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Blackstone River Watershed Association
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"Shed no tear - O, shed no tear!
The flower will bloom another year.
Weep no more - O, weep no more!
Young buds sleep in the root's white core..."
John Keats (Faery Songs)
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TIP OF THE MONTH
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Fix a leak
Running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks can cost
homeowners money and waste precious water. WaterSense, an EPA
Partnership Program, is teaming up with their partners to promote the
fourth annual
Fix a Leak Week, March 12-18, 2012.
Take this opportunity to:
- Look for dripping faucets, leaking shutoff valves and leaking
showerheads inside the house.
- Listen for running toilets. If you need to “jiggle the handle”
it’s time for a simple fix.
- Check outside faucets for drips and verify that irrigation
systems have not been damaged over the winter.
- Use your water meter to see if there are any unseen or unheard
leaks. Simply record the meter reading, don’t use any water in the
house for 2 hours, and check the reading again. If it hasn’t
changed, you’re leak free!
It’s also a good time to:
- Upgrade to water saving devices and fixtures
- Locate all shutoff valves and instruct the whole family how to
use them in an emergency.
- Talk with the family about the importance of water conservation
and simple steps they all can take to save water and reduce water
and sewer costs.
Visit the WaterSense
website for more hints on water conservation in the home.
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BRWA NEWS
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Join Us Now!
Next month the BRWA will launch its annual
membership drive. By contributing to the BRWA, you support our ability
to conduct activities and deliver programs that further our mission to
engage, educate and advocate to improve water quality in the Blackstone
River Watershed. Becoming a member is easy.
Just click here.
Thank you!
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Annual BRWA Earth Day Cleanup
Join the BRWA for it’s annual Earth Day river
shoreline cleanup on Sunday, April 22 from 1pm to 3pm. Have fun while doing good for
the Watershed. More details coming soon.
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Water Quality Monitoring Volunteers Needed
Volunteer Samplers are needed for the
Blackstone River Watershed-wide Water Quality Monitoring Program.
Here's your chance to make a real difference by joining this group
of dedicated citizen scientists working to monitor and improve the
water quality of the Blackstone River and tributaries. Sampling
is done on the second Saturday of each month, from April to November.
Volunteers are needed to cover the following sites:
- Bacon Brook in Uxbridge
- West River in Northbridge
- Mill River in Hopedale
Volunteers are also needed to help at the BRWA Lab/Drop-off location
in Uxbridge. At this site, the samples are processed
and analyzed by another group of trained volunteers. If you can spare
a couple of hours, one Saturday morning a month, please email Field Coordinator
Mike Sperry.
The 2011 Equipment Kit pick-up for the BRWA region is Saturday,
March 17, 9:30 to 11:00 at 271 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA (the red house).
Samplers who can't pick up equipment on that date can contact Tammy
to make other arrangements. The first sample date is Saturday, April 14th.
The Water Quality Monitoring Program is coordinated by the Blackstone River Coalition.
For more information about the Program, visit the
BRC website.
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Bill to Protect
Mass. Lakes From Invasive Species
According to the State House News Service, a
bill is awaiting approval in the MA House that would empower
environmental police to enforce boat decontamination procedures under
stricter Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) regulations.
The bill also allows for the creation of an aquatic nuisance control
program within the DCR to work with local communities and environmental
groups to respond to infestation complaints and establish programs to
combat problems. The bill is designed to prevent the
contamination of Massachusetts waters by invasive, nonnative species
that can potentially damage or destroy the aquatic ecosystem. It is
hoped that the bill will help agencies head off the recent infestation
by zebra mussels in the western part of the state. It is believed
that many damaging aquatic species are carried from contaminated areas
when boaters do not properly clean and decontaminate their vessels
before putting them into uninfested waters. If the bill passes, we
will report on the new regulations when they are released.
Visit the MA DCR
Lakes and Ponds Program for information on aquatic invasive species
and the efforts to combat them including a
brochure for boaters.
Join the BRWA Nip Invasive Plants in the Bud (NIP) program as we
identify and control nonnative aquatic plants in the Watershed. Email
info@thebrwa.org for more information.
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BRWA Winter Hike
The BRWA sponsored it’s first annual Winter
Hike on Saturday February 4th at the historic
Waters Farm
in Sutton, MA. The hike was guided by National Park Service Rangers
Peter Coffin and Valerie Paul. On a brisk, beautiful winter day,
we explored some of the Farm’s trails as our guides told us about the
Native Americans, European settlers and farmers who occupied
the area and their relationship with the land and it’s resources.
The afternoon was capped off with hot chocolate and treats in the barn.
The BRWA thanks Waters Farm, Rangers Peter and Valerie, the Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor and our band of hikers for
making the event a success.
