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Notice:
Saturday July 23rd - 10 am
MILLERS RIVER BLUE TRAIL -- INAUGURAL PADDLE & CEREMONY (ATHOL)
Join us to celebrate the new Millers River Blue Trail and test out the new TRAIL GUIDE!
For details click on the "WATER TRAIL UPDATES - MILLERS" page in the blue box to the left.
Saturday July 30th - 1 pm
OTTER RIVER BLUE TRAIL -- DISCOVERY DAY PADDLE (TEMPLETON)
Join us to explore the Otter River Blue Trail.
For details click on the "WATER TRAIL UPDATES - OTTERS" page in the blue box to the left.
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NEW SUMMER 2011 BACTERIAL WATER SAMPLING RESULTS:
To check that our river waters are safe for recreational activity, MRWC is conducting bi-weekly sampling of 5 locations on the Millers River in Athol and Orange and 4 locations on the Otter River in Templeton and Gardner.
So far, all results are GOOD!
To REVIEW RESULTS, click on the following link: 2011 MILLERS R. AND OTTER R. BACTERIAL SAMPLING RESULTS
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MILLERS-OTTER BLUE TRAILS PROJECT
The Millers and Otter River Blue Trails are being developed as community-based projects to raise the profile of our local rivers, highlight their recreational, scenic, natural and historic qualities, make them more popular for use and appreciation by local residents and tourists, and strengthen our communities.
* The Millers River Blue Trail covers the River Rat Race segment of the river between Athol and Orange.
* The Otter River Blue Trail covers The Otter River along its entire length from Hubbardston, Templeton, Gardner and ending where it joins the Millers River in Winchendon.
Residents, businesses and community groups from these towns are invited to participate in making this project a long-term success for the rivers and our communities.
Contact Blue Trails outreach coordinator Keith Davies at 978-248-9491 or email watershed_americorps@mountgrace.org.
Blue Trails Events Calendar:Check the MRWC or ABNC website calendar for listings -- Spring is volunteer field work time!.
"Adopt-A-Sample": Help support water monitoring for bacteria on the Millers and Otter Rivers this summer. A $25 donation covers the cost of a laboratory analysis for one sample. Our goal is to sample up to 20 sites at least five times, so we're aiming for $2,500 to process 100 samples. Your support can make a big difference to ensure our river water is healthy for recreational contact.
You can pay by PayPal here on the MRWC website, or send a check payable to MRWC at 100 Main Street, Athol, MA 01331. Be sure to mark "adopt-a-sample" on the check's memo line.
Sampling results will be posted on the MRWC website in the fall.
Millers River Blue Trail Logo Design Contest: Deadline for submissions is June 1; winning logo will be presented at July 23rd trail Day event. Contact Keith Davies to request a copy of the contest guidelines, at 978-248-9491 or email watershed_americorps@mountgrace.org.
Millers River Blue Trail Jan. 6, 2011 Kick-Off meeting Report
CALL TO ACTION
The Millers River Blue Trail inaugural meeting drew a good crowd of just over two dozen people. AOTV filmed the presentation and discussion. People of all ages, civic leaders, paddlers and hikers, nature lovers, history buffs, all turned out to learn about and begin to help with this special long-term community project. As highlighted at the meeting, the Blue Trail will serve as a dedicated stretch of river between the two anchor towns of Athol and Orange where the river itself will serve as the trail or path. The two town parks at either end will serve as start/end points. The trail offers a variety of benefits to people and the region, including recreation, community pride and education, conservation and eco-tourism potential. Stewardship activities will also be a key component for the trail's long term integrity, such as river clean ups, water quality monitoring, and maintenance on any connecting trails. The presentation noted a need to secure additional open space along the river corridor to preserve and enhance the character of the trail. Though the trail in this segment of the river is primarily the river, proper and careful open space additions could add footpath access in places where people could discover this special resource. MRWC has established a regular monthly Trail Team meeting schedule (SECOND Monday - 7pm) throughout the development stage of the trail. These gatherings will be held in the evenings, but also a day time open house at MREC will be offered. The goal is to begin field surveys in the spring and use the information to draft a trail map. The surveys will look to highlight and document both natural and historical information/sites. The winter work will identify possible places to highlight on a map, and the field work will do the ground-truthing and GPS locating of the points of interest. Spring and summer field work will offer insights into any differences due to the seasons. The Jan. 6th meeting was an introduction to this special opportunity. We now need to put our heads together, research the natural and historical features of the river, plan events, collect information, then put it all together to give life to this trail. Our next evening meeting is MONDAY FEB 14 @ 7PM @ MREC, 100 Main St, Athol, MA 01331. A day-time open house will be TUESDAY FEB 15 @ 10AM @ MREC. Please plan to attend or forward any specific information that you can. Thank you. Please drop me a note to confirm you will be coming.
Keith Davies,
978-248-9491
Millers River Blue Trail Project Development Check List
For the Feb 14 meeting, bring what you can to identify:
Special natural features
Historical places
Access needs
Spring weekend dates to start field efforts
Special event ideas
Open space or stop points along the trail (what permissions would we need?)
We will start a resource inventory to use for when we get out on the water to GPS mark all key Trail locations.
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FREE ENVIROSCAPE PRESENTATIONS
The MRWC offers free 3-D Enviroscape Watershed/Non-Point Source Pollution presentations to audiences of all ages. Presentations can be tailored to address specific concerns, including groundwater. If you wish to schedule a presentation for your school or community group, please contact the Council. A typical presentation runs approximately 50-60 minutes.
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