Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the NRWA rent canoes and kayaks?
A: No, but we’d be happy to refer you to local outfitters who do and to provide you with ideas of great places to paddle. Don’t forget to consider buying an NRWA Canoe and Kayak Guide for maps of the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers and information on put ins, hazards, and what you might see during your paddle.
Q: Is the NRWA a governmental agency?
A: No, we are not a governmental, regulatory, or enforcement entity. The NRWA is an independent 501( c )(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the natural resources within our geographic region as defined by the watershed of the Nashua River. The NRWA works closely with federal, state and local government officials and agencies to forward our mission. As a non-profit, the NRWA depends on the support of members, donors, and grantmakers (including some government grants).
Q: What is a watershed?
A: Click here. The NRWA uses the term “watershed” to define both the geographic region in which we work as well as our approach to protecting resources, i.e. melding projects to further good land use choices in order to protect water quality and forming inter-municipal and inter-state coalitions to act on a regional landscape.
Q: Does the NRWA purchase land for conservation?
A: While it has been NRWA’s decision to date not to seek to hold land in fee or Conservation Restriction on land, it is not prohibited by our by-laws. In cases of last resort where no other eligible conservation entity will hold a Conservation Restriction, the NRWA may consider doing so. View NRWA General Policy on Conservation Restrictions. Although the NRWA does not itself hold land, the NRWA works in partnership with other entities to facilitate the protection of priority parcels.
Q: Are the rivers safe to swim in?
A: Although the NRWA would not generally recommend swimming in the Nashua River due to continuing issues with non-point source pollution, there are many places to swim in the watershed. Most towns and cities in the watershed maintain town beaches on their ponds. Some of these beaches are open to the general public and some are restricted to town residents. The Town Clerk will provide you with information on access to area ponds in any given town.
Q: Is it safe to eat fish (bass, panfish, catfish, etc.) caught in the Nashua River?
A: MA Fish Consumption Advisories
A: NH Freshwater Fish Consumption Guidelines
NRWA 50th Anniversary Celebration!
It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Nashua River Watershed Association! Join our year-long celebration!
We are proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made restoring our rivers, protecting their greenways, and inspiring tomorrow’s stewards. We look forward to our collective future—working together to protect this beautiful place we call home.
Free Community Program Series
We want to celebrate with you, and we’re offering opportunities to paddle on our rivers, hike on our trails, tour our cities, and observe our wildlife. In 2019, there will be a free program in each of our 32 communities. Everyone is invited to attend. Come to one program or come to all!
View our 50th Anniversary Calendar of Free Community Programs. For details on specific programs, view our Upcoming Programs and Events.
Anniversary Video Series
We've made a series of short videos to share our story with you. Watch for more chapters to come.
Chapter 1: The Beginning (2:38 min.)
Chapter 2: Protecting Water (2:28 min.)
Chapter 3: Protecting Land (2:20 min.)
Chapter 4: Providing Education (release date Dec. 19)
Chapter 5: Supporting Recreation (release date Dec. 26)
Chapter 6: Looking Forward (release date Dec. 29)
Timeline
Together, over the past five decades, we have had tremendous impact. View the Timeline highlighting our progress. NRWA has always served as a forward-thinking, regional leader, with both the deep-rooted knowledge of our watershed, and the connections and expertise to collaborate with hundreds of partners—state and federal legislators and agencies, local communities, schools, businesses, land trusts, outdoor sporting groups, and sister organizations. The breadth of this work cannot be accomplished alone. We are deeply grateful to the thousands of members and volunteers—like you—who make these achievements possible. Thank you!! Celebrate what we’ve accomplished together!!
Thank you to all of the businesses that are supporting our 50th Anniversary celebration!
Presenting Sponsor
Anniversary Sponsors
Event Sponsors
Anniversary Friends
Better Homes & Gardens, The Masiello Group
Bob Feldman, Marketing and Sales Advisor
Durand and Anastas Environmental Strategies
Greatscapes by R&R Landscaping
The Groton Inn and Forge & Vine
Jeff & Sons Carpentry
Maureen Giattino
Rotary Club of Groton-Pepperell
Shirley Package Store
Thank you to those who provided images for our 50th Anniversary Calendar of Free Community Programs. Cover: Great blue heron by Harvey Serreze. Back cover: Cindy Knox Photography. Interior (in calendar order): Nashua River in winter by Bill Nickerson; family eco-adventures by Gaynor Bigelbach; Baltimore oriole by Harvey Serreze; curious about nature by Gaynor Bigelbach; fishing on the Nashua River by Martha Morgan; Marion Stoddart kayaking by Nancy Ohringer; and River Classroom canoes on the Squannacook River by Nancy Ohringer.
Contact Nashua River Watershed Association
Mailing address:
Nashua River Watershed Association
592 Main Street
Groton, MA 01450-1230
Phone: (978) 448-0299
General email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Individual staff emails
Regular office hours are Monday thru Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
(with the exception of holidays and special occasions)
For a Google Map and directions to the NRWA River Resource Center.
For questions or comments about this website, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Privacy Policy
Introduction
We have created this statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy. We do not collect personally identifying information about you when you visit our site, unless you choose to provide such information to us. Providing such information is strictly voluntary. This policy is your guide to how we will handle information we learn about you from your visit to our Web site.
Use of Links
Throughout our Web pages, we provide links to other servers which may contain information of interest to our readers. We take no responsibility for, and exercise no control over, the organizations, views, or accuracy of the information contained on other servers. Creating a text link from your Web site to our site does not require permission. If you have a link you'd like us to consider adding to our Web site, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject "Link request."
Use of Text and Images
If you would like to publish information that you find on our Web site, please send your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Accessibility
This Web site is designed to be accessible to visitors with disabilities, and to comply with federal guidelines concerning accessibility. We welcome your comments. If you have suggestions on how to make the site more accessible, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Reading or Downloading
We collect and store only the following information about you: the name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online account, or princeton.edu if you are connecting from Princeton University's domain), the date and time you access our site, and the Internet address of the Web site from which you linked to our site.
We use the information we collect to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our site, and to help us make our site more useful to visitors.
Online Profile Updates and Donations
If you share personally identifying information, this information will be used only to provide you with more targeted content. We may use your contact information to send further information about our organization or to contact you when necessary. You may always opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the "Opt Out" section below.
Sending us an Email
You also may decide to send us personally identifying information, for example, in an electronic mail message containing a question or comment, or by filling out a Web form that provides us this information. We use personally identifying information from email primarily to respond to your requests. We may forward your email to other employees who are better able to answer you questions. We may also use your email to contact you in the future about our programs that may be of interest.
We want to be very clear: We will not obtain personally identifying information about you when you visit our site, unless you choose to provide such information to us. Providing such information is strictly voluntary. Except as might be required by law, we do not share any information we receive with any outside parties.
