Blackstone River Watershed Association In This Issue TIP OF THE MONTH BRWA NEWS BRWA Winter Hike New River Access At Millville Lock EPA Permit Conflict Continues BCC Planning March Work Day CALENDAR IN YOUR COMMUNITY Bald Eagle At Rice City Pond During Annual Bird Count Blackstone River Canal Preservation Study Get Outdoors Massachusetts Mobile App Contest Now Open Grafton Lions Club Ice-Out Contest EPA Healthy Communities Grant awarded to MA DEP OF GLOBAL INTEREST Nature Conservancy 6th Annual Photo Contest Winners Solar Powered Tanning Lounge BRWA Online About the BRWA JOIN the BRWA Volunteer SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRWA NEWSLETTER Issue 25 January 2012 The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination. Terri Guillemets TIP OF THE MONTH Winter Energy Saving Tips for Homeowners reprinted from the Green Energy Times eNewsletter Air leakage is the greatest source of heat loss in most homes. The greater the temperature differential between inside and outside your house, the faster air leakage takes place and the easier it is to find. So these cold days can help you in your detective work. Warm air pushes up and out holes high in your home, but is hard to feel. So take something that smokes, like incense, and hold it near typical leakage areas to the attic or outside and watch for smoke being pulled out – attic hatch or stairwell, chimney penetrations, through and around recessed lights, ceiling fans, or other plumbing and electrical penetrations. Cold air is pulled in lower areas of the home, especially in basements and crawl spaces. There you can usually feel the cold air blowing in on you hand where the sill meets the foundation, around bulkhead doors, basement windows and other penetrations to the outside. Seal all these high and low openings with caulk, spray foam or weatherstipping. You can view a video that SERG helped produce on how to complete these and other Do-It-Yourself energy-saving measures at http://www.cctv.org/node/82725 SERG is the Sustainable Energy Resource Group. SERG helps Vermont and New Hampshire homeowners and towns use less energy, save money and protect the environment through education, outreach and community organizing. BRWA NEWS BRWA Winter Hike The Blackstone River Watershed Association invites you to join us on Saturday February 4th from 1–3 pm for a hike guided by National Park Service Ranger Chuck Arning as we explore the wintery woods at the historic Waters Farm in Sutton, Massachusetts. Waters Farm, a hilltop homestead built in 1757, is 120 acres of watershed land overlooking beautiful Lake Manchaug. Snow shoe rentals will be made available but will be snow-cover dependant. Participants are welcome to bring their own snowshoes and are asked to dress appropriately for the weather. Participants will meet at the Darling Barn at Waters Farm. Parking is available in front of the Barn. Hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies will be served after the hike. RSVP required by February 1st: Events@thebrwa.org or 508-278-5200. Specify the number of snowshoe rentals needed and size (adult/child, s/m/lg/xlg). top New River Access At Millville Lock Work has been completed on another river access site on the Blackstone River. With the new boat landing, paddlers can now easily visit the Historic Millville Lock. Due to it's remote location, this is the best preserved lock of the Blackstone River Canal System. Visitors can visit by boat or by a 3/4 mile walk down the former rail bed, the Southern New England Trunkline Trail, known as the SNETT. Visit our website for more information on the BRWA River Access Program. top EPA Permit Conflict Continues Here is the latest development in the conflict over the 2008 EPA permit limits on the discharge of Phosphorus and Nitrogen into the Blackstone River by Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District. Recently the appeal of the newer limits was supposed to be heard by 3 judge panel at the US First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. Instead of hearing arguments from lawyers representing the EPA, the Worcester area’s Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District, and environmental groups, the judges directed the parties into mediation, once again delaying implementation of the newer limits. Environmental groups advocating for the Blackstone River Watershed and Narragansett Bay have long argued for the timely implementation of the new limits to maintain clean usable water bring about the recovery of the ecosystem. Worcester area officials contend that the new limits are not based on sound science and will lead to an unwarranted expense and burden to the ratepayers. Here are several related articles: "Cleanup of the Blackstone stalls in a legal quagmire" Boston Globe January 22, 2012 "Worcester sewer users get rate respite" Worcester Telegram & Gazette January 17, 2012 "River protection groups oppose relaxing Blackstone sewage plant limits" Worcester Telegram & Gazette December 28, 2011 top BCC Planning March Work Day The Blackstone Canal Conservancy is sponsoring a morning of trail clearing and trash removal along the towpath of the canal in the Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park. All who are interested in preserving the canal are invited to meet at 9 AM, Saturday, March 24th at the Plummer's Landing parking area at the canal on Church Street in Northbridge, MA. Volunteers are requested to bring