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Author: Monica Bentley
Volunteer of the Month: Priscilla Chapman
Priscilla Chapman, longtime TRWA board member and watershed advocate is TRWA’s December volunteer of the month. She completed her two-year term as the president of TRWA in November with a surprise bouquet of flowers and thank you’s from the board. As one of her last presidential duties she conducted TRWA’s annual meeting via Zoom, a major accomplishment. Participating via Zoom was a major achievement to some of TRWA’s members too. Priscilla will remain on the board so she can give more time to her first love, watershed advocacy.Our board members have commented on Priscilla’s advocacy. As each member gives examples of her work, you will get a sense of how long, determined and persistent her devotion to protecting the watershed have been.
Incoming TRWA president Joe Callahan says, “Priscilla is and remains hopefully for many years a great advocate for TRWA and the watershed. She has given so much of her time to TRWA and deserves much recognition. She is a terrific writer and is expert on MEPA* wetlands regulations. It is her forte. I want to thank her for her years of dedication and urge her to continue in her advocacy work. She is a great asset to lean on.”
*MEPA is the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, and its regulations are complicated and crucially important in the watershed https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-environmental-policy-act-office
Longtime board member Alex seconds Joe sentiments. He says that she was a great help and lent much of her time in helping him fight the shopping mall which was planned in Freetown several years back on an area that was a known coal ash pit near the Assonet Bay in an area that was also known diamondback terrapin habitat. This was a very emotional topic in Freetown for some time, and the shopping center eventually was not built, and that part of the diamondback terrapin habitat remained. Read more about this story here.
Fellow board member Craig Heffernan adds, “She’s a wealth of information on issues facing the watershed. Her work on advocacy is second to none.”
Steve Silva, TRWA’s water quality testing program director says, “Priscilla has been a backbone volunteer for TRWA both during my six-year involvement with the organization and from what I’ve learned many years before that.
Using her experience from being on the Fall River Conservation Commission, she prepares thoughtful comments on development projects in the watershed.
She stepped in to be President for two years when we really needed her. She has done some big projects like the Stream Continuity Study Report which she worked on with Mass Audubon. She has done (and continues to do) so much for TRWA!”
Carol Traverse concludes, “Priscilla’s letters and comments regarding the Wetlands Protection Act are top notch. When we get a call from someone concerned with a proposed project near the river or wetlands, Priscilla always gets in touch with them or visits the site to assess the person’s concerns.
I don’t think people realize how much she has done for TRWA because she has gone about things so quietly.”
She was also on the study committee to establish forty miles of the Taunton River as Wild and Scenic. Achievement of that status has been very important to the river’s preservation.
So, thank you to Priscilla for stepping in as president when she was needed and now for continuing with the environmental advocacy that is so important and we look forward to your contributions to TRWA’s continuing advocacy work.
Snake River at Bay Road, Norton
Snake River at Bay Road, upstream at Winnecunnet Pond, Norton, MA
Snake River at Bay Road, downstream
Snake River at Bay Road, put-in
Finally! A river that looks like it’s not going to put me under. You always want to do the Snake River at high water and now looks like the perfect opportunity. I can’t wait to give it a try.
I’ll be posting more locations over the next few days. Stay tuned.
~Monica Bentley
TRWA River Guide
Taunton River at Summer Street
Taunton River at Summer St, upstream
Taunton River at Summer St, downstream
Taunton River at Summer St, put-in
The Taunton River at Summer Street seems pretty tame compared to some of the other put-ins I’ve checked out in the past couple weeks. Don’t get me wrong, there is a fairly strong current and you should be prepared to work if you go downstream and want to come back up. Just be aware that further downstream the little flurry of quickwater at the Titicut St bridge isn’t just a little flurry any more. It’s a class 3 right now so wear your helmet and wetsuit!
I’ll be posting more locations over the next few days. Stay tuned.
~Monica Bentley
TRWA River Guide
Taunton River at Titicut Street bridge
Taunton at Titicut St, upstream
Taunton at Titicut St, downstream
Taunton at Titicut St put-in
This is one of my favorite put-ins for a group trip. Usually there is 6-8ft of beach and wide enough to fit 12-15 kayaks easily. This week, there’s no beach … and the water is really moving. What’s usually a little flurry under the bridge might be now classified as a class 3 rapid. Be aware of this spot should you decide to put in at Summer St on the Taunton, Murdoch St on the Nemasket or anywhere further up the Nemasket River.