If you sign up for one of our email lists, we will only send you the kinds of information you have requested. We won't share your name or email address with any outside parties.
Kids and Privacy
For children who visit our site, special rules apply. We do not request personal information about children, such as first and last name or street address and city. When kids send email to us, their online contact information (email address) is not used to re-contact them and is not maintained in retrievable form.
Opt-Out or Change Your Contact Information
Our site provides users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving communications from us through a special online form. You may choose to receive only specific communications or none at all. You may also update your contact information previously provided to us through another online form.
Questions about our policies
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Web site, you can contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (978) 448-0299.
Employment Opportunities
Thank you for your interest in the Nashua River Watershed Association. The NRWA is an equal opportunity organization and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability. The NRWA does not have any openings currently.
Governance
The NRWA Board of Directors and Executive Director hold themselves, and the Association, to the highest standards of governance and accountability, and ensure that the organization is in compliance with all laws applicable to non-profits. It is their goal to further the mission of the NRWA, create a sustainable organization, and maintain the integrity of the Association on behalf of our members, donors, and supporters.
Governance Structure
The Nashua River Watershed Association is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by the Association’s membership at our Annual Meeting. The legal responsibilities of the NRWA Board of Directors are to set policy, approve budgets, hire the Executive Director, and generally oversee the affairs of the organization. The Board has a minimum of seven directors with no maximum. The Board of Directors meets every other month. The Executive Committee fulfills the obligations of the full Board between meeting sessions. The NRWA’s professional Executive Director is responsible for the daily operations of the organization and hiring of staff.
Current NRWA Board of Directors and Staff.
Annual Report
Financials
FY2023 Financial Highlights - unaudited
FY2022 Financial Highlights - audited
FY2022 Balance Sheet - audited
FY2021 Financial Highlights audited
FY2021 Balance Sheet audited
NRWA Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
NRWA Articles of Incorporation
NRWA Bylaws (adopted Nov. 2, 2019)
NRWA Policies
Administrative Policies
Anti-terrorism Compliance Measures
Board Member Job Description
Code of Conduct Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
CORI Policy
Data Security Policy
Document Retention Policy
Investment Policy
Whistleblower Policy
Program Policies
Conservation Restriction Policy
Dam Removal Policy
Sustainable Water Use Policy
NRWA Tax Documents
NRWA River Resource Center
The Nashua River Watershed Association is headquartered at our River Resource Center in Groton, Massachusetts (just one block from the mainstem Nashua River and Petapawag Boat Launch). Map and directions. The River Resource Center houses staff offices, large and small meeting spaces, a collection of wildlife mounts, and the Bill Farnsworth Conservation Clearinghouse. A short self-guided Nature Trail on the property is open to visitors. The trail is less than a half-mile on flat wooded terrain where visitors can view local flora and find signs of local birds and mammals.
Bill Farnsworth Conservation Clearinghouse
Named after one of the NRWA’s founders, the Bill Farnsworth Conservation Clearinghouse provides citizens, watershed planners, local governments, teachers, students, and others access to a wide variety of information about our watershed. The collection of information available includes watershed planning resources, such as by-laws, open space and master plans, historic archives on conservation, resources for educators, audio-visual materials, and materials on recreation in our watershed. The NRWA is in the process of electronically cataloguing the Clearinghouse collection. Those interested in using the Clearinghouse are encouraged to contact the NRWA to make an appointment to do so. Materials must be used on-site, and are not available for check-out.
NRWA Publications: Online and For Sale
The following publications are available through the NRWA. To obtain any of the hard copy publications or to purchase Publications which are for sale, visit the River Resource Center.
View Online
NRWA Annual Report
2023 Annual Report
FY2023 Financial Highlights - unaudited
NRWA Newsletters
The NRWA newsletter is mailed quarterly to members, free of charge.
2020 Newsletter Fall Issue
2020 Newsletter Spring Issue
2015 Newsletter Issue 2
2015 Newsletter Issue 1
2013 Newsletter Issue 2
2013 Newsletter Issue 1
2012 Newsletter Issue 2
2012 Newsletter Issue 1
2011 Newsletter Issue 4
2011 Newsletter Issue 3
2011 Newsletter Issue 2
2011 Newsletter Issue 1
Be sure to sign up for NRWA Enews to receive our monthly enewsletter with updates on our project work and advance notice of upcoming programs.
Other NRWA Publications
1995 to 2020 Vision for the Nashua River Watershed
The 2020 Plan establishes a Vision for the watershed in the next quarter century, with goals and strategies for achieving the Vision. Developed by NRWA with input from watershed communities and many local groups, agencies, and individuals.
Books for Sale
Nashua River Canoe & Kayak Guide
Sixth Edition
Published June 2017
NRWA's newly revised pocket-sized Nashua River Canoe and Kayak Guide provides information on canoe put-ins and take-outs, river hazards like dams and rapids, portages, and mile-by-mile notes for all paddleable segments of the Nashua, Nissitissit, Squannacook, North Nashua, and Stillwater Rivers. The Guide is full color, 120-pages, spiral bound for easy use, and pocket-sized to fit in your jacket pocket or backpack (4.5” x 6”).
Price: $20 per Guide (plus shipping and handling if mailed) Order Online Now.
You can also purchase the Nashua River Canoe and Kayak Guide at Nashoba Paddler in West Groton.
National Geographic's
Written in Water: Messages of Hope for Earth's Most Precious Resource
(Hardcover)
In 1993, National Geographic chronicled the story of the clean-up of the Nashua River in its special Water edition. Water resources have become increasingly recognized as a top priority for local and international communities around the globe to assess and protect. With that in mind, National Geographic turned to the world's leading water scientists, authors, and activists to share their thoughts and stories of their work to ensure that there will be enough clean water for all in the future. The result was Written in Water: Messages of Hope for Earth's Most Precious Resource, a collection of essays from world leaders in the field of water supply protection and clean water innovations, including NRWA founder, Marion Stoddart. Other essayists, include Alexandra Cousteau, social environmental advocate and granddaughter of legendary marine scientist Jacques Cousteau; Peter Gleick, environmental visionary and winner of a 2003 MacArthur "genius grant"; Bill McKibben, bestselling author and winner of a Guggenheim fellowship; and Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project and National Geographic’s first Freshwater Fellow.
Price: $26 (Plus $5.00 shipping and handling if mailed).
Note: $13 of your purchase goes to support the work of the NRWA!
A River Ran Wild
by Lynne Cherry
(Hardcover)
www.lynnecherry.com
The true story of the history, the polluting and the clean-up of the Nashua River. Lynne Cherry is the author and/or illustrator of over thirty award-winning books for children. She is also a conservationist whose books are used to launch campaigns to save land, clean up rivers, save forests and help migratory birds.
Price: $17 (Plus $5.00 shipping and handling if mailed).
Note: $6 of your purchase goes to support the work of the NRWA!
