WESTF

ESTFIIELD RIVERNOTES
VOL. 2, ISSUE 7
SEPTEMBER 2005
Dear Friends,

Greetings to everyone! I hope you had a wonderful summer.

I am pleased to share some very exciting news. Last Spring, President Carwein from Westfield State
College (WSC) announced funding to initiate a Westfield River Environmental Center.

The Environmental Center will become a facility on the campus of Westfield State College that will
support research, education, and outreach activities related to study of the environment, especially
within the Westfield River Watershed. The goals of the Environmental Center are to:
1. Facilitate research in the Westfield River Watershed environment by connecting WSC students and
faculty with local environmental and conservation partners that have meaningful research projects;
2. Foster communication and exchange of ideas between local environmental and conservation
groups, faculty, and the public;
3. Incorporate GIS tools into research and coursework at WSC and the community;
4. Help strengthen K-12 science education by providing environmental learning opportunities for
students and by working with teachers to develop materials that address science and math using the
environment as an integrating factor.

To celebrate this exciting endeavor, the college will hold a Kickoff of the Westfield River Environmental
Center on September 29th from 7:00-9:00 pm in WSC’s Scanlon Banquet Hall. Guest speaker Jim Caffrey
of the Trustees of Reservation and Westfield River Wild and Scenic Committee will lead a talk titled
“Swimming Up the Westfield, An Environmental Look”. Light refreshments will be served.

Another exciting event is Highland Communities Initiative’s 3rd regional conference, “The Future of the
Highlands: Lessons from our Neighbors,” on Saturday, September 17th at Gateway Regional High
School in Huntington from 8:30am-3:30pm. The conference will highlight local and regional examples of
successful community preservation and conservation projects and provide stimulating workshops and
discussions with others concerned about the future of the Highlands region.

See our “Upcoming Events” section for more information. I hope to see you at these exciting events!

~ Robert Thompson, Chair

Westfield River Wild & Scenic Advisory Committee

IN THIS ISSUE:
⇒ RIVER CONTINUITY AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES, PG 2-3
⇒ SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, PG 3
⇒ UPCOMING EVENTS, PG 4-6
 RIVER CONTINUITY AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES
Numerous species inhabitat streams and adjacent forests and wetlands – including invertebrates such as
crayfish and insects, fish such as tessellated darters and eels, amphibians such as spring salamanders,
reptiles such as wood turtles, and mammals such as muskrats and otters. Streams and the
interconnectedness of a stream or watershed are essential to these animals. For reasons as simple as
escaping random disaster or as complex as genetic diversity, animals living in or along streams need to
be able to move unimpeded through the watershed.

Streams are similar to the roads we travel along everyday – long linear systems. Consider the roads you
regularly drive to complete your day-to-day tasks – traveling from your home to the grocery store,
visiting friends and relatives, or going on vacation to find a cool spot by the river in the summer. What
if you could only drive on one road to get to all these places? Now imagine if barriers where randomly
placed along the road that would prevent you from getting from one place to the other. This may
sound absurd to us, but this is analogous to what many riparian dwelling animals encounter everyday.
Through the combined effects of dams and poorly designed culverts, streams have been partitioned and
wildlife have been restricted in their ability to reach feeding areas, coldwater habitat, breeding and
spawning areas and to naturally disperse through an ecosystem.

River continuity – the interconnectedness of rivers and streams – has not often been considered in the
design and construction of stream crossings. Even crossings that were not barriers when originally
constructed may now barriers because of stream erosion, mechanical breakdown of the crossing, or
changes in upstream and downstream channel shape caused by the crossing.

STREAM BARRIERS IN THE WESTFIELD RIVER BASIN

Roads and railroads cross over streams in the Westfield River basin at least 1,100 times!

Through the combined efforts of the Westfield River Wild & Scenic Advisory Committee, Westfield
River Watershed Association, The Nature Conservancy and Massachusetts Riverways Programs, an
initiative to evaluate, assess and remediate problem crossings in the Westfield River basin has been
undertaken. Over half of the crossings in the Westfield River basin have been surveyed and evaluated
by volunteers and the findings show that many of these crossing create barriers to fish and/or wildlife
species at least part of the year.

