The Problem:  Belle Isle Cemetery Erosion

Click on photo to enlarge it.  These photos show the plastic bags filled with trash that were leeching out of the cemetery bank and into Belle Isle Marsh.  The present cemetery is the site of the former town dump.  The site was littered with plastic bags, broken glass, old tires, and all kinds of construction materials illegally dumped there. The Town Meeting of November 14, 2005  appropriated $500,000 for the engineering and construction of improvements needed to stabilize the slope at the Belle Isle Cemetery. 

The Solution:  Stabilization of the Slope

Click on photo to enlarge it. These photos, taken on November 22, 2006 after the project was completed, show the new road along the bank of the marsh with the slope leading up to the cemetery. 

Next: Monitoring of the site

The following photos, taken on December 3, 2006, show the erosion of the new stone dust road, the stone dust pile in the marsh, the continued leeching of dump material from the upper bank, and the general condition of the site. Check this site for a comparison of conditions throughout the winter and spring.  To go to this site, follow Kennedy Drive in Winthrop to the Belle Isle Cemetery and take a left toward the compost area.  Park in the parking area on the outside of the gate and walk west along the road.  You will see the stone dust road on your left.  Bring binoculars and a camera.  The views are spectacular!