NRWA Partners: Strength through Collaboration
The Nashua River Watershed Association’s position as a regional organization allows us to work across town and state boundaries, and to work with groups and individuals focused on land protection, water quality, or environmental education, all in the effort to improve and sustain a healthy quality of life in our communities. One of the Association’s greatest strengths is its ability to form partnerships, gathering together interested stakeholders, government officials, community leaders, educators, and funders, to accomplish both large and small scale projects.
For example, to complete land protection projects, the NRWA has partnered with the Trust for Public Land, The Trustees of Reservations, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, along with local land trusts like the Groton Conservation Trust, North County Land Trust, and Beaver Brook Association. The Association has worked collaboratively with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the City of Fitchburg, and sportsmen’s groups like Trout Unlimited and Ducks Unlimited to protect water quality and quantity. When providing environmental education opportunities to youth and adults, NRWA works with public schools in Harvard, Groton, Fitchburg, Nashua, and in many other communities, along with private schools like Applewild School in Fitchburg, and participates in groups such as the Secretary’s Advisory Group on Environmental Education (a group advising the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs).
On the occasion of our 40th anniversary, the NRWA took the opportunity to honor our partners through our 40 on Our 40th Awards, recognizing 40 individuals who are both worthy of recognition in their own right, and who also represent the scores of individuals and organizations that have worked with the NRWA through the years.
Also supporting the work of the NRWA are our business partners, along with individual members and donors. Your financial support makes our ongoing work possible.
It would be impossible to list the multitude of organizations and individuals who have partnered with and supported the work of the NRWA; we cannot accomplish our mission alone, and we look forward to a future of continued partnerships and collaboration.
NRWA’s Annual Meeting Keynote Speakers
The NRWA has had a long line of distinguished Keynote Speakers at our Annual Meetings. Our speakers have included leaders in the field of freshwater resource protection, notable wildlife conservationists and biologists, acclaimed authors, and leaders in the business world. Their work inspires ours, and we hope the reverse is true as well.
2021 NRWA Staff
2020 Linh Phu, Eastern MA National Wildlife Refuge Complex Manager
2019 50th Anniversary Celebration
2018 Christine Schadler, Wild Canid Ecologist
2017 David Vallee, Hydrologist-in-Charge National Weather Service Northeast Rivers Forecast Center
2016 Christopher A. Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geography, Clark University
2015 Robert Zimmerman, Jr., Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association
2014 Wayne Klockner, Vice President and MA State Director at The Nature Conservancy
2013 Eric Chivian, M.D., Founder of the Center for Health & the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, and co-founder of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize, Author
2012 Dave Anderson, Director of Education, Society for the Protection of NH Forests
2011 Daniel M. Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2010 William Waterway Marks, Author and Water Activist
2009 NRWA 40th Anniversary-- 40 on Our 40th Awards
2008 Akiko Busch, Swimmer and Author
2007 Gary Hirshberg, Chairman, President, and CEO of Stonyfield Farm
2006 Mitchell Thomashow, Environmental Educator and Author
2005 Sandra Postel, Founder of the Global Water Policy Project and Author
2004 NRWA 35th Anniversary—Celebratory Contra Dance
2003 Marion Stoddart, NRWA Founder
2002 Ben Kilham, Wildlife Biologist and Author
2001 Peter Alden, Naturalist and Author
2000 Tom Wessels, Ecologist and Author
1999 NRWA 30th Anniversary Celebration
1998 Arthur Bergeron, Historian
1997 Lyn Billman-Golemme, AICP, Regional Planner
Board, Staff, and TerraCorps Service Member
Staff
Executive Director
Jennifer L. Keegan
Jen comes to NRWA from a career as an attorney working on environmental and social justice issues. Most recently, Jen worked as the Managing Attorney for Development at Northeast Legal Aid in Lawrence. In addition to her management responsibilities, she wrote successful grants for large federal programs, and launched an Environmental Justice Unit. Jen has also worked as Senior Regional Counsel for MA Department of Environmental Protection focused on enforcement of state Superfund laws, groundwater contamination, and remedial action at the Fort Devens Army Installation Facility. Prior to her time at MA DEP, Jen worked in Washington, DC for the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Justice, and the private law firm Mayer, Brown, all with a focus on environmental law. Jen received her Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School, with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Wellesley College.
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Water Programs Director
Martha Snow Morgan
Martha supervises the NRWA’s Water Monitoring Program, including authoring the NRWA’s EPA, MassDEP and NH DES-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Water Monitoring Program. She manages other water quality-related projects, including Bacterial Source Investigations and nutrient investigations, and provides comments and advocacy on issues concerning water quantity and quality as they affect the Nashua River watershed, including NPDES permits, dam issues, water conservation, and land use issues as they affect water. Martha has been the NRWA’s Water Programs Director since 1999. Martha holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, an Associate Degree in Animal Science, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, and a Master’s degree in Geological Sciences from the University of Maine at Orono.
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Watershed Scientist
Jessica Veysey Powell, PhD
Jessica works with both the Water and Land Programs Directors. She joined the NRWA in 2022, bringing with her over 20 years of experience exploring the ecological and social links between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Jessica coordinates the Water Quality Monitoring Program; helps prepare Quality Assurance plans for water sampling; and develops and implements new research and outreach activities for the water program. Jessica also collaborates with watershed partners to improve the conservation value of land development and management proposals, and assists with riparian restoration projects. Jessica completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Wildlife Ecology & Human Dimensions of Environmental Management, a Doctorate in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, and a Master’s in Wildlife Ecology at the University of New Hampshire. Jessica earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Dartmouth College. Jessica has also worked as a private consultant on water, wildlife, and environmental permitting projects.
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Community Programs Director
Wynne Treanor-Kvenvold
Wynne works on community engagement through communication/outreach efforts that include press releases, e-newsletters, website and Facebook postings. She also works on adult education programming, and supports engagement components of NRWA grant projects. She serves as the staff coordinator for the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers Wild & Scenic Stewardship Council. Wynne has been on staff since 2000. Wynne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies from Winona State University in Minnesota.
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Senior Land and Climate Associate
Ryan Hennrikus
Through his work with the Forest Legacy Program, Ryan Hennrikus coordinates with landowners and government officials to support NRWA's mission to conserve wild landscapes throughout the Nashua River Watershed. He also manages an EPA Environmental Justice grant project with the aim of mitigating climate change-related flooding in the City of Fitchburg. Ryan assists in the Greening the Gateway Cities Program as well, helping to increase tree cover in urban areas of Northern Massachusetts. He previously worked in invasive species eradication and habitat restoration, reviving ecosystems affected by Asian longhorn beetle, European water chestnut, bittersweet, knotweed, and a number of other non-native species. Ryan holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Environmental Science & Policy, both from Clark University.
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Conservation and Climate Resilience Specialist
Sara Singh
Through her work on the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant (Nature Based Solutions) and the Forest Legacy Program, Sara Singh supports conservation and climate resilience efforts in the watershed region. In addition to developing partnerships in the local communities, she is responsible for project management and reporting, conservation strategy development and implementation, public outreach, and the pursuit of new grant opportunities. Previously, she conducted research on environmental topics including PFAS contamination in the US, climate policy progress in New England, Muddy River restoration, and conservation monitoring technologies. Sara earned her BS in International Business and Marketing from the University of South Carolina Honors College. She also holds an MS in Environmental Policy & Planning from Tufts' UEP Department, and an MA in Law & Diplomacy from The Fletcher School.
Restoration and Land Programs Associate
Marisa Browning-Kamins
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River Classroom & Environmental Education Director
Stacey Billings Chilcoat
Stacey coordinates and implements the NRWA’s “on the water”, canoe-based education programs for youth and adults serving 2000+ participants annually. In this position, she serves as lead environmental educator and river guide on river trips for all ages. She also works with the Environmental Education Associates to create and lead “off water” programs including in school and school yard science classes, family workshops, afterschool nature and science clubs, and outdoor adventure hiking programs for young teens. Stacey serves as an educational consultant to teachers, administrators, and schools developing inquiry-based science programs within the Nashua River watershed. She has been the NRWA’s River Classroom Director since 2001. Stacey holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. She is certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid, and holds an American Canoe Association Level 3: River Canoeing Instructor Certification.
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Environmental Education Associate
Gaynor Bigelbach
Gaynor worked for BBC Television in London for several years. In the U.S., she worked as a freelance correspondent for local newspapers, writing about environmental issues, and family outdoor activities, before switching gears and spending a year at NRWA as an Americorps Service Learning Coordinator in 2010. She has been a part time member of the Education Department at NRWA since 2012. An avid paddler, she is also a certified American Canoe Association Instructor, and a Discovery Museum Traveling Science Teacher.
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Climate Resiliency Coordinator & Educator
Paulina Torres
Paulina supports initiatives in the MVP grant funded Nashua River Watershed-wide Nature Based Solutions Project. In this role, Paulina engages with community stakeholders, ensuring diverse perspectives are integrated into the project. As an educator for the NRWA, they work on creating and implementing nature-based climate change solutions curricula to elementary schools in the watershed. Beyond this, Paulina supports various NRWA education programs such as in-school youth programs, River Classroom, and outdoor youth & adult programs. Paulina holds their Bachelors in Geographic Science & Technology from Fitchburg State University, with additional studies in Environment & Earth Sciences.
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Development Director
Lauri Johnson
Lauri focuses on increasing awareness of and support for the Association from individuals and businesses in the community. She coordinates support from individuals via memberships, annual appeals, and major gifts as well as business and organization membership, sponsorship, and matching gifts. She also supports the Association’s marketing, planning, and outreach activities. Lauri has worked with NRWA since 2002. Lauri holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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Chris Fournier
Development and Communications Associate
Chris joined the Nashua River Watershed Association in January of 2024 as Development and Communications Associate. His main focus is providing support to both the Development Director and Community Programs Director in coordinating support from individuals and businesses, marketing, planning, outreach, and creating and distributing electronic newsletters and other content for social media. In his free time, Chris enjoys making people laugh, supporting non-profits that prioritize civic and social issues, and learning about history. Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
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Office Administrator
Joanne Ward
Joanne (Jo) manages the River Resource Center; and keeps everything running smoothly. She works closely with the Executive Director and supports the work of the Development Team and Program staff. Jo assists with mailings, outreach, and events; coordinates office volunteers. She worked for Department of Defense contractors for over 30 years, nearly 24 of which she served as Facility Security Officer and Office Manager for a 40+ person facility where she was in charge of all access, personnel, and information security. She also enjoyed a previous career with the former Boston and Maine Railroad. Jo is currently a water monitoring volunteer for both NRWA and the Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Boston University, as well as additional studies in International Business.
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TerraCorps Service Member
Youth Education Coordinator
Leonna Veng
Leonna is serving as an AmeriCorps-TerraCorps member for the NRWA for one year, and takes on the position of Youth Education Coordinator. Her mission through TerraCorps is to prepare and mobilize the NRWA to help neighboring communities gain access to and conserve land for people and nature, and to help people create meaningful connections to local landscapes. Her primary role involves conducting capacity building projects that will lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and growth of our education programs. In her position, she works closely with the Environmental Education team to lead and create in-school science lessons and services, organize information and materials, curate resources, and develop comprehensive lesson plans. Leonna holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
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Board
Judy Larter, Paul Matisse, and Lucy Wallace, past NRWA presidents
President
Ralph Baker, Fitchburg, MA
Ralph serves on several NRWA committees, including the Climate Impact Committee, which he chairs. Prior to his retirement in 2015, he co-founded and served as CEO, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of TerraTherm, an environmental remediation firm that designed and completed cleanups at dozens of major hazardous waste sites throughout the U.S. and worldwide. An environmental scientist for 45 years, Ralph earned a B.S. in environmental conservation from Cornell, an M.S. in soil chemistry from the Univ. of Maine, and a Ph.D. in soil physics from UMass-Amherst. He has authored over ninety technical publications and four books. Ralph is Chair of the Fitchburg Trails Vision Committee, Clerk of the Fitchburg Greenway Committee, and a member of the Fitchburg Conservation Commission. He is an avid naturalist and enjoys cycling, hiking, kayaking, and back-country skiing. With his wife Judith, a horticulturalist and artist, he also enjoys frequently caring for their two grandchildren.
Vice President
Lucy Wallace, Harvard, MA
Lucy has been engaged through work and non-profit organizations in conservation and land use planning since moving to Harvard, MA in 1979. For 13 years she served as Grants Administrator/Program Manager for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s New England office, overseeing wetlands, resource protection and restoration, and land-related grants. She left the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to manage a family software business, which was recently assumed by a financial planning firm. She recently retired from the Harvard Select Board after serving for seven terms and which she chaired several times over the course of her tenure. In addition to serving on the Select Board, she has served on and chaired several other local boards over the last 35 years, including the Conservation Commission, Planning Board, and three master planning and related committees. In addition, Lucy has been a trustee and associate trustee of the Harvard Conservation Trust. She has been involved in Devens’ planning and redevelopment since the base’s closure in the mid-1990’s and is currently serving on the town and regional committees addressing the future governance of Devens.
Secretary
Robert Templeton, Townsend, MA
Rob is a Vice President and Major Accounts Manager at Kleinfelder, an engineering and environmental consulting firm. He is a Professional Geologist (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) and has led environmental assessment and remediation projects across the United States. Robert has served on a number of Town Boards in Townsend including a 9-year member of the North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee and Chairman of the North Middlesex Regional High School Building Committee. He is currently a member of the Townsend Library Board of Trustees and is also on the Townsend Library Endowment Board of Directors. Robert and his wife Ellen volunteer for the NRWA as part of the stream monitoring program. They have lived in Townsend, MA with their two children for 15 years. Robert is an avid birdwatcher and runner.
Treasurer
Cheryl Serpe, Westford, MA
Cheryl is a Senior Vice President and Senior Regional Manager of Enterprise Bank’s Nashoba Valley/North Central region. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Virginia, with minor degrees in Art History and French. The early years of her professional career were on Wall Street at Irving Trust Company in the project finance division. She currently serves as Vice Chair of Westford’s Economic Development Committee, is Treasurer on the Board of Minuteman Arc for Human Services (Concord) and is a Corporator for Emerson Hospital, where she serves on the Community Benefits Advisory Committee. She is a former board member and past board president of the PCA (Parish Center for the Arts) in Westford, where she produced a blues music series and chaired the annual Westford Regional Art Event. She is also a member of the Westford Rotary Club, and a founder of the Westford Business Association. In her free time, Cheryl is an avid reader and enjoys gardening, hiking, cycling, and kayaking.
Executive Committee Member-at-Large
Fredericka Baytos, Walpole, MA
Freddie recently retired from a lifelong career in marketing research. Freddie began her career with Mercer Management Consulting where she spearheaded the development of the firm’s qualitative research practice and lead assignments with educational publishers, accounting firms and consumer product companies. For the latter part of her career, Freddie was the Corporate Marketing Research Director for the Deluxe Corporation, a Minneapolis headquartered company, with satellite locations in Groton and Townsend, MA. At Deluxe, Freddie engaged in strategic, new product, advertising and brand research. Freddie has been a member of professional associations, such as the American Marketing Association, and volunteers time to assist community organizations. Freddie holds MA and PhD degrees in Sociology from The Ohio State University. She is an avid hiker, enjoys flower gardening and has a special interest in protecting and restoring natural places.
Directors
Sherry Anders, Shirley, MA
Sherry has been a resident of Shirley for the past two decades and enjoys living within walking distance of a beautiful stretch of the Squannacook River. After receiving her doctorate from Brandeis University in 2000, she worked in clinical research (McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School) and as a licensed psychologist in private practice, recently retiring to pursue conservation work. Sherry helped to re-establish an active Greenway Committee in Shirley, serving as chair since its inception in 2020. She co-founded “Small Town Shirley,” a community group dedicated to preserving Shirley’s small-town character through open space protection and smart growth initiatives, including a successful grassroots effort to pass the Community Preservation Act in 2023. She has been active in local invasive plant removal efforts and assists a local turtle conservation group with rare species protection. Sherry is a 2023 Keystone Cooperator Alumna. She is also an avid nature photographer, who simply loves being outdoors, and spends time on the Maine Coast each summer.
Warren Kimball, Boylston, MA
Warren retired from the MA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 2014 after 42 years. He has a BS in Microbiology and a MS in Environmental Engineering. Warren joined the DEP in 1972 as a River Basin Planner conducting water quality analysis, mathematical modeling of rivers, and writing clean-up plans for major river systems. He was the head of the Water Quality Standards Program, and developed policies for antidegradation, combined sewer overflows, and nutrient control. He developed DEP’s SMART Monitoring Program and Water Quality Report Card. As a consultant to EPA, he helped found the Water Quality Standards Academy. He served as a consultant to USGS and EPA’s National Water Quality Monitoring Council. He was on the Board of Directors for the New England Association for Environmental Biologists. He was a past Director for the NRWA, and currently serves on its Climate Impact Committee and Steering Committee for the 5 Year Strategic Plan. He enjoys hiking, biking, and candlepin bowling; he also is a member of the AMC’s NH Four-Thousand-Footer Club.
Ladda Kosaketh, Leominster, MA
Ladda, also known as Bug, is currently the Education & Adventure Operations Director for Just Understand My Potential ( J.U.M.P.), a local youth development program focused on building resilience in young leaders and a Consultant for the Spanish American Center Youth Program. She is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Instructor for Educators Outdoors of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) where she teaches educators how to successfully bring youth outdoors. She also holds the position of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chair for the AMC Worcester Chapter Executive Committee. She has worked in youth development and education for over 15 years. She received a B.A. in Outdoor Education & Leadership from Sterling College (VT) and has focused on challenge course facilitation, adventure guiding, nature mentoring and outdoor living skills. She loves learning new things and challenging herself. Her interests include naturalist skills, herbal medicine, traveling and promoting positive social change.
Priscilla Lawrence, Dunstable, MA
Priscilla is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ. After completing a long pastorate of 28 years in Pepperell, she now substitutes in various UCC churches in the region. Recently, Priscilla earned her doctorate in ministry in transformational leadership from the Boston University School of Theology. Together with her husband Patrick, she has two daughters. Elizabeth, a graduate of Harvard Law, is an environmental lawyer now working for the Natural Resources Defense Fund in DC.; and Jane, a second-year medical student at Mt. Sinai in New York City. Priscilla and her family have traveled extensively, always with a flair for conservation and the natural world. Birdwatching has been a priority in her travels. Priscilla loves to run, read, and needlepoint. Priscilla’s love of the natural world has always been in the background of her work, and she looks forward now to bringing it to the fore by contributing to the NRWA in a meaningful manner.
Linda Mack, Townsend, MA
Linda recently retired from her position as Vice President for Philanthropy at the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. In her position, she was responsible for the increase of charitable funds of over $50 million that supported North Central Massachusetts Community nonprofits. She has over 25 years of experience in nonprofit executive management and extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising, strategic planning, and board development. She presently has her own consulting business focused on guiding nonprofits on their path to success. Linda is a board member for the Friends of the Twin Cities Rail Trail, North County Land Trust, Squannacook River Rail Trail, Planned Giving Council of Central Mass, and the Townsend Conservation Commission. She has a small farm and enjoys the outdoors through gardening, bicycling, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
Christopher Picone, Ashburnham, MA
Chris grew up in Groton and is a current resident of Ashburnham, MA. Chris has been a professor of ecology and environmental sciences at Fitchburg State University since 2004. The forests and streams feeding the Nashua River are often part of his teaching and student projects. He serves as the chair of Ashburnham’s Conservation Commission, chair of the Open Space and Rec Committee, as well as the board of the town Rail Trail and the Mt. Watatic Management Committee. Chris attended the College of the Holy Cross, and he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan by working in Nicaraguan rainforest. He then studied soil ecology of perennial grain agriculture at The Land Institute in Kansas before returning to his New England roots. He enjoys trail running, Contra dancing, gardening, and all forms of sustainability.
Bob Pine, Groton, MA
Bob is a principal and founder of Pine and Swallow Environmental, where he is Director of Environmental Planning and Engineering. A Professional Engineer and a Landscape Architect,
he has been involved with major landscape development projects throughout the United States and worldwide. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Bob has served as Trustee for the Groton Conservation Trust for over 40 years and on numerous Groton Town Boards and Committees. He also served as Chair of the Nominating Committee for the Squannassit and Petapawag Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. Bob has served on the NRWA Board, with periodic term limit respites, since 1993. He currently serves as Chair of the NRWA Climate Impact Committee.
