The June 10 and 11 Wild and Scenic Run of River Canoe Trip was a great time with high river flows and spectacular weather both days (click on blog title for photos)! Continue reading
Author: Stephen Silva
Enjoy One of the TRWA Upcoming Events
Don’t forget to visit the What’s Happening – Events section of the website to see the information on upcoming events and urge friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues who you think might be interested to do the same:
- Music in the Grove – Sunday, May 28th, 2-5 at Boyden Refuge;
- Overnight Canoe/Kayak Trip – June 10-11 (or either day as a single day trip);
- Angler Education / Family Fishing Day – Sunday, July 16th at Dighton Rock State Park;
- Annual Watershed Photography Contest – Submission deadline is July 15th (see rules and application on website).
TRWA Sampling Volunteers Score Another Complete Data Set For May
The TRWA Sampling Volunteers collected another complete data set from all 19 monitoring locations in May. The results to date for 2017 as well as last year’s results may be found on the Water Quality Monitoring tab.
Spring due to cold water and high flows generally is the time of year with the highest water quality. In May the rivers exceeded the nitrate level of concern by a small amount at three locations and a more significant amount at the Matfield River location. The fact that high flows didn’t cause bacteria problems is very good news reflecting favorably on the hard work municipalities have been doing on sewer system integrity the last few years. The fact that despite high flows nitrate was exceeded or borderline in so many locations underscores the need for the wastewater treatment plant upgrades currently underway at all upper watershed wastewater treatment plants to protect the river and estuary during low flow summer conditions.
From June through October we will want to see how pollution levels change as flow in the rivers decrease and water temperature rises. After two years of drought we are hoping this years summer flows will be more typical. We will also be looking to document any algae blooms. If you see a bloom take a picture with your cameras or smart phones and email it to TRWA (director@savethetaunton.org) along with the date, time, and location it was taken. You can be a Guardian of the Taunton River like our sampling team by documenting problems you see.
TRWA’s next sampling day is Tuesday, June 13, 2017 (second Tuesday of each month).
Register for the June 10 and 11 Wild and Scenic River Run
Don’t forget to plan for and participate in the June 10 and 11 Wild and Scenic River Run Canoe and Kayak trip. Participate in both days and the overnight camp out at the historic Camp Titicut Reservation on Beech St in Bridgewater or either day. For more information see the events section of the website or click on the event flyer.
TRWA Monthly Volunteer Sampling Began April 11th
On Tuesday April 11th TRWA began the 2017 sampling season. Almost 30 trained volunteers sampled all 19 watershed sampling locations. Despite seasonal high flows and dilution we found elevated nitrogen levels at seven locations in April although levels were substantially lower than the peaks measured during last summer’s drought. To see our sampling results for 2017 and 2016 click on the Water Quality Monitoring tab at the top of the home page and then the picture of the sample bottles.
The Taunton River carries a high percentage of treated wastewater during the summer. Water quality and aquatic life diversity has been improving with each improvement in treatment plant effluent quality and sewer system integrity. Fortunately all the major treatment plants in the watershed except Somerset and Fall River whose permits have not been reissued yet are scheduled to remove significant amounts of nitrogen within the next 5 years. Removal of this nitrogen load will result in the next leap in ecological, recreational and economic benefit for the citizens of the watershed. As demonstrated so clearly by the successful Boston Harbor clean up; clean water not only benefits fish and wildlife but people and the economy as well.
The clean up of the Charles River and Boston Harbor now the cleanest urban river and harbor in the nation resulted in a million dollar a year fishing industry, tourism, beach openings, property value growth, and spurred unprecedented economic opportunity in the Boston Seaport District. We are fortunate to be poised to make similar progress in Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River within the next half dozen years once the treatment plants in the watershed achieve their nitrogen removal targets. Many years ago Mount Hope Bay was once famous for its extremely productive and valuable flounder fishery. TRWA volunteer sampler efforts are supporting and monitoring this progress.
Upcoming Events Sponsored by Our Friends at Quequechan River Rail Trail (QRRT) and Fall River Street Tree Planting Program (FRSTPP)
We are pleased to pass along news of some upcoming events from our friends in the lower watershed.
QRRT
April 19 from 3:15 to 5:15
Come walk and learn about the QRRT (Quequechan River Rail Trail) and the history of the mills along the trail and the people that worked in them.
April 22nd from 9 -12
Earth Day River Clean UP
contact: Julie Kelly at jkelly@fallriverma.org
FRSTPP
SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND
8:30 AM North Park, Fall River
Earth Day Clean-up
Tree Planting at BCC (TBA)
FRIDAY, APRIL 28TH – ARBOR DAY!
11 AM Greater Fall River Children’s Museum
Mayor’s Proclamation and Tree Plantings
FRIDAY, APRIL 28TH – ARBOR DAY!
3:30 PM Fall River Public Library
Children’s Room: Please register for a
Reading and Craft Activity!
SATURDAY, MAY 6th
North Park and Highland Avenue
9:30 – 11 AM Tree Walk and ID
with the FR Garden Club and FRSTPP, Inc.
and . . . 10 community street plantings throughout the spring.
In April, we will begin planning our 2nd educational workshop, our ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF TREES, an outdoor workshop for families.
We welcome your participation and ideas.
contact: MaryAnn Wordell (508) 679–8887
Annual Water Quality Sampler Training a Great Success!
The 2017 TRWA Annual Water Quality Training on Saturday 25, 2017 was a great success! Almost all veteran samplers are staying with the program in 2017 and we enlisted many new enthusiastic volunteers. The program has almost 30 volunteers to cover our existing 19 watershed sampling locations giving us the security of having multiple samplers supporting each location. In addition if TRWA fund raising or grant solicitation is successful we have enough volunteers to add some additional sampling locations.