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Don't Forget-BCC Canal Work Day
Reminder: 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. Email Dave Barber at
dgbarber@cs.com for details.
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| CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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3/2
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Read Across America Day/Dr. Suess Birthday
info |
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3/3, 3/4
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Maple Sugarmakers Open House 10am - 2pm River Bend Farm
info
Visitors are invited to drop by for an informal program.
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3/8
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BRWA Board Meeting 6:30pm 271 Oak St., Uxbridge
info
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3/10
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8th Annual Land and Water Conservation Summit - RI
Land & Water Partnership
info
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3/11
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"RI and the War of 1812" (Ranger Day Lecture Series)
1:30 pm at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket
info
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3/17
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Water Quality Monitoring Equipment Pick-up
9:30 am to 11:00 am at 271 Oak St., Uxbridge
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3/12-3/18
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Fix-a-Leak Week
info
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3/22
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World Water Day
info
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3/24
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BCC Workday. 9am at Plummer’s Landing, Church St.
Northbridge.
info
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4/1
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Chip Bishop presents a talk on his book
"The Lion and the Journalist" (Ranger Day Lecture Series)
1:30 pm at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket
info
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IN YOUR COMMUNITY
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National Park Update
Despite the failure of the bi-state delegation
representing the Blackstone Valley in Congress to include it in a large
omnibus bill last December, the legislation designating a National Park
is still on track for approval. Support remains strong from the U.S. Senators
and Representatives from MA and RI and from the National Park Service and
Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. The legislation is currently
awaiting the scheduling of a Senate hearing. Visit the
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
website for more information and regular updates.
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Annual Maple Sugaring Demo Days Cancelled
from the
Blackstone Valley Sugaring Association
"Due to early warm weather, we are forced to cancel
our maple sugaring demonstration days. Instead we will hold a Maple
Sugarmakers Open House during the first weekend in March. Visitors are
invited to drop by for an informal program at any time during the hours
listed below. We are sorry to say that we will not be tapping trees,
gathering sap, or making syrup - Mother Nature got finished before we
got started this year!"
Visit the Maple Sugarmakers Open House on March 3 and 4, 10 AM to 2 PM at
the Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge, MA
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Charlie the Ice Man Plunges Into Lake Ripple
Not suprisingly, Charlie the Ice Man sunk into
Lake Ripple earlier than expected. Charlie made the plunge as part of
The Grafton Lions Club's first “Ice-Out Contest”.
The dapper mannequin slipped under the ice on Feb. 19 at 3:12 p.m.
Doug Knotts won the $500 for predicting the closest date.
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OF GLOBAL INTEREST
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GLOBE at Night
Can You See the Stars? Join thousands of others
around the globe hunting for stars during the sixth annual GLOBE at Night
event! Take part in this international event to observe the nighttime sky
and learn more about light pollution around the world.
All it takes is a few minutes
to participate between 8-10 pm, March 13-22 and April 11-20.
The GLOBE at Night program is an international citizen-science campaign
to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting
citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and submit their
observations to a website from a computer or smart phone. The GLOBE at
Night campaign has run for two weeks each winter/spring for the last
six years. People in 115 countries have contributed 66,000 measurements,
making GLOBE at Night one of the most successful light pollution awareness campaigns.
To find out how you can participate, visit the
GLOBE at Night website.
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2012 Rachel Carson Sense of "Water" Contest
The US EPA announced the 2012
Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest. a poetry, essay, photo and dance
contest sponsored by the EPA, Generations United, the Dance Exchange,
National Center for Creative Aging,and the Rachel Carson Council, Inc.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, this years
contest has been renamed the Sense of Water Contest.
Teams consisting of at least one young and one older person are asked
to share their share their love for water through a creative project
that captures water around us. Submissions are due June 1, 2012.
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EPA Issues Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Sites
from Environmental Protection Agency Press Release 2/16/2012
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
issuing a new permit, in accordance with the Clean Water Act, that will
provide streamlined permitting to thousands of construction operators,
while protecting our nation’s waterways from discharges of polluted stormwater
from construction sites. Stormwater discharges from construction sites can
contain harmful pollutants, such as nutrients, that contaminate waters,
increase drinking water treatment costs, and damage aquatic ecosystems.
The new permit was shaped by important input from the public and stakeholders
to ensure that it provides important protections for waterways, while also
providing flexibility to operators.
Full Press Release
Construction General Permit Information
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Views & opinions expressed in linked websites do not necessarily
state or reflect those of the BRWA.
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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 mike.sperry@thebrwa.org
Mailing address: BRWA, 271 Oak Street Uxbridge, MA 01569
Phone: 508-278-5200 Web: www.thebrwa.org
Click here for back issues.
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