MRWC Millers River Watershed Council, Inc 100 Main Street Athol, MA 01331

Resources

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Watershed volunteers examining a map from the "Millers River 5-Year Action Plan" (Photo credit: Carrie Banks) This Resources page provides links to websites, as well as non-web references, that provide valuable information about watersheds in general, and specific watersheds -- including the Millers River. Copies of printed reports are available for viewing at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol, MA. Call 978-248-9491 or email . Non Web Resources ● Millers River 5-Year Watershed Action Plan 2004-09: This report by the Millers River Watershed Advisory Committee was released in September, 2004, and includes a wealth of watershed information. Key findings and recommendations are organized into the following categories: Water Quantity, Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat & Biodiversity, Land Use and Growth, Open Space and Recreation, and Public Education/Outreach. View at the Millers River Environmental Center ● Assessment of Potential Non-Point Source Pollution for the Millers River Watershed in Massachusetts: This richly detailed report was prepared for the Mass. DEP by the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. It was released in 2002. View at the Millers River Environmental Center ● Enviroscape Watershed/Non-point source Polution & Groundwater Kit Presentations The MRWC provides free presentations to school and adult audiences that demonstrate how water and pollutants move through a typical watershed landscape. The presentation focuses on reducing contamination of water resources from pesticides, fertilizers, sediment, motor oil and other non-point source (NPS) pollutants. Contact MRWC now to schedule an Enviroscape presentation in your community. ● Hazardous Waste Drop Sites The Franklin County Solid Waste Management District operates several Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Sites open year-round for conventional disposal of many hazardous wastes. These permanent “Supersites” are located in Bernardston, Conway and Colrain. Common hazardous materials include: motor oil, oil filters, auto batteries, antifreeze, oil-based paint, fluorescent light bulbs, household batteries, ballasts, thermometers, thermostats and mercury-containing switches. Charges apply for disposal of some items. Any resident in a town belonging to the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District may utilize these Supersites. The district also organizes special annual drop-offs for tires, electronics, pesticides and cleaning products. For more information on disposal of hazardous materials, recycling, composting and other solid waste issues, visit the District’s website at: www.franklincountywastedistrict.org or call 413-772-2438. Links to Web Resources Invasive Plant Atlas of New England The Invasive Plant Atlas of New England’s (IPANE) mission is to create a comprehensive web-accessible database of invasive and potentially invasive plants in New England that will be continually updated by a network of professionals and trained volunteers. The database will facilitate education and research that will lead to a greater understanding of invasive plant ecology and support informed conservation management. An important focus of the project is the early detection of, and rapid response to, new invasions.   Millers River Watershed 2000 Water Quality Assessment Report – This report by the Mass. DEP, released in 2004, provides extensive information and data relating to the main waterways of the Millers River and its tributaries. Go to the site and click “water quality assessment” in the “watershed planning” section. Then scroll down to the Millers River report, which can be downloaded as a pdf file.   Mass. Department of Environmental Protection Check this site for descriptions of the many water-related programs run by DEP’s Bureau of Resource Protection and its Division of Water Management.   Mass Riverways Program The mission of the Riverways Program is to promote the restoration, protection and ecological integrity of the Commonwealth's rivers, streams and adjacent lands.   Massachusetts Streamflow Conference This conference was held on April 29th, 2005, and attended by hundreds of people. All the power point presentations are available for download from the site.   Surf Your Watershed The “Surf Your Watershed” site was designed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a service to help you locate, use, and share environmental information about your state and watershed.   Watersheds This USEPA site contains a wealth of information about watersheds, from the most basic to the highly technical.   The Water Resources Research Center Based at UMass, the WRRC supports research, education, and outreach on water resources issues of state, regional, and national importance.   The Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership The MWWP provides training and other technical assistance to citizen organizations who conduct water quality monitoring programs on the lakes, rivers, and estuaries of Massachusetts.