loppers, bow saws, brush cutters, and work gloves. No power tools will be used. This is one of a continuing series of work events to improve the canal and towpath. top CALENDAR OF EVENTS 1/28 MACOLAP 25th Annual Winter Lake and Pond Management Workshop 8-3 at Worcester State University   info 1/29 "Rhea's Random Reflections" (Ranger Day Lecture Series) 1:30 pm at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket   info 2/1-2/28 Library Lovers Month   info 2/4 BRWA Winter Hike 1-3 at Waters Farm  see above 2/9 BRWA Board Meeting 6:30pm 271 Oak St., Uxbridge   info 2/12 "Civil War Sanitary Commission" (Ranger Day Lecture Series) 1:30 pm at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket   info 2/18 Lake Nipmuc Ice Fishing Derby   info 2/18 Lake Ripple Ice Fishing Derby   article 2/26 "Green Zones: Rhode Islanders Gardens in War Time" (Ranger Day Lecture Series) 1:30 pm at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket   info 3/10 8th Annual Land and Water Conservation Summit - RI Land & Water Partnership   info top IN YOUR COMMUNITY Bald Eagle At Rice City Pond During Annual Bird Count The annual Christmas Bird Count took place nationwide between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. The Uxbridge circle organized by Strickland Wheelock, with over two dozen volunteer birders, gathered at River Bend Farm Visitor Center on Saturday Dec 31 to report their numbers of birds by species observed since midnight at various locations within a 15 mile diameter of the Route 16/146 interchange. It was foggy, some rain and cold at times but close to 70 total species were logged, down maybe 10 percent from previous high years. There were, however, a few unique sightings including the Bald Eagle at Rice City Pond (see article) and a Northern Snipe along the River in the flood plain meadow across the canal from the Visitor Center. Both were in the park the next few days as well. Photo By: Timothy Johnson top Blackstone River Canal Preservation Study The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission recently released the final drafts of two reports resulting from the study of the canal sections in two state parks in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The assessment is a more detailed follow-on to a previous Preservation Study conducted on the entire length of the canal excluding the segments within the state parks. In Massachusetts, the new study focused on the portion of the canal located in the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge and Northbridge. The report provides an assessment of the current condition of the canal and related historic structures and includes recommendations for the stabilization and repair of the canal trench, the rebuilding of the towpath embankment, the restoration Goat Hill Lock and the possible operation of a canal boat replica within the park. top Get Outdoors Massachusetts Mobile App Contest Now Open Help outdoor enthusiasts use their smart phone to find out where to fish, skate, ski, boat, swim, hike, pick apples, watch wildlife and much more. The Get Outdoors Massachusetts contest is open to the public and seeks public participation in developing technologies that feature Massachusetts outdoor and natural resources. The contest invites smart phone mobile application developers to create applications to help the public find outdoor recreation hot spots in Massachusetts. The submission deadline is March 30, and registration is free. Entrants will compete for prizes including the opportunity to showcase their work to local technology executives. EEA will announce the winners on April 18. More information. top Grafton Lions Club Ice-Out Contest When will Charlie fall through the ice? The Grafton Lions Club is holding it’s “Ice-Out Contest” on Lake Ripple. Charlie the Ice Man is poised on the lake waiting for the thaw. For a $5 donation, make a prediction of the exact date that Charlie will fall through. The winner will receive $500. Contact the Grafton Lions Club for tickets and information. top EPA Healthy Communities Grant awarded to MA DEP Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was awarded $39,235 for their “MA/RI Municipal Management Stormwater Assistance Initiative” project. The grant was one of 13 awarded across New England under the EPA’s Healthy Communities Grant Program. The project will improve the water quality of Narragansett Bay and its tributary rivers by improving the effectiveness of municipal stormwater management. Source: EPA News Release 1/10/2012 top OF GLOBAL INTEREST Nature Conservancy 6th Annual Photo Contest Winners The Nature Conservancy announced the winners of their 6th Annual Photo Contest. The contest was open to all photographers at least 18 years of age and invited submissions of ”… striking digital images of nature, highlighting the diversity of life on Earth.” Solar Powered Tanning Lounge Advertised as “The Solar Powered Tanning Experience”. We’re not making this up. Their website top Views & opinions expressed in linked websites do not necessarily state or reflect those of the BRWA. 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 engage, educate and advocate for improved water quality in the Blackstone River Watershed; its objectives are to: Engage the public in watershed stewardship activities, Educate members, supporters and watershed residents on watershed protection strategies, 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.