301 CMR, § 10.01
The purpose of the Rivers Protection Act (St. 1996, c. 258) is to preserve the natural integrity of rivers and adjacent land for the important values these areas provide to all citizens of the Commonwealth. The Act added a new resource area with performance standards to the Wetlands Protection Act (M.G.L. c. 131, § 40) called the "riverfront area" which extends 200 feet on each side of perennial rivers and streams throughout the Commonwealth, or 25 feet for certain segments of riverfront that are urbanized.
The Rivers Protection Act establishes 25 foot riverfront areas in the following locations: municipalities with a population of 90,000 or more persons; municipalities with a population density greater than 9,000 persons per square mile as determined by the 1990 federal census; along land in Waltham between the Charles River on the north, and Crescent Street and Pine Street on the south, and the intersection of the Charles River and a line extended from the center line of Walnut Street on the west, and the railroad right-of-way now or formerly of the Boston and Maine Railroad on the east (known as the Grover Cronin parcel); and property located at 2 Granite Avenue in Milton shown on Milton assessors Map G, Block 56, Lot 13. 14 municipalities have 25 foot riverfront areas according to these standards: Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Malden, New Bedford, Somerville, Springfield, Winthrop, and Worcester.
Municipalities with smaller populations or lower population densities may establish 25 foot riverfront areas by petitioning the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to designate a "densely developed area". 301 CMR 10.00 implements a uniform process and decision standards by which municipalities may Petition the Secretary for designation of densely developed areas.
301 CMR, § 10.01