If you want to see the video to see how fast it’s moving click here.
The downside to this put-in is the lack of parking. People have to load/unload in the street with cars & trucks whizzing by and the path down to the put-in is full of poison ivy.
I’ll be posting more locations over the next few days. Stay tuned.
~Monica Bentley
TRWA River Guide
Fast current, low bridges and cold water
 Nemasket at Plymouth St looking upstream |
 Nemasket at Plymouth St looking downstream |
 Historic Plymouth St bridge over the Nemasket River |
If you want to see the video to see how fast it’s moving click here.
Over the past few days I’ve been out checking river conditions and – I can’t believe I’m saying this – but I’m glad it’s too cold to paddle. The river conditions are pretty scary. And I’m one who likes to be out at the end of March or early April! We usually do our first trip on the upper Nemasket because it’s wide and calm. But the currents this year are a bit faster than normal due to all the rain. Plus – we can’t shuttle back up the river with the CDC corona virus guidelines.
This is the lower Nemasket River at Plymouth Street. The current is quick, and trying to get under this bridge with its headspace that slopes down as you go through would be pretty treacherous. There is a set of steps that you could use to launch and the bottom step is about 6 foot long. That step is currently about a foot under (cold) water.
I’ll be posting more locations over the next few days. Stay tuned.
~Monica Bentley
TRWA River Guide
Surprising Terrapin (turtle) News
A riverfront resident called yesterday (June 22, 2019). He had six female terrapins crawling around his yard looking to nest. He grabbed them for us. Melissa and I collected and processed them right away. (George was away for a family hike in New Hampshire this weekend. He’s going to be very jealous when he finds out.) Two were already PIT tagged (i.e., recaptures).
Upon entering their data we found the following;
- We now have 73 marked individual terrapins in the Lower Taunton River.
- We now have three recaptures. Still a small number, but we tripled our total this weekend – thanks to this resident.
- The “first” recaptured animal, 7041, was caught last year in the same yard after she nested on June 19, 2018. Her shell measurements are very similar to last year’s. (Differences are likely due to individual observer differences in reading the calipers – 0.5%-2% differences. Her mass was 13% (200g) greater this year. This is at least partially due to her still being gravid.
- The second recapture is 7053. We counted her with eight annuli last year and (thankfully) counted 9 on her yesterday. She processed very similarly to 7041 – shell metrics within 2% and was 9% (100g) heavier this year. HOWEVER, there was something VERY exciting! In 2018 we caught her in a trap in Broad Cove.
We have been wondering about the movements of terrapins between Broad Cove and Assonet Bay turtles and their movements up and down the river. At some point since last year, 7053 moved from Broad Cove to Assonet Bay. When did she get to Assonet Bay? Did she do so just to reach this particular nesting area? If so, why? There is a nice nesting area, use by several terrapin, in Broad Cove? How long will she stay?
All six turtles were released back at the same yard by the end of the day.
If you happen to see any terrapins (turtles) trying to nest in your yard please notify TRWA at director@savethetaunton.org or 508-828-1101. We would love to add more to our study. They are endangered and can use a little help with safe nesting areas.
PS: Update – we are now up to 88 marked turtles!
Paddling the Mattapoisett River
What a beautiful day we had May 12th on the Mattapoisett River. It reached a gorgeous 70 degrees after rain overnight. Flowers and ferns were popping up everywhere. We even saw an Oriole! And, we met a few people who were practicing for the River Run on Memorial Day in their homemade wooden boats.
Twelve paddlers came to enjoy a very narrow river that had so many twists and turns it really challenged your skills. And, towards the end was a surprise stretch of quick water. (Leaders don’t give those secrets away!) Many were hesitant approaching it but once a few brave souls went down everyone joined in and had a blast going through. We’ll be back next week to pick up where we left off and head down to Route 6 in Mattapoisett.
Biodiversity Day at Sweets Knoll State Park
Please join us this Saturday, May 11 at Sweets Knoll State Park at 1387 Somerset Avenue (Rt. 138) in Dighton to explore the property and identify the species of plants and animals who call this lovely riverside area home. Several biologists and botanists will be on hand to help us out. The event begins at 9 a.m. and will continue through mid-afternoon.
As you may be aware, the state park extends from Somerset Avenue (Route 138) down to the Taunton River. It includes grassland, woodland and shoreline habitats.
All are welcome — no special expertise required. We look forward to seeing you.