Nut Island is a former

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

Boston Harbor Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States. History Since ...

, part of the

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is a national recreation area situated among the islands of Boston Harbor of Boston, Massachusetts. The area is made up of a collection of islands, together with a former island and a peninsul ...

. The island has been connected through a short causeway to the end of

Houghs Neck Houghs Neck is a one-square-mile (2.6 km2) peninsula in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is surrounded by Quincy Bay, Hingham Bay and Rock Island Cove. It is lined by Perry Beach, which runs along Manet Avenue; Nut Island, which is just beyond Great ...

, becoming part of the mainland of

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

. There are recreational trails, benches and a fishing pier on the small island, with multiple signs showcasing its history. The only building on the island is a

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is a public authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides wholesale drinking water and sewage services to certain municipalities and industrial users in the state, primarily in th ...

sewage treatment plant, which screens out grit and large objects before pumping sewage from the south side of the system to the central processing facility at Deer Island through a 4.8 mile deep-bore tunnel. The Nut Island effect is named after this plant, which experienced management problems in the 1980s.

References

Boston Harbor islands Quincy, Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Quincy, Massachusetts Coastal islands of Massachusetts Islands of Norfolk County, Massachusetts {{Boston-geo-stub