Blackstone River Watershed Association Preserving and Protecting the Blackstone River and Its Tributaries In This Issue TIP OF THE MONTH BRWA NEWS BRWA Awarded MA DCR Water Trails Grant Green Your Piece of the Earth Annual Purple Loosestrife Removal CALENDAR IN YOUR COMMUNITY Dam at Hopedale Pond To Be Repaired EPA Grant for Eco-Machine Installation at Fisherville OF GLOBAL INTEREST America's Great Outdoors EPA Blog BRWA Online About the BRWA JOIN the BRWA Volunteer SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRWA NEWSLETTER Issue 8 August 2010 TIP OF THE MONTH Mosquito Control Mosquitoes need still, non-flowing water to complete their life cycle. Here are some guidelines from the US EPA to prevent the production of mosquitoes in your back yard: Eliminate standing water in rain gutters, old tires, buckets, plastic covers, toys, or any other container where mosquitoes can breed. Empty and change the water in birdbaths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted plant trays at least once a week to destroy potential mosquito habitats. Drain or fill temporary pools of water with dirt. Keep swimming pool water treated and circulating. Reducing mosquito populations prevents the spread of mosquito borne disease in humans and animals and reduces the need for broad chemical control methods. For more information about mosquitoes, their life cycle, and methods of prevention and control, visit the Central Mass Mosquito Control Program website. top BRWA NEWS BRWA Awarded MA DCR Water Trails Grant The BRWA, in partnership with the Heritage Corridor and the Blackstone Valley and Canal Heritage State Park, has been awarded a $48,000 Water Trails Grant from MA DCR to do riverbank restoration work at several canoe and kayak river access sites within the park. The present access locations suffer from erosion due to heavy use by paddlers. Granite steps and stone pathways will be installed at the Hartford Avenue Portage, at River Bend Farm, at Plummers Landing and possibly at the Millville Lock. These enhancements will make it easier for paddlers to enjoy recreation along the river Improvements will be similar to the work done last year, in Uxbridge, at Stanley Woolen Mill site on route 16 and the Scull Rock Lock site on Route 122. Highlights of previous BRWA River Access Projects can be found here top Green Your Piece of the Earth The “Green Your Piece of the Earth” forum held on August 8 at River Bend Farm drew an interested audience that benefited from presentations that showcased easy practices that can be done in our own yards to help protect our natural resources. Knowledgeable speakers, hands-on demonstrations, and informative literature explained how to: Adjust downspouts to divert rain water into the ground to replenish the water table and prevent contaminated storm water runoff from polluting nearby water bodies; Use a rain barrel to capture and reuse rain water for landscaping and gardening purposes; Compost food scraps, yard waste and get rich, organic soil – for free; and Attract butterflies to your yard by incorporating the right plants in your garden. Watch for news about our fall educational event coming soon! top Annual Purple Loosestrife Removal–July 17 On July 17th, 2010 a team of BRWA volunteers removed Purple Loosestrife from the Mill River in Hopedale. The stems and flower spikes were cut to inhibit growth, prevent seed dispersal and control the spread of the attractive but invasive plant. Volunteers filled and disposed of nine large trash bags of removed material. The BRWA will soon be hosting a volunteer training session on the identification and control of Purple Loosestrife and and other invasive plants as part of our invasive plants program. top CALENDAR OF EVENTS 8/21 Douglas Farmers Market 9AM - 1PM  info 8/22 Concert-Heritage String Band, River Bend Farm 3:30PM   8/22 BRWA Member Paddle-River Bend Farm 12:30-4PM   8/29 Concert-TUBA!, River Bend Farm 3:30PM   8/29 BRWA Member Paddle-River Bend Farm 12:30-4PM   9/9 BRWA Board Meeting 9/11 BRC Water Quality Sampling 9/26 Farmers Market-Daniels Farmstead, Blackstone 11AM - 3PM  info top IN YOUR COMMUNITY Dam at Hopedale Pond To Be Repaired Apparently lack of rain was not the only cause of extremely low water levels in Hopedale Pond after all. The results of an underwater inspection of the dam indicate that spillway boards, deteriorated with age, are allowing water to leak by the dam. A plan is in place to make the necessary repairs and hopefully, with enough rain, the pond will eventually return to it’s normal level. See the article in the Milford Daily News: “Hopedale Dam to be fixed” top EPA Grant for Eco-Machine Installation at Fisherville The continuing cleanup effort at Fisherville Mill will utilize an innovative “Living Machine” to treat water in the Blackstone Canal contaminated by stormwater running off the site. With the help of a grant from the US EPA, An Eco-MachineTM designed by John Todd Ecological Design will be installed at the site. In previous designs, the Eco-MachineTM has used a combination of living organisms including microscopic algae, fungi, bacteria, protozoa, zooplankton, snails, clams, fishes and higher plants, including shrubs and trees, to biologically treat contaminated water. Along with the Eco-MachineTM for the Fisherville project it is proposed to install floating islands of vegetation. The roots of the vegetation will help treat the contaminated canal water and, as an additional bonus, will help treat the bunker oil coming off the site that causes an oil sheen on the canal surface. The project will not only treat the water in the canal but will also supply useful data to the EPA for future cleanups and provide educational opportunities. See the article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “$671,000 grant for Eco-Machine targets Fisherville Mill site water” top OF GLOBAL INTEREST America's Great Outdoors A new Obama administration initiative, America’s Great Outdoors, is aimed at promoting recreation, and discussing issues that affect the environmental health of our lands and waters. At listening sessions across the country, Americans have an opportunity to speak up on environmental and recreational topics. For an overview of the program, a schedule of listening sessions, or to participate online, go to the America’s Great Outdoors website. Greenversations - US EPA Blog Greenversations is a US Environmental Protection Agency blog where EPA employees relate personal experiences in environmental protection and share their ideas on a variety of related topics. Readers are invited to comment. http://blog.epa.gov/blog/ Views & opinions expressed in linked websites do not necessarily state or reflect those of the BRWA. top Your input is crucial to this eNewsletter. If you have a local watershed-related story, information of interest to our subscribers, or comments about this publication, drop an email to the editor. The Blackstone River Watershed Association (BRWA) has a mission to enhance and preserve the Blackstone River system and its watershed; its objectives are to: Educate members, supporters, watershed residents on watershed protection strategies, Engage the public in watershed stewardship activities, and Improve the water quality and esthetics of the Blackstone River Watershed’s water bodies. The BRWA eNewsletter is published monthly by the Blackstone River Watershed Association. BRWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Editor: Michael Sperry mikes_brwa@comcast.net Mailing address: BRWA, 271 Oak Street Uxbridge, MA 01569 Phone: 508-278-5200  Web: www.thebrwa.org Click here for back issues.