Designated Port Areas (DPA) were first created in 1978 by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management to encourage and promote maritime industrial interests. These unique waterfront locations boast characteristics such as deep-water access, established land transportation links, and a significant public utilities infrastructure. Four of the state's eleven Designated Port Areas are found within Boston's Working Port in Chelsea, East Boston, South Boston, and along the Mystic River.

Long the focus of New England's trade and economy, Boston's Working Port generates $2.4 billion in economic impact and provides 34,000 jobs annually. Current industries in the Port of Boston include energy facilities, fish processing, automobile imports, cruise ship terminal, boat building, ship repair, and tow and tugboat operations. Many of these industries have tremendous tradition and economic importance for Boston and the surrounding region. Massport's Fish Pier in South Boston, the oldest continuously working fish pier in the country, is currently fully occupied, with twenty fish processors, admiralty law firms, seafood brokers, and a popular seafood restaurant. Up to fifteen fishing boats dock at the Pier daily. The Fish Auction, held at 6:30 a.m. on days when fishing boats unload their catch, often sets fish prices for the New England area. More than 23 million pounds of fish are processed annually at the Fish Pier, of which 8 million arrive by fishing vessels that dock at the Pier.

Did you know that in 2006…

• The Boston Autoport handled more than 1.3 million tons of general cargo, 1.5 million tons of non-fuels bulk cargo, and 12.8 million tons of bulk fuel cargos?
   
• 283 container ships came into Boston Harbor, averaging more than 600 ship containers processed daily?
   
• More than 11,800 automobiles came into Boston Harbor?
   
• Boston, now considered one of the fastest growing high-end cruise markets, handled 102 cruise vessels with approximately 233,000 cruise passengers coming into South Boston's Black Falcon Cruise Terminal?
   
• The top containerized port cargoes imported into Boston Harbor included furniture, toys, beer and wine, waste paper, and non-alcoholic beverages?
   
• The top containerized port cargoes exported from Boston Harbor included waste paper, synthetic resins, lumber, hides and skins, and beverages?

Chelsea Creek

Chelsea Creek is a critical component of Boston's Working Port. The relatively small, 2.6-miles of waterfront is the entryway for nearly 70% of the fuel oil coming through Boston Harbor. The area provides storage for 100% of the jet fuel used at Boston's Logan International Airport and is also the gateway for the road salt used by nearly 200 communities in Massachusetts and the state-owned roadways. To accommodate these maritime-dependent industrial uses, much of the Chelsea Creek waterfront is in a Designated Port Area (DPA).

Click here to download map in PDF file format
Use your "back" button to return to this page.

Dredging in the Port of Boston

The Port of Boston provides significant economic benefits to the Commonwealth’s residents and businesses. Based on a recent study by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), activities in the Port of Boston generate more than 34,000 jobs and have a $2.4 billion annual economic impact. This significant economic benefit could be jeopardized by the current severe state of shoaling, the gradual shallowing of the Port’s channels, since the economic viability of any port rests in large part on the depths of its navigation channels. If deep draft vessels cannot safely and efficiently transit the harbor to access the Port terminals, significant economic and potentially environmental impacts result. Waterborne transportation of cargo is one of the most environmentally sound transportation alternatives available.

The Army Corps and Massport are currently working together on environmental permits to allow the proposed Inner Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project, which will involve the removal of approximately 1.7 million cubic yards of sediments from the Main Ship Channel between Castle Island and the Inner Confluence, the Inner Reserved Channel, and the Navy Dry Dock Approach Channel. The Army Corps is nearing completion of the development of plans and specifications, with a project start once funding for the project is in place.

The shipping lines frequenting the Port of Boston continue to use larger vessels such that many of the vessels that now call at the Conley Container Terminal require more than 40 feet of water. The Army Corps and Massport are also working together on the feasibility study and permitting process for the Deep Draft Navigation Improvement Project. The current schedule calls for the deep draft navigation improvement project to begin the first part of 2010, subject to getting the necessary permits and funding.
  

The Boston Harbor Association   -   374 Congress Street, Suite 307   -   Boston, MA 02210   -   617-482-1722 (P)   -   617-482-9750 (F)   -   mail@tbha.org