U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Through its responsibilities to manage navigable waterways of the United States the studies, reports and permit applications of the Army Corps of Engineers are a rich source of information about the maritime industry. We hold a number of documents related to these functions, most generated for projects in the New England District:
Civil Works/Navigation Division provides services to water born transportation systems including rivers and harbors
Under its authority under the Clean Water Act, the Corps issues permits for work in the waters of the United States.
The National Archives in Waltham has a trove of documentation of historic Corps activities in New England
Persistent solid materials that are dumped or abandoned in the marine environment are considered marine debris. Items may include plastics, microplastics, derelict fishing gear, abandoned vessels, and wayward cargo containers. In Boston’s dark past, pieces of rotted pilings and refrigerators (seriously!) could be found by the unwary navigator floating just below the water’s surface. Not only can these items be hazards to navigation, they play a significant role in marine wildlife mortality – think whale entanglements in fishing gear, birds caught in six-pack rings, and the plastics found in dolphin bellies.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administers Federal programs to curtail marine debris:
Data on the types and amounts of marine debris can be found at the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project.
Our holdings on this topic include documents from the Army Corps of Engineers, which conducted surveys in anticipation of one-time debris cleanups of Boston Harbor: