On Saturday, May 10th, nearly 50 people gathered in Kiwanis Park for a canoe trip down the Fort River, organized by the Rushing Rivers Institute in Amherst, MA. Most prominently, State Senator Stan Rosenberg joined the Director of Rushing Rivers, Dr. Piotr Parasiewicz on the institute’s veteran canoe, the Neversink. Although a majority of participants were from the Pioneer Valley, some traveled from as far as Boston and Hartford, CT. Old and young came ready for adventure, which stated at the swimming hole with a basic training in canoeing and safety Victoria Shaw, owner of Morse Hill Outdoors Center (www.morsehill.com), which provided a great share of the canoes and transportation. The expedition of 25 canoes and kayaks followed the winding channel of the Fort River, which offered enough water and obstacles to make it a busy but very pleasant voyage. The event was hosted by the Rushing Rivers Institute in collaboration with: the Ocean River Institute, Massachusetts Riverways, Berkshire Environmental Action Team, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, the Morse Hill Outdoor Education Center and the Kestrel Trust.
The trip’s purpose was to draw attention to the longest free-flowing tributary of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts, as well as to showcase its ideal location as a research, education, and monitoring center. As attendees paddled the meandering course of the Fort River through dense forests, fields and swamps, members of the Rushing Rivers Institute pointed out wildlife and talked about the condition of the river and changes associated with development. The participants had a chance to observe many animals and their tracks, including a State listed Wood Turtle, a Great Blue Herron and a Northern Water Snake. Everyone was impressed by the beauty of the Fort River. Judy Eiseman of the Kestrel Trust, said “I have lived here for 39 years and have never done anything like that.”, a view which was shared by many.
Upon reaching Groff Park everyone gathered for a light lunch supported by donations from Bread and Circus, Big Y, Athena’s Pizza, and donations from Thomas Millette of Research Aviation and Rob Moyer of the Ocean River Institute.
Following lunch, Dr. Parasiewicz, lead a discussion highlighting the efforts to establish a high-tech and on-line watershed research program centered on the Fort River in Amherst. Prashant Shenoy of UMass Amherst presented the wi-fi network nodes developed by Graduate student Jeremy Gummeson. Christina Cianfrani of Hampshire College described the instruments to be placed in the river and coursework taking place on the site. Dr. Boyd Kynard described his long experience working on migrating species like Lamprey, which are very common each spring and are great architects of the riverbed by building large gravel nests. Clem Clay of The Trust for Public Land described the recent land purchase by S. O. Conte Wildlife refuge in the vicinity of Moody Bridge Road and the Trust’s plans for future activities.
The event was a great success and brought together many community members and leaders who share an enthusiasm for the outdoors and an interest in preserving and studying the Fort River. “There is so much to be gained through studying the Fort River and its right here in our own backyard. With the resources of 40 watershed scientist working in the Five-college area and an active environmentally minded community, we hope to put the Fort River on the map.” , Parasiewicz said. Rushing Rivers hope to sponsor more community trips like this one in the future.
Rushing Rivers would like to thank everyone who joined them contributed to help make this event a great success.
THE FORT RIVER is the longest free-flowing tributary of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts. Its watershed contains all the reservoirs for the town of Amherst, and the origin of the river itself is the Atkins Reservoir. With heavily forested uplands and a relatively high degree of land protection in the watershed, water quality is sufficiently good that the Fort provides core habitat for native fish (including species of special concern such as bridle shiner), invertebrates such as the federally listed endangered dwarf wedgemussel, and at least four other state-listed mussels species (Ethan Nedeu, unpub. data). The river provides “habitat” for residents of Amherst and Hadley as well: several public recreation areas are situated along the river including swimming holes, the Groff Park playground, and the Norwottuck Rail Trail and bike path. Its accessibility and central location within the Five College area make it a prime resource for research, education, and public outreach.
In the late summer of 2007, the Fort River experienced significant growth of algae associated with drought-induced low flow. A pilot water quality study conducted in September identified high phosphorus concentrations as a possible cause of algal growth, with levels up to twice that identified by EPA as advisable for river ecosystem health. Such high phosphorus concentrations may imperil freshwater mussels, which are among the most endangered groups of animals in the United States. For instance, a USGS study linked a major decline in mussel populations and species diversity to increased stream phosphorus concentrations at levels similar to those found for the Fort River, suggesting that Fort River populations may also be jeopardized by future periods of low flow and high nutrient concentrations.
To redress the lack of information on the Fort, Rushing Rivers Institute has initiated a collaborative partnership with colleagues at UMASS, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, and Amherst College to establish a monitoring program that will collect and provide access to data on water quality, seasonal flow dynamics, and ecological status of the Fort River to resource managers, scientists, students, environmental advocacy organizations, and the local community. Long-term data that documents seasonal flow changes and flood events in an un-impounded river like the Fort can inform management plans and establish restoration goals for other, more impacted waterways throughout New England, and will directly assist the towns of Amherst and Hadley in management decisions which impact the river system. Data (including recordings from underwater video cameras and hydrophones) will be uploaded to the Internet, creating a portal for real-time access to the study.
Phosphorus concentrations at 5 locations along the Fort River ranged from 80 to 110 µg L-1 (P.Parasiewicz, unpub. data); EPA guidelines for aquatic health range from 6.88 µg L-1 to 52.8 µg L-1 (EPA 2000. Ambient water quality criteria recommendations: Rivers and streams in nutrient ecoregion XIV. Washington, DC, Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency: 84). USGS data from August and October of 1994 shows lower concentrations of 10 and 20 µg L-1, respectively, suggesting that current phosphorus loading in the Fort River may be greater than in the past.
USGS (2000). What makes a healthy environment for freshwater mussels? USGS Fact Sheet 124-00. United States Geological Survey, Washington, DC.
