Dam Removals in Massachusetts

Tuesday, May 28 at 6:30 pm at the Conant Free Public Library, 4 Meetinghouse Hill Road in Sterling, MA

Across New England, aging and unsafe dam infrastructure has led to an increase in dam removals. These dam removals can provide significant public safety and ecological benefits, from a reduced risk of flooding to restored river connectivity. Supported by the MA Division of Ecological Restoration, the Nashua River Watershed Association is offering an educational talk about dam removals in Massachusetts, covering a general overview of why and how unsafe dams are removed, and what changes you might expect to see in your community as a result.

Registration required; register online through the library or call 978-422-6409.

Questions? Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., NRWA Watershed Scientist.

This presentation is free and open to the public, made possible in part by a grant from the MA Division of Ecological Restoration.

Wild and Scenic River Stories

The Ingenuity of Aquatic Plants: Beauty, Resilience and Entrapment

Monday, May 20, 2024, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, at the Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main Street in Lancaster, MA

Once one of the ten most polluted rivers in the United States, the Nashua River has again become a healthy habitat for a diverse population of plants and animals through the restoration efforts of the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) and local communities. The river’s biodiversity and its history of restoration are two elements that qualified the Nashua River to be designated as part of the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System in 2019.

Join Nashua River Watershed Association Environmental Educator Gaynor Bigelbach as we take a closer look at our water ecosystem and “The Ingenuity of Aquatic Plants: Beauty, Resilience, and Entrapment”. This presentation will be made on Monday, May 20 at 6:30 pm at Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main Street in Lancaster, MA. We’ll explore the fascinating adaptations found in some of our common aquatic plants. Discover how Scented Water Lily pads stay afloat even during a downpour, why Pickerel Weed leaves are the perfect shape to shed water, and how the diminutive Bladderwort sets a deadly trap. After a short talk with original photographs from local wetlands, participants will use botany loupes and microscopes for a hands-on examination of aquatic plant specimens.

Registration is required, space is limited. Register online with the library or call 978-368-8928.

This free public program is funded through the generous support of the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit River Wild & Scenic Stewardship Council. The mission of the Council is to preserve, protect, and enhance the outstandingly remarkable resource values of the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers and their tributaries. Learn more at: wildandscenicnashuarivers.org.

Hickory Hills Lake Lunenburg: Rivers Month Volunteer Opportunity!

Volunteer Invasive Purple Loosestrife Plant Removal

Saturday, June 22 from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at Hickory Hills Lake, 19 Island Road in Lunenburg, MA

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS! Opportunity for Ages 14 and up

Join friends and neighbors as we celebrate Rivers Month 2024 with a volunteer invasive purple loosestrife plant removal on the shorelines of Hickory Hills Lake in Lunenburg, MA. The event will take place from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Volunteers will hand pull plants on the shoreline of the lake in order to improve the waterfront ecosystem. This plant invades marshes and lakeshores, replacing natural wetland plants and impacting habitat for local wildlife. 

We’ll meet at 9:45am at 19 Island Road in Lunenburg (map below). Some tools and work gloves will be available for use, but if possible, volunteers are asked to bring their own loppers, pruning shears, and work gloves. Please dress for the weather, consider long sleeves, long pants and a hat. If you can wear rubber boots, muck boots, or waders that will allow access to more plants; otherwise wear sturdy shoes. Consider bug repellent, and sunscreen. Be sure to bring drinking water. 

This volunteer event is for ages 14 and up. Youth under age 18 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

This event is hosted by the Nashua River Watershed Association, with support from the US Department of Agriculture, and in partnership with the Hickory Hills Landowners, Inc.

Registration is required for planning purposes. Register online today! Thank you!

Celebrate Rivers!  Celebrate Lunenburg!  Celebrate Community!

Click image or this link for Google Map to Hickory Hills Lake event meet-up location at 19 Island Road in Lunenburg.

 Hickory Hills Lake photo by John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Wild & Scenic River Stories: Fisher, Beaver, and Bear

Thursday, May 30, 2024 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm
at the Ashby Free Public Library, 812 Main Street in Ashby

View a video preview of our River Stories Program.

