Float on: Natick ready to build boardwalk across Pickerel Pond

And we’ll all float on, okay—”Float On” by Modest Mouse
 
As Natick removes one artificial structure at the Charles River dam in South Natick to restore the waterway, it is readying installation of a human-made floating boardwalk across Pickerel Pond to provide greater access to nature.

The 5-foot-wide, 195-foot long bridge will link the trails at the north and south sides of the pond, and the Oakdale and Wethersfield neighborhoods. The town describes the bridge as being as long as 13 cars end to end… there may be that many in the woods nearby to test that measurement out.

 
The new Natick boardwalk is sort of a mini version of the half-mile one that’s part of Marlborough’s Lake Williams trail.

 
The Pickerel Pond connector will save trails users from having to leave the site, walk a mile on Oak Street, and re-enter the other end of the trail system.

Natick’s boardwalk will feature floating panels anchored in the mud below, aluminum safety handrails, and wooden stairs anchored into the hillside. This approach to a connector is way less expensive than going with a full-blown boardwalk, according to the town. A bunch of native plants will be added to restore disturbed areas, according to the town.

The town awarded a contract to United Contracting for $279k, with money coming from a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the state, plus mitigation funds from MathWorks for off-road connectivity. A more traditional style of wooden boardwalk would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more, according to the town. Ongoing maintenance costs associated with the boardwalk are expected to be minimal, the town says.

Construction is slated to start in late August, and the hope is that it will be usable by this fall. A second phase of construction will focus on stairs, vegetation management, restoration plantings, and depending upon the weather, could proceed in the spring.

You can keep tabs on the Pickerel Pond connector via the town website.

 
While some might see irony in the town adding a floating bridge across Pickerel Pond even as it removes the big bad spillway from the Charles, that’s something of an apples to oranges, or maybe beavers to voles, kind of comparison.

Natick Environmental Planner/Conservation Agent Claire Rundelli says the Conservation Commission “does have to balance their roles as environmental stewards and regulators and the deed holders of public recreation land. In this regard there was a desire from the Natick community for this connection, as the proposed connection between the North and South trail systems was identified as a priority action in the 2020 Open Space and Recreation Plan Update. The proposed connection also supports the Open Space, Recreation and Natural Resource Goals of the Town’s 2030+ Master Plan.”

Rundelli says the Pickerel Pond project has been designed to minimize environmental impact. The shortest route possible was chosen, for example, and building a floating boardwalk rather than a more traditional one will shorten the construction period.

“The floating boardwalk means that there is very limited disturbance needed within the wetland resource areas. Traditional boardwalks built on piers require in-water work by contractors, while the floating boardwalk sections can be brought to their locations by boat without a need for workers to be in the water.

The boardwalk design takes critters into consideration. Solid handrails will be installed rather than rope ones to lessen the chances of wildlife getting stuck in it. Waterfowl will be able to swim under either end of the bridge.

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