Francisco Ramos, Clinton MA
A resident of Clinton, MA, Francisco has been involved in community organizing and volunteerism since 1999 starting in Chicago, Il, until moving to Massachusetts in 2011 where he continues his community work. Francisco is the Director of Community Organizing at NewVue Communities in Fitchburg, MA.
Thomas Ryden, Pepperell, MA
Tom is the Executive Director of MassRobotics, a Boston based independent, non-profit center serving to educate, inspire, and bring robotics initiatives, investments, and companies to life. Tom serves on numerous science advisory boards, including ones at Tufts University, Northeastern University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Tom has an engineering degree from University of Vermont and an MBA from Bentley University. Tom previously served on the NRWA Board of Directors from 2012-2018. In his free time, Tom enjoys kayaking on the river with his children.
Susan S. Slane, Nashua, NH
Susan is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire and has been living in Nashua for over 30 years. She is currently a REALTOR® with Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group after retiring from a 33 year career in the IT industry with DEC, Compaq, and HP. Her roles spanned product and program management and market research to alliances and channel partner management. Susan has a degree in Biology from Tufts University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. An avid nature lover, Susan had the incredible opportunity to intern at Manomet, Inc. (originally known as the Manomet Bird Observatory), where her love of birds soared, especially Piping Plovers. She became a NH Natural Resources Steward in 2015 through the UNH Cooperative Extension and a water monitor volunteer with the NRWA in 2016. Susan enjoys golfing, curling, kayaking and just enjoying the beauty that nature has to offer.
Soudie Tahmassebipour, Holden, MA
Soudie is an Iranian-American attorney, founder and Executive Director of the Wachusett Area Social Justice Alliance. She has spent her career empowering and advocating for individuals who have been historically marginalized, first for 20 years at the New Hampshire Public Defenders Office and then at the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Massachusetts. An experienced Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) strategist, she has presented at trainings and events throughout New England and abroad. Soudie loves to travel the world and read.
Charles Vander Linden, Groton, MA
Chuck was a partner in the law firm of Starr Vander Linden, LLP from 1981 through 2020; he now practices in an “of counsel” capacity in the successor firm of Starr Traiger, LLP, which has offices in Fitchburg and Worcester. Chuck graduated from Harvard Law School in 1976 and then served as a law clerk for the Honorable Reuben Goodman on the Massachusetts Appeals Court. He has been engaged in the practice of law in central Massachusetts since 1977. He served as a member of the Groton Zoning Board of Appeals for 15 years and has been a Trustee of the Groton Conservation Trust since 1984.
Sarah Widing, Shirley, MA
Sarah is a Central Mass native and a current resident of Shirley. Sarah has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Water Resources engineering, both from Tufts University. She has over 17 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.
Robert L. Zimmerman, Jr. Littleton, MA
Bob Zimmerman, a lifelong alpine skier and racer and 50-year alpine ski coach, co-founded an academy for winter athletes early in his career. He served the school as an English teacher, coach, and headmaster for 12 years. He then became Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA). Over nearly 30 years, he expanded the focus of the organization to include scientific research and analysis, ecosystem restoration, land and water regulation reform, and restorative technology development. In 2011 CRWA won the $350,000 International River Foundation’s Theiss International Riverprize for exceptional river management. US EPA now calls the Charles the cleanest urban river in the country. Since retiring from CRWA in 2018, he has been consulting on environmental restoration efforts around the country, and in 2021 became a lecturer in ecological restoration at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
Founding Director Emeritus
Marion Stoddart, Groton, MA
Marion is the founder of the Nashua River Clean-up Committee and the NRWA. She has played a key role in the clean up of the Nashua River and the success of the organization. Marion is an active member of the Groton Greenway Committee. She is the former Chairman of the Groton Conservation Commission and the Groton Conservation Trust. Interests include adventure travel, hiking canoeing, kayaking, cross-country skiing, bicycling and tennis.
NRWA Archival Photo Gallery
The NRWA has a long and rich history, a story memorably told through images. We invite you to view our archival gallery depicting our river in its most polluted days, as well as the people and projects that led to its restoration and ongoing protection efforts.
If you have historic pictures, newspaper clippings, or other material that you would like to share with the NRWA and its supporters, please contact Wynne Treanor-Kvenvold, NRWA Communications Manager, at (978) 448-0299, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
NRWA Historical Highlights
The restoration of the Nashua River launched the Nashua River Watershed Association into an international spotlight, a prime example of collaboration to accomplish a goal for the betterment of all society. The Association’s leadership and approach to protecting natural resources through a watershed approach, protecting both land and water throughout the region, continues to be recognized by federal, state, and local governmental leaders, as well as by leaders in the fields of environmental protection and environmental education.