Once one of the ten most polluted rivers in the United States, the Nashua River has once again become a thriving wildlife habitat through the restoration efforts of the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) and local communities. 

Join us for a free interpretive presentation about the behavior and physical adaptations of three of our larger mammals who depend on the landscapes and habitat of our nationally recognized Wild & Scenic Rivers, the Nashua, the Squannacook & the Nissitissit.

Using her locally filmed video and photographs, paired with footage from her network of motion sensitive cameras, NRWA Educator Gaynor Bigelbach will take participants behind the scenes of the lives of these animals. Learn about their behavior, how they are perfectly adapted to their environment, why our wild and scenic rivers create healthy habitat for these animals, and how we can live alongside them without conflict.

Questions? Please contact Heather Perry at Ashby Free Public Library, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 978-386-5377.

This free public program is presented by the NRWA in partnership with and funded by the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit River Wild & Scenic Stewardship Council. Learn more at: wildandscenicnashuarivers.org.

Fundamentals of Dam Removal for Dam Owners and Municipalities

 Questions? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., NRWA Restoration and Land Programs Associate, or call (978) 448-0299.

Climate Impact in the Nashua River Watershed: What is Happening and Actions We Can Take

Free Five Part Speaker Series

In 2022, the NRWA presented this speaker series on “Climate Impact in the Nashua River Watershed: What is Happening and Actions We Can Take”. Each presentation was recorded and is available for viewing thru links on this page or on our YouTube channel. 

2022 Presentations

Climate Change in the Nashua River Watershed with Dr. Elizabeth Gordon, Earth and Geographic Sciences, and Dr. Christopher Picone, Ecology and Environmental Science, both professors from Fitchburg State University. During the presentation, Dr. Picone spoke about an easy online tool that individuals can use to estimate their household carbon footprint, that is the CoolClimate Calculator, created through the University of California, Berkeley.  View recording of presentation. 

Getting to Know the Soils of Massachusetts and Why It Matters with Dr. Ralph S. Baker, Ph.D. in soil physics. Soils are not all created equal. Understanding how they differ, and why, is important if we’re to recognize their key role in a changing climate. Ralph introduces how the soils of Massachusetts are arranged on the landscape, where soils information can readily be obtained, as well as answering such questions as what soils sequester the most carbon in Massachusetts?  You may also be interested in viewing the Supplemental Materials prepared by Dr. Baker, which includes supporting materials for his slides, including web links to additional resources. View recording of presentation.

Wild Resilience with Jon Liebowitz, Executive Director, and Sophie Ehrhardt, Wildlands Partnership Coordinator, both from Northeast Wilderness Trust, spoke about the ways that wilderness can aid with both mitigating and adapting to a changing climate, including resilience, biodiversity, and carbon storage. There is also a list of Supplemental Materials which provides links to materials referenced in the video, as well as additional resources suggested by the speakers. View recording of presentation.

Impacts of Climate Change on Our Rivers and Streams with Sarah Widing, PE, Senior Water Resources Engineer at Inter-Fluve.  Climate change is causing – and will cause – varied and diverse changes to our rivers and streams. Every process that contributes to what we understand to be the river will be affected: precipitation, groundwater, vegetation, soils, human interventions. Sarah discusses some ways that the engineering and restoration design communities are responding to the impacts of climate change and incorporating future uncertainty into design.  View recording of presentation.

Torrential Rains from Slow Moving Tropical Systems:  Is This Part of the New Normal? with David Vallee, Hydrologist-in-Charge at National Weather Service/NOAA Northeast River Forecast Center. During this final presentation in our 2022 series, David reviews the current state of precipitation, temperature, and flood frequency in our region, and looks at how the behavior of our tropical systems has changed leading to more frequent events like Florence, Henri, and Ida. He showcases the new services NWS is working on: real-time forecast flood inundation services. View recording of presentation.

