrian crossings of the parkway are also proposed to be redesigned and introduced. Various amenities to enhance the experience visitors to Mystic Lakes State Park include scenic overlooks, non-motorized boat launches, wayfinding and interpretative signage, seating, picnicking areas, and modifications to motor vehicle parking. Read the full report here.

MyRWA is currently working with community members and project stakeholders to advocate for funding of the project’s design development and construction.

Mystic to Minuteman Path

The Mystic to Minuteman project will create a safe, off-road walking and biking route along Mystic Valley Parkway from the Alewife Brook Greenway, along the Lower Mystic Lake to the Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington. In 2022, MyRWA published a feasibility study for the project in partnership with the Town of Arlington and DCR. The project is currently under design development and is funded through construction, courtesy of a Federal Earmark from US Congresswoman Katherine Clark and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

questions, comments, thoughts? please feel free to contact

Karl Alexander, Greenways Program Senior Manager (karl.alexander@mysticriver.org)