Historical Highlights by Decade
1960s
- Nashua River Clean-up Committee (NRCC) formed by Marion Stoddart and others
- US Congress passed Clean Water Act in 1965
- The North Nashua River in 1966 reached a septic condition and would not support life except for sludge worms
- Petition and signatures and a bottle of dirty Nashua River waters presented to Massachusetts Governor Volpe and legislators
- Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, Senator Ted Kennedy, Governor Volpe, and Lt. Governor Richardson visited the Nashua River and met with citizens
- Massachusetts Clean Water Act signed into law
- NRCC successfully pushed to raise the River Classification from “U”, unsuitable for the transportation of waste, to “B-“, suitable for all uses including fishing, swimming, and boating
1969-1979
- Nashua River Watershed Association founded on October 16, 1969
- Petition with 13,000 signatures sent to President Nixon, Governors Sargent and Peterson, Congressmen and Legislators seeking assurance that federal monies be appropriated to help with the construction of waste water treatment plants
- Nashua River selected for the $15 million River Basin Demonstration Project (Nashua River Program) by the New England Region Commission
- Mine Falls Canal Park purchased by the City of Nashua with Land and Water Conservation Grant
- Nashua River Watershed Association’s office established at Fort Devens with donated space and staff time
- Hydrology and Water Resources Study of the Nashua River watershed completed and published
- First Plan for the Nashua River watershed published
- $1 million of the Model River Demonstration Project money spent to construct major sewer interceptors in Nashua, NH
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed. Goal set that all US waters be fishable and swimmable by 1983
- Squannacook-Nissitissit Sanctuary Act passed in 1975
- The US Fish & Wildlife’s Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge established in 1974
- West Fitchburg and East Fitchburg Treatment plants began operation
- Squannacook Task Force organized
- Project CURB (Clean Up Our River Banks) and the Groton Conservation Commission coordinated effort and established the Petapawag Canoe Launch site
- Pepperell Treatment Plant began operations
- Bolton Flats Wildlife Area established in 1977
- Lancaster Greenway Committee helped assemble the 412 acres of the Cook Conservation Area
1979-1989
- Lane-Comerford Conservation Area acquired in 1979 for wildlife habitat to mitigate the loss of flood plain with construction of I-90
- First Nashua River Canoe Guide published and first Canoe Race held
- The first state-owned Tree Farm in the nation, J. Harry Rich State Forest in Groton, acquired by Department of Environmental Management in1981, with efforts from Rich Tree Farm Task Force
- NRWA Office relocated to Main Street in Fitchburg after 11 years at Fort Devens
- Nashua River Greenway Management Plan and the Squannacook and Stillwater River Protection Plans completed. All three rivers designated by the Commonwealth as Scenic Rivers
- Acid Rain Monitoring (ARM) began in 1983 and the NRWA was district coordinator for the statewide volunteer effort
- NRWA received the Environmental Merit Award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1984
- Dam in Mine Falls Park in Nashua converted to hydroelectric dam with fish lift
- United Nations honored NRWA Founder Marion Stoddart, naming her to the “Global 500 Roll of Honor”
- Clinton Wastewater Treatment Plant started construction, Leominster Wastewater Facility completed and Ayer Wastewater Treatment Plant began advanced treatment
- Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) began acquisition program in 1986 in Wachusett subwatershed
- Monoosnoc Brook Greenway Project began with public and private partnership of the city, state, and Searstown developers brought together by NRWA
- The Stillwater Task Force established in 1988
1989-1999
- Prevent Pointless Pollution Program began alerting citizens to non-point sources of pollution and their prevention
- Clinton Wastewater Treatment Facility completed
- Children’s book about the Nashua River and its environmental history, A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry, published in 1992. It went on to win numerous awards including ABA’s Pick of the List, NCSS-CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and selection as a PBS Reading Rainbow book
- New Hampshire Shorelands Protection Act passed in 1991
- National Geographic visited the NRWA in 1992 and featured a story on the restoration of the Nashua River in its special Water issue devoted to fresh water in North America
- NRWA began its volunteer water quality monitoring program in 1992
- Governor William Weld helped celebrate the official opening of the NRWA’s River Resource Center in Groton, purchased in 1993
- Environmental Education began at the River Resource Center and watershed curriculum was developed and taught in schools throughout the watershed
- Fort Devens closed as US Army Base. NRWA helped develop Re-Use Plan
- The 1995 to 2020 Vision for the Nashua River Watershed was published
- 12,900 acres in the Nashua River watershed’s heartland designated as the Central Nashua River Valley Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)
- Restoration of riverbank in Howard Park helped by the Squannacook Task Force, Town of Townsend, AmeriCorps, and NRWA volunteers
- Massachusetts State Legislature passed the Rivers Protection Act on July 31, 1996. The Rivers Act provides protection for over 9,000 miles of riverfront in Massachusetts
- NRWA’s Communities Connected by Water program was initiated
- NRWA had key role in developing the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative, which became widely acclaimed as a model for protecting and restoring the nation’s waterways
- NRWA launched its first website
1999-2009
- Both the cities of Fitchburg, Massachusetts and Nashua, New Hampshire drafted community development plans that make the Nashua River the focal point of their urban riverfront revitalization
- In 2000, the Massachusetts Riverways Program presented the Fitchburg Stream Team with an Adopt-a-Stream award for its work to protect riverside greenways along the North Nashua River in Fitchburg
- “River Classroom” canoe-based environmental education program, originally developed by Nashoba Paddler, transferred to the NRWA in 2001. NRWA now puts 1,800 students on the river each year
- Squannassit and Petapawag Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) designated in 2002, the two largest ACECs in the Commonwealth to date, with Squannassit covering 37,450 acres and Petapawag covering 25,630 acres in the communities of Ashby, Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend, and Tyngsboro
- The Squannacook-Nissitissit Rivers combined sub-basin served as one of four sites nationally to merit a Source Water Stewardship Project, brought to the watershed by Trust for Public Land with their funding from the federal Environmental Protection Agency
- Nashua River Watershed Five Year Action Plan 2003 to 2007 drafted by the NRWA in partnership with the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative’s Team in the Nashua River watershed
- 265-acre Pepperell Springs property on Gulf Brook, a tributary to the Nissitissit River, which is a major tributary to the Nashua River, successfully preserved by a coalition of partners including Pepperell residents, the Trust for Public Land (TPL), the Nashoba Conservation Trust, the Nissitissit River Land Trust, and the Town of Pepperell. Key funding of $1.383 million came from a Forest Legacy Program grant. NRWA co-chaired the Pepperell Springs Preservation Project
- “Fund for the Future” capacity- building program began
- NRWA’s partnership with the J.R. Briggs Elementary School in Ashburnham chosen as one of the five schools in Massachusetts to implement a "Environment in an Integrating Context" curriculum
- NRWA and three partner organizations, Beaver Brook Association, New England Forestry Foundation, and the Trust for Public Land, awarded a multi-year Targeted Watershed Initiative grant of $770,192 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – one of only fourteen awarded nationwide in 2004—for the NRWA’s "Protecting Today's Water for Tomorrow" project to proactively combat threats to drinking water in the Squannacook-Nissitissit sub-basin
- The Nashua River Rail Trail completed and opened for public use
- Education staff and programs, River Classroom and Scientist-in-Residence won multiple awards for “Excellence in Environmental Education” from the MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
- Protection of 360-acre Surrenden Farm in Groton protected ¾ miles of Nashua River greenway as a result of a partnership project led by the Trust for Public Land, the Groton Conservation Trust, and others
- Electronic cataloguing of the contents of the Bill Farnsworth Conservation Clearinghouse began in 2007
