Merrimack River Watershed Council

Mid-Stream eNewsletter
August 2009

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In This Issue:  River Monitoring  | Board Snap-Shot | Sponsors | New Members | Paddling Trips | Office Update | Events

   River Monitoring

MRWC Board of Directors
Cecilia Mazza, President
Kathryn Carter, 
Vice President
Susan Sanborn, Treasurer
Steven Zelubowski, Secretary
Joseph Bernard, Director
Edmund Greene, Director
Alan Sherburne, Director
Gwen Whitbeck, Director
Vicky Wu Davis, Director

Monitoring Takes On a New Form - The Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) is going to new lengths to test the water quality of the Merrimack River ! With the help of Jimmy Blakeney, (seen at left) owner of Northeast Paddlesurf of Lowell , MA , we will now be able to test the waters in the shallow area between Pawtucket Dam and the Lowell Wastewater Treatment Plant. Before this collaboration, the MRWC was unable to get a boat into this stretch of river, but now, with Jimmy?s assistance, it should be a walk in the park?or?a walk on the paddleboard.

Jimmy Blakeney uniquely tests the waters of the Merrimack in Lowell

As part of our Merrimack River Water Quality Monitoring, Analyzing, Protecting, and Promoting (MAPP) Program, Jimmy will be strapping MRWC?s monitoring equipment on his back so that he can ?paddle surf? to the sampling location where he will be using his finely honed paddling and balancing skills to collect samples and take readings. He will be sampling bacterial levels, temperature and dissolved oxygen (this allows fish to live in the water) along with a few other parameters. Analysis of the bacteria samples is generously donated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Monitoring Update: Last month, water samples were taken to measure bacteria concentrations at 32 water quality monitoring stations along the Merrimack River in Massachusetts as part of the Merrimack River Water Quality Monitoring, Analyzing, Protecting and Promoting (MAPP) Program. During July, three of those stations contained bacteria concentrations that exceeded the limit set for swimming by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The limit set for freshwater is 235 colony-forming units (CFU) Escherichia coli in fresh water and 104 CFU Enterococcus for saline water.

Two sites in the tidally affected portion of the river exceeded the limit for Enterococcus bacteria in July: downstream of Rocks Village at 121 CFU and downstream of the Groveland Bridge at 140 CFU. This was the third month in a row that the limit was exceeded downstream of the Groveland Bridge and the second time in three months near Kimball Farm; however, downstream from these two sites at Cobbler Brook, there was a declined from 187 CFU in May to 75 CFU and 84 CFU in June and July, respectively. 

In the freshwater section of the river, E. coli bacteria levels at the Shawsheen River also exceeded the limits set for safe swimming, with 245 CFU recorded in July and 384 CFU in June. Acceptable limits were also exceeded at Spickett River, four-tenths of a mile upstream of the Shawsheen River, in June with 913 CFU.

See also: Monitoring Water Quality (May'09)  press release

  Board Snapshot - Susan Sanborn

Susan Sanborn is the current Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Merrimack River Watershed Council. Employed by Normandeau Associates, an environmental consulting firm, she joined the firm in 1987 as Accounting Manager and Controller. She was appointed Secretary/Treasurer and an ESOP Trustee in July 2000 when the firm became a privately owned ESOP Company. She was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in January 2003. Sue has a Bachelor?s Degree and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and currently resides in Nashua, NH.

Sue's journey to the MRWC Board of Directors started when her sister Denise invited her to try kayaking on a local pond some six or seven years ago. That late summer initial foray onto the water lead to the purchase of a kayak the following spring. The seeds of river-kayaking were sewn.

During that second summer, Denise noticed kayak trips being advertised in the local newspapers and the sisters decided to give it a try ? after all, neither of them knew where to launch their boats, where to take out, and what happened in between those two activities. In a very short time, Sue and Denise were out with the MRWC every weekend trying out a new river or pond. They were both hooked on kayaking at that point?.and no turning back!