Our trained volunteers are the Guardians of the Taunton River Watershed knowledgeable about how waters are sampled, our month to month sampling results, what the results mean, the challenges facing the river, and what can be done to improve water quality. They not only take monthly samples the second Tuesday of each month for chemical analysis but are always on alert to take photographs of water quality problems such as algae blooms, excess rooted aquatic plant growth, and extremely depleted tributary and river flows.
Anyone can help by emailing photographs of water quality problems to TRWA at: Director@savethetaunton.org. If sending photos please indicate in your cover email the location, date, and time the photo was taken. You can learn about water quality issues in the watershed, see our 2016 monitoring results and water quality report cards at the Water Quality Monitoring tab on the TRWA website home page.
2016 Water Quality Report Card Issued
TRWA issued its 2016 Water Quality Report Card. TRWA monitors 19 locations along the Taunton River and its tributaries. A major concern for the watershed is nutrient pollution from nitrogen. Nitrogen levels in the main stem are often 2-5 times recommended levels and much higher in tributary streams. High nutrient levels fuel algae and rooted aquatic plant blooms limiting biodiversity in the watershed. Currently about 66% of the nitrogen load comes from wastewater treatment plants which are being required to upgrade to remove excessive nitrogen loads from their discharges over the next five years.
Join Us February 25th at 9:45 a.m. to Noon for Annual Water Quality Monitor Training
Algae bloom on the Town River in Bridgewater
Become a “Guardian of the Taunton River Watershed“. Join us Saturday, February 25, 2017, 9:45 a.m. to 12 noon for our volunteer monitor training. (In case of inclement weather, the make-up date will be: Saturday, March 4, 2017, 9:45 a.m. to 12 noon.) Learn how waters are sampled, what the results mean, the challenges facing the river, and how water quality can be improved.
We are seeking additional volunteers to assist in expanding the water quality monitoring program in the Taunton River and its major tributaries. The training will be held in the Visitors’ Center at the Gertrude M. Boyden Wildlife Refuge, 1298 Cohannet Street, Taunton. Admission is free of charge. Coffee and doughnuts will be served.
Volunteers who sampled sites in previous years must attend this training session for an update on the latest sampling procedures. To give new volunteers additional training in the field, we will be matching newcomers with experienced monitors as we assign team members to specific sites.
The session will be conducted by Steve Silva and Alex Houtzager, Coordinators of TRWA’s Sampling Program. No prior technical experience is necessary what we do is important but not difficult. This is a great opportunity to learn techniques of testing pollutant levels in our waterways and to enjoy dawn with the inhabitants of our rivers and streams.
Sampling at stream sites is done from March to November, depending on the weather, on the 2nd Tuesday morning of each month. Samples are taken to the Taunton Wastewater Treatment Plant for analysis. During the training session, we will verify the sampling sites to be used for testing.
You must be willing to commit about two hours each month to do this testing; however, we hope to have sufficient members on each sampling location team to provide back-up coverage for vacations, illness or other times. On sampling days, we collect samples from designated sites between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. so that the water samples may be delivered to the laboratory at the Taunton Wastewater Treatment Plant by 8:30 a.m.
Your participation will bolster TRWA’s efforts to track water quality at selected sites along the Taunton River and several tributaries. This monitoring program provides important information on the health of the watershed which has informed regulatory activities. Most of all, we want people to be safe, have fun, and learn by participating. For more information go to the TRWA website home page http://savethetaunton.org/ and click on the Water Quality Monitoring Tab.
To register for the training session, e-mail us: Director@savethetaunton.org
Or call the TRWA office at 508-828-1101 for more information. (If you reach
our voice-mail, please leave a message and we will get back to you.)
Taunton River Watershed Alliance
1298 Cohannet Street
Taunton MA 02780
TRWA Annual Meeting on November 5th
On November 5th we celebrated our 2016 accomplishments at the TRWA Annual Meeting! Joseph Callahan TRWA president thanked the many members present and gave a brief synopsis of 2016 highlights. Joe was pleased to extend a warm welcome to our special guests Mayor Thomas Hoye, and the student from Friedman Middle School in Taunton who received a Special Achievement Award.
The membership unanimously approved the proposed slate or TRWA Director nominees and we welcomed Rachel Thibeault of Brockton as out newest Director. Jen O’Keefe long time TRWA Calendar coordinator volunteer introduced the 2017 TRWA Tide Calendar, and the winners of this years photography contest. We are always very proud of this useful popular calendar, see our website for information on how to order your 2017 calendar or call our office to see if we still have copies for pick up!
Steve Silva thanked the monitoring volunteers and described the very high level of volunteer support in 2016 which produced our most complete data set in years. Steve presented a brief PowerPoint presentation (also available on the Monitoring Tab of our website if you click the sample bottles picture) summarizing the extremely high levels of in-stream nitrogen measured; sadly many times over what any reasonable target (sometimes called a water quality criterion) might be for a river that flows to an estuary. The hope is wastewater treatment plant upgrades currently in the works and better application of nitrogen fertilizers will bring nitrogen in the estuary down to environmentally protective levels in 4 to 6 years.
The featured presentation was the report by Patty Levasseur, the Biologist in charge of the TRWA supported monitoring of “Turtles in Assonet Bay”. We learned a great deal from this study including where and when to sample and optimum collection techniques. This information will be invaluable for conduct of a follow-up study in 2017. The goal of the project is to determine to what extent these turtles are endangered and if they are threatened what measures can help them.
After the meeting members had fun touring the Bristol County Agricultural High School’s fascinating museum and biology exhibits.