- NRWA’s Smart Growth Circuit Rider worked with the Massachusetts towns of Ashby, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend, and the New Hampshire towns of Mason, Greenville, New Ipswich, Hollis, and Brookline on writing or revising bylaws, ordinances, and town plans for the purpose of better protecting water resources
- 1,162 students participate in Monoosnoc Brook Poster Contest at MBGP "Environmental Art & Music Festival" at Fall Brook Elementary School in 2008
- Devens Open Space and Recreation Plan 2008 to 2013 drafted by NRWA
- USDA awarded NRWA a Forest Innovation Grant to apply strategies learned from the EPA Targeted Watershed Initiative grant to 11 towns and lands in the southern portion of the watershed
- In 2008, the NRWA began managing a multi-year project to eradicate invasive water chestnuts from the Pepperell Pond impoundment of the Nashua River under a grant from the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation to the Town of Pepperell
- EIC program that began at one school with 2 teachers in a single grade grew to include all teachers in grades 1 through 5 at J.R. Briggs Elementary in Ashburnham, and expanded to Fall Brook Elementary in Leominster
- Over 1 mile of the Squannacook and Nashua Rivers’ frontage at their confluence in Shirley was permanently protected
- Fitchburg protected two riverfront properties by creating parks, the 2-acre downtown Riverfront Park and the Steamline Trail Park which protects ¾ mile of North Nashua River frontage. In 2009, the City permanently protected a third riverfront property, with a proposal to create Gateway Park, with grant funding from the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs. Active partners in that project included Mayor Lisa Wong and the City of Fitchburg, the Fitchburg Greenway Committee, the Nashua River Watershed Association, the North Central Charter Essential School, and particularly the North County Land Trust and The Trustees of Reservations
- ExtraMile Design produces a documentary biography on NRWA founder Marion Stoddart called Work of 1000
- “Nashua River Greenway” Forest Legacy Area, the largest such area of the half dozen in Massachusetts (over 420,000 eligible acres), designated as eligible for the Forest Legacy Program, a partnership between participating States and the USDA Forest Service focused on identifying and helping to protect environmentally important forests from conversion to non-forest uses
- By 2009, NRWA worked on seven Forest Legacy projects (two of which were multi-tract) which will protect over 3,000 acres with a federal contribution of nearly $8 million
2009-present
- Fitchburg Greenway Committee, of which NRWA was a founding member and active participant, received The Trustees of Reservations 2010 Conservationist of the Year Award
- National Geographic’s Written in Water: Messages of Hope for Earth’s Most Precious Resource (2010) contains an essay on the Nashua River cleanup by Marion Stoddart
- NRWA’s Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring program began its 20th consecutive year in 2012. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts uses NRWA’s monitoring data to create its MA Water Quality Assessment Report, and the State of New Hampshire uses NRWA’s data in its Volunteer River Assessment Program
- NRWA providing environmental education programs to over 10,000 children and adults each year
- Bio-control project using Galerucella beetles to control invasive purple loosestrife in watershed wetlands begins
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The Nashua River in the 1960’s and 1980's
NRWA’s Mission and History: Leadership and Success
The mission of the Nashua River Watershed Association is to work for a healthy ecosystem with clean water and open spaces for human and wildlife communities, where people work together to sustain mutual economic and environmental well-being in the Nashua River watershed.
The Nashua River Watershed Association was founded in 1969 on the belief that every individual has the power to make a difference. That belief led to the clean-up of one of the nation’s most polluted rivers, an internationally recognized success story.
That same belief powers the work of the NRWA today, to act as a regional leader in natural resource protection and environmental education for our 32 watershed communities in north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
Our goals:
- Restore and protect water quality and quantity for people, fish, and wildlife
- Conserve open spaces for water quality, wildlife habitat, farms, forests, and recreation
- Encourage careful land use with well-planned development
Our work is guided by our 1995 to 2020 Vision for the Nashua River Watershed (The 2020 Plan).
As a non-profit, our success depends on the support of members, donors, and volunteers. Help make a difference, now and for the future, by getting involved today!
Founders-Andre C Reggio showing Sewer-Cide. “Sewer-Cide” newspaper clipping - Marion Stoddart and Andre Reggio report on the Nashua River clean-up to the League of Women Voters
NRWA Founders and Incorporators
The effort to clean-up the Nashua River began in the early 1960’s when Marion Stoddart, a housewife in Groton, Massachusetts, observed the appalling condition of the Nashua River. At that time, effluent from local mills and raw sewage were all dumped directly into the river creating a foul-smelling, colorful, and pulp-filled dead waterway. Having grown up near Reno, Nevada where water was a scarce and highly valued resource, and being influenced by the League of Women Voters, Marion made the decision to make the clean-up of the Nashua River her life’s goal.
In 1962, having rallied friends, neighbors, and local officials to work with her, Marion and others formed the Nashua River Clean-up Committee. That Committee worked tirelessly to advocate for passage of the Clean Water Act, to solicit support for the clean-up from federal, state, and local government officials (even delivering a bottle of dirty river water to Massachusetts Governor Volpe), to engage mill and other business owners in the cause, and to educate citizens in every watershed town about the need to restore the river.
As the work of the Clean-up Committee progressed and drew more support, the decision was made to establish a non-profit environmental organization. In 1969, the Nashua River Watershed Association was formed. The Incorporators and first Board of Directors of the Association included community leaders from throughout the watershed, including Benton MacKaye, creator of the Appalachian Mountain Trail; Jeffrey P. Smith, renowned land conservationist and a founder of Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, New Hampshire; Louise Doyle, environmental benefactor and donor of the Trustees of Reservations’ Doyle Reservation in Leominster, Massachusetts; and, of course, Marion Stoddart, who was recognized by the United Nations for her work to restore the river. Marion’s story has become the basis of the award-winning documentary "Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000".
NRWA Incorporators
Robert M. Boehme of Bolton, MA
Robert W. Brown of Harvard, MA
Lee P. “Bill” Farnsworth of Lancaster, MA
Frank Hanchett of Dunstable, MA
Harold Harley of Lunenburg, MA
Mary L. Haueisen of Pepperell, MA
Joyce R. Huff of Fitchburg, MA
Judith Holloway of Pepperell, MA
Benton MacKaye of Shirley, MA
Ernest W. Mitchell of Shirley, MA
Andre C. Reggio of Groton, MA
Stephen W. Sabine of Groton, MA
Emily Smith of Leominster, MA
Jeffrey P. Smith of Hollis, NH
Marion R. Stoddart of Groton, MA
Lois Taylor of Nashua, NH
Harold Vanasse of Clinton, MA
William P. Wharton of Groton, MA
NRWA’s First Board of Directors
Marion R. Stoddart of Groton, MA—President
W.F. Kimmerlin of Hollis, NH—Vice President
Robert W. Brown of Harvard, MA—Treasurer
Mary L. Haueisen of Pepperell, MA—Secretary
Joseph C. Broyles of Groton, MA
Donald M. Crocker of Fitchburg, MA
Louise Doyle of Leominster, MA
Joyce R. Huff of Fitchburg, MA
Raymond B. Lang of Lancaster, MA
M. Donald Piermarini of Leominster, MA
Emily Smith of Leominster, MA
The NRWA is proud of its history of grassroots activism and citizen involvement, and honors the vision of our founders and incorporators by continuing their work today and by inspiring new generations to join in that vision.
NRWA Internships: Learning on the Job
The Nashua River Watershed Association offers paid and unpaid internships to individuals interested in learning more about the fields of natural resource protection, environmental education, and non-profit communications and development. Interns have an opportunity to work closely with NRWA’s professional staff on a specialized project or with a broader exposure to the range of work conducted by the Association. Interns have worked with our water monitoring program, assisted our educators with classroom lessons, field trips, as well as leading outdoor summer youth programs. Interns may assist with development and publicity work with activities ranging for helping to organize large mailings to creating displays for outreach events. Questions? Please contact Joanne Ward, NRWA Office Administrator, at (978) 448-0299, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
