Did you know that Alewife Brook Reservation was once part of a vast wetland? The Great Swamp they called it. It stretched from Fresh Pond to Spy Pond. Imagine the scene. Swamps teeming with alewives a type of herring. A crucial weir stood near Massachusetts Avenue and Route 16. This area is now Alewife Brook Reservation.
Alewife Brook Reservation a Massachusetts state park is located in Cambridge Arlington and Somerville. It’s managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Established in 1900 it’s named after Alewife Brook also known historically as Menotomy River. The park’s wetlands are vital. They serve as habitats for many birds. You might spot ospreys great blue herons or even woodcocks during their unusual mating rituals.
The ponds here Little Pond Perch Pond and Blair Pond offer spring spawning grounds for anadromous herring. These fish migrate from the Atlantic Ocean. They travel through the Mystic River and into Alewife Brook. The southern end of Alewife Brook Reservation is next to Alewife Station. This is on the MBTA Red Line’s northern end. The Minuteman Bikeway ends at the reservation. The Fitchburg Cutoff Path and Alewife Greenway also run through it.
Railroads have a long history here. The Fitchburg Railroad’s main line was built in 1843. It’s now the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line. The Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad branched off in 1846. Its route is still visible today. It runs under Alewife Brook Parkway. The Watertown Branch Railroad opened in 1851. By 1852 several spurs served local businesses including ice houses near Spy Pond.
In 1909 to 1912 Alewife Brook was straightened and channeled. The Alewife Brook Parkway was built nearby. The Olmsted Brothers firm did the landscaping. A modern addition is a 3.4-acre stormwater management wetland. Opened in 2013 it helps control flooding and improve water quality. This project involved a large-scale wetland restoration. This addressed water pollution and created valuable habitats. The Alewife Greenway a 1.5-mile bike path was finished in 2012. It connects the Mystic River to the Minuteman Bikeway. Alewife Brook Reservation provides a unique blend of nature and history. It’s a vital green space within a bustling urban area. A testament to both nature’s resilience and human efforts to preserve it.