After a couple of years of kayaking with MRWC, Sue and Denise met and became friends with Gwen Whitbeck, a Board Member who organizes the paddling program. Before they knew it, they had volunteered to lead some of the trips ? the easy ones, naturally!  Now Sue and Denise are permanent fixtures on the Trip Leader list, and Denise volunteers her time in creating the Paddling Guide and putting up photos of the various seasonal trips. Eventually, Gwen approached both Denise and Sue to ask about their interest in serving on the Board of Directors. Denise declined, but Sue agreed to give it a try and was elected to the Board in 2007. The following year she was elected Treasurer.

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  Merrimack Mile Sponsors

  Renewing and New Members

New Members: Robert Christensen (supporter), Suzanne de Lesdernier, Denise Descheneaux , Bart Ellingsen (sponsor), Kevin Sheehan (family), Jeffrey Wielinski. MKS Instruments (Merrimack Mile Sponsor), UMass Lowell (Merrimack Mile Sponsor).

Renewing Members: Bob Cressey , Paul Cronin Family, Michael Eliot Goriansky (sponsor), Anna Hogan, Elizabeth Janeway (sponsor) , Marjorie Jordan (family), Mary Ann Leekley, Bruce Leicher (supporter), Michael McAndrews , Beth Phillips , Paul Robillard , Bruce Skud , Charles Suprin , David Sweeney (supporter), Peter Urban , Joan Woodhead (family). Tewksbury Rod And Gun Club.

Add your name to the list! On-Line / NewMember / RenewMember / Individual / Corporate / Donations 

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2009 Paddling Trips Sponsors

Charles River Canoe & Kayak

Polartec

Contoocook River Canoe 

Kittery Trading Post

Plum Island Kayak

See the complete listing

of MRWC

Canoe & Kayak Trips

[schedule]

Ipswich River Trip, Topsfield, MA - 8/1/09 - Sue Sanborn and Denise Hurt, Trip Leaders....We had a perfect day - the water was high, but not too high. The sun was warm, but not too warm. The group was large with 19 boats, but we all seemed to be on the same wavelength - a leisurely paddle geared for enjoying the day. Excitement? A little. Two trees fell - one at the put in and one while we were on the water and had all passed (thank goodness).

Pat and Rob Edsall on the Ipswich River [above]

Jo Watson relaxes and takes in the beautiful scenery [top]

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Contact Info

Photo Credits:

Denise Hurt

Cindy Morell

Ryan Jennison

Tell a Friend and Help the MRWC

Do you know a friend, or neighbor, or relative in the region that should be a member of the MRWC? Maybe you work for a business that could become a "Merrimack-Mile" sponsor. Pass along the names of such friends and businesses to the MRWC Office so that they can have a chance to support the programs and activities that help realize the mission of the Merrimack River Watershed Council.  Send to: info@merrimack.org 

  Quote of the Month:

When you put your hand in a flowing stream, 

you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come.

- Leonardo da Vinci

YOU'RE INVITED:  MRWC Social! - Lowell, MA

Wednesday, August 26th - 5-7pm

Join in with MRWC members, volunteers, friends and staff for an informal get-together at the Lowell Beerworks - 201 Cabot St, Lowell - 978-937-2337. Stop by and say "hi". Light appetizers, thoughts, ideas, conversation, laughs, and news provided.

LEARN ABOUT KAYAKING: Contoocook River Kayak Day - Concord, NH

Saturday, August 29th - 12noon - 4pm

MRWC and the Contoocook River Canoe & Kayak Company have partnered to offer a learning day full of fun at special reduced rates for MRWC members. *Details*

Third Annual RIVER DAY - August 15 - Andover, Lowell, Concord, MA

10AM - Shawsheen River Canoe Ride (near I-93 in Andover). 
11:45 am - Southeast Asian Water Festival (Sampas Pavilion, Lowell). 
1:00 pm- River Classroom (Thoreau School, Concord).

This event is sponsored by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. For more information and to reserve a place: email Eric.Slusher@mail.house.gov or call 978.459.0101. 

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