Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission

Eric Carle Museum, Amherst, MA

Press Release

CONTACT:Pooja Kanwar, Univ. of Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center, (413) 545-5979
               Patty Gambarini, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, (413) 781-6045 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2008

Connecticut River Water Quality Monitiring Project to Start

A new water quality monitoring project will allow recreational users of the Connecticut River to find up-to-date water quality information on the Internet before going out for a paddle or a swim.

Information will be available for three segments of the river: between Turners Fall and Greenfield and between Chicopee and Holyoke in Massachusetts; and between White River Junction, Vermont, and Cornish New Hampshire. 

The project is being conducted by the University of Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center in partnership with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, and the Connecticut River Joint Commissions. It is one of ten Connecticut River projects funded under a $953,000 Targeted Watershed Initiative grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, matched by $458,000 in local funding commitments. 

Until now, the limited water quality information available for the Connecticut River has indicated only that in many urbanized areas the river’s bacterial contamination is so high during wet weather events—due to combined sewer overflow discharges and to urban stormwater flows—that it does not meet standards for recreational uses. 

The new monitoring project will examine water temperature and bacteria at 26 sites along the river. Data will provide a more complete picture of the river’s health and understanding about sources of contamination. This will be useful not only to recreational users who have direct contact with the waters, but also to local, state, and federal officials in addressing combined sewer overflow discharges and stormwater flows. 

Water quality monitoring is currently in its fifth week on the stretches of river between Turners Fall and Greenfield, Massachusetts, and between White River Junction, Vermont, and Cornish, New Hampshire. Monitoring on the stretch between Chicopee and Holyoke, Massachusetts will begin soon.

Initial monitoring results for the two northern river segments can be seen at http://www.umass.edu/tei/mwwp/ctrivermonitoring.html. The website, currently in development, will provide simple, clear graphics, including a colored flag system, to communicate sampling results.  Information in both English and Spanish will be posted within 24 hours of monitoring so that recreational users can make informed decisions about their activities on the river. 

The Water Resources Research Center has enlisted the help of 15 volunteers to date for the monitoring project, and is currently seeking volunteers to help collect river water samples at three of the four sites in the Holyoke reach. For more information or to volunteer, call Pooja Kanwar at the Center at (413) 545-5979.