Upper Coonamessett River Wetlands Complex Restoration Project

On Sept 16, 2025, the ribbon-cutting celebration at the Upper Coonamessett River Wetland Restoration Complex brought together tribal leaders, agency staff, nonprofits, and community members to reflect on the project’s accomplishments and its broader meaning. The speakers emphasized that this effort represents not only the restoration of habitat but also a renewal of civic commitment to steward our shared landscapes for generations to come. The project was recognized with separate citations from the Massachusetts State Senate and House.

(You can watch a recording of ceremony by clicking this link or by watching embedded video below)

Here are some aspects of the ceremony that stuck out for me.

Cultural and Civic Restoration

David Weeden Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe shared many wise words, notably that "ecological restoration is not just a scientific endeavor but also a civic and cultural one... it requires more than removing physical barriers but removing institutional silos... restoring this river is not just about fish passage—it’s about cultural passage... Our shared landscape deserves our shared care.”

Nature’s Resilience

Tom O’Shea, Commissioner of Fish and Game, remarking about how vibrantly the native vegetation community responded within months of construction, “Nature has this way—with our help—of coming back that just astounds us...".

Partnership and Perseverance

Andrew Gottlieb of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod highlighted the collective strength behind the project: “Nothing good happens by accident, it takes a lot of work ... perseverance ... and vision to conceive of and pull off a project of this sort. While we are all necessary, by ourselves none of us is sufficient to get anything like this done". In other words strength of partnership is key.

Adaptation to shifting Federal Landscape

While federal funding streams may be shifting, Gottlieb emphasized that the choice is ours: we can either lament the changes or adapt to them. He reminded the audience that “all these projects are local” and urged us to draw inspiration from the success at Coonamessett, recognize the realities of a changing world, and take strength in knowing the work is for the betterment of the community.

The Power of Connection

As Commissioner O’Shea noted, "it’s really important that we are connecting people to nature.” The Upper Coonamessett River project demonstrates the power of connections—between people and nature, between culture and ecology, and across agencies and community partners.

Notable Outcomes

As Betsy Glatfelter reported, the project has already achieved significant outcomes:

• Removal of seven barriers to fish passage
• Restoration of 18.5 acres of wetland vegetation
• Creation of a 0.6-mile ADA-accessible loop trail for people of all ages and abilities
• Engagement of citizen scientists in annual herring counts ~40K fish.
• Active involvement of Falmouth Public Schools in education and monitoring
• 300 committee nature walks
• Atlantic white cedar plantings.
• Interpretive signs highlighting Wampanoag culture.
• Initial conservations around planning of a cultural respect easement for the Wampanoag Tribes are being held.