Additionally, in October 2019, Dr. William Moomaw Emeritus Professor of International Environmental Policy and Founding Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School, spoke at the NRWA on the topic of “Watersheds: Mitigating and Adapting to a Changing Climate”.  View video of Dr. Moomaw's presentation.

For more reading about climate change in the Nashua River watershed, be sure to visit the Climate Impact section on our website by clicking on What We Do in the main menu bar, then click on Climate Impact in the dropdown menu.

About the Speakers in this Series

Dr. Elizabeth Gordon

Dr. Elizabeth Gordon is a Professor in the Earth and Geographic Sciences Department at Fitchburg State University.  She teaches courses focused on atmospheric and ocean sciences including Oceanography, Meteorology, and Climatology, and co-teaches a course on Climate Change and Human History. Liz has a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Christopher Picone

Dr. Christopher Picone has been a professor of Ecology and Environmental Science at Fitchburg State University since 2004.  He serves on several conservation committees in Ashburnham, and recently joined the NRWA Board of Directors. Chris has a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Ralph S. Baker, Ph.D.

Dr. Ralph S. Baker has served on the NRWA’s Board of Directors for over 15 years, and currently is Vice President.  He chairs the NRWA’s Climate Change Committee.  He also has served on the Fitchburg Greenway Committee for over 15 years.  In 2016 he convened the Fitchburg Trails Vision Committee, which he chaired. Their Fitchburg Trails Vision Plan, a master plan for the non-motorized recreational trails in Fitchburg was completed in 2020.  He also serves on the city of Fitchburg’s Conservation Commission.  A soil scientist, Dr. Baker earned a Ph.D. in soil physics from the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1989.  He co-founded TerraTherm, Inc. in 2000, and was its CEO, Chairman and Chief Scientist, designing and carrying out hazardous waste cleanup projects throughout the world. He retired in 2015, after a career focused on the cleanup of toxic organic chemicals in soil and groundwater. 

Jon Liebowitz

Jon Liebowitz is the Executive Director of Northeast Wilderness Trust based in Montpelier VT.  He has worked in the field of private land conservation since graduating from Vermont Law School in 2011 with a Juris Doctor and a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy. Prior to joining Northeast Wilderness Trust, Jon was the Executive Director of Montezuma Land Conservancy in Cortez, Colorado. He serves on the Rewilding Leadership Council, the Steering Committee of Wildland and Woodlands, and the Board of Vermont Parks Forever.

Sophie Ehrhardt

Sophie Ehrhardt coordinates the Wildland Partnership and Wild Carbon Project at Northeast Wilderness Trust. She is focused on protecting the forests and waters of the Northeast for all species that reside there, and on playing a role in addressing climate change. Sophie has a Masters degree in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. 

Sarah Widing

Sarah Widing has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master's degree in Water Resources engineering, both from Tufts University. She has over 18 years of experience in private consulting and engineering design specializing in surface water. Her background includes floodplain modeling and mapping, stormwater management permitting and design, stream-crossing design (critter-friendly design), and dam safety. She is currently employed at Inter-Fluve, an interdisciplinary ecological restoration design firm that specializes (on the East Coast) in dam removals and cranberry bog restorations. She is currently an active member of the Town of Shirley Planning Board, and recently joined the NRWA Board of Directors.

David Vallee

David Vallee is the Hydrologist-in-Charge of the National Weather Service’s Northeast River Forecast Center and Acting Chief, Water Resources Service Branch. The center provides detailed water resource and life-saving flood forecasting services to National Weather Service Forecast Offices and the hundreds of federal, state and local water resource entities throughout the Northeast and New York. David has worked for the National Weather Service for over 30 years, serving in a variety of positions including Senior Service Hydrologist at the Taunton Weather Forecast Office from 1993-2000 and as Science and Operations Officer from 2001-2006. David has extensive experience leading hydrometeorological forecast and warning operations and directing weather research and training programs. David’s research activities span a variety of topics including flooding, severe weather forecasting and orographically enhanced heavy rainfall in southern New England. He has been leading an effort at the Northeast River Forecast Center to examine changes in precipitation and temperature patterns across New England and their impact on flood behavior.