TOWER BROOK RETROFIT

Tower Brook Culvert
Chesterfield, MA One of the crossings evaluated by volunteers
was the Cummmington Road crossing over
Tower Brook in Chesterfield. During the
survey, volunteers noted higher velocity and
No Substrate lower flows through the crossing, lack of
High Velocity substrate or natural streambed materials in the
crossing, and an outlet drop greater than 6
inches.
Outlet Drop > 6”
 The Massachusetts Riverways Program, in
cooperation with the Town of Chesterfield
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
worked with Interfluve, Inc – a river
restoration consultant – to create a rock
ramp downstream of the crossing, which
raised the tailwater (downstream) pool so
that the water level matches that of the
crossing and eliminates the outlet drop. A
sill structure was also placed in the crossing
to hold substrate and bed materials and to
raise water levels in the crossing. The
more natural materials created roughness in
resulting in lower velocity flows and places
Left Picture: Before the tailwater pool was raised and substrate laid in the crossing.
Right Picture: After the tailwater pool was raised and substrate laid in crossing. for fish and other critters to hide and rest.

RELATED LINKS AND STREAM CROSSING CONFERENCE

For more information about fish and critter friendly crossings, visit the following links:
¾ UMass Extension Stream Continuity Website: www.streamcontinuity.org
¾ Massachusetts Riverways Programs, Dept. of Fish & Game: www.massriverways.org
¾ Massachusetts Programmatic General Permit: www.nae.usace.army.mil

Conservation Commissions, highway departments, or others involved in permitting and designing

stream crossings may be interested in the following stream crossing conference:
DESIGNING AND PERMITTING RIVER AND STREAM CROSSINGS
Saturday November 5, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Pittsfield, MA
Sponsored by Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC)
MACC Members: $80.00, Non-members: $110.00
Visit http://www.maccweb.org/documents/fall_con_2005.pdf to download registration form or call
Lindsay at 617-489-3930.
This conference will explore the key engineering, regulatory, and environmental issues raised by river
and stream crossings for roadways and driveways in light of dramatically new regulatory requirements.
The conference is oriented toward Conservation Commissioners, civil engineers, environmental
consultants, and anyone else involved with the design or permitting of river and stream crossings.

Special Announcements:
"Five Feeting & Rising - the Flood of '55" “Go WILD & SCENIC
:
on WGBY: This half-hour video documenting on the Westfield River”
the flooding of the Westfield River in August, T-Shirts
1955 will be aired on Springfield's PBS station $12.00 each
(Ch. 57) on Thursday, September 8 at 9:00 L & XL available
p.m. On Sale at the HCI Conference, Sept. 17th
UPCOMING EVENTS:
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WESTFIELD RIVER WILD & SCENIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING:
Thursday, September 15, 2005 from 6:30-8:30pm at Davenport Town Offices in Chesterfield.
Our monthly meetings are held, on a rotating basis, in one of the Wild & Scenic Communities. All our
meetings are open to the public and everyone is welcome. Meeting agendas are available the week before the
scheduled meeting date. Contact (413)268-3129 or river_banks@hotmail.com for more details.

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Westfield River Environmental Center Kickoff on September 29th from 7:00 - 9:00 pm in WSC’s
Scanlon Banquet Hall. Guest speaker Jim Caffrey of the Trustees of Reservation and Westfield River Wild
and Scenic Committee will lead a talk titled “Swimming Up the Westfield, An Environmental Look”. A
look at some of the environmental challenges for the future. Light refreshments will be served.

EVENTS SPONSORED BY THE WESTFIELD RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION:

Source to Sea River Clean Up : We'll be holding our annual river cleanup along the Westfield River on
Saturday, October 1 from 9:00 AM to 1:00PM. This year's event will be in conjunction with the "Source to
Sea" cleanup along the Connecticut River and its tributaries throughout New England. Meet at the Westfield
River Access just north of Meadow St. at the south end of the Rt. 10/202 bridge in the center of Westfield.
Wear old clothes and bring gloves if you have them. Contact Mark Damon (572-9991) for more
information.

"Westfield and the River - Hazards and Opportunities": Robert Brown, Professor Emeritus from the
History Department at Westfield State College, will talk about the history of Westfield and its river on
Thursday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Rand Gallery of the Westfield Athenaeum. Dr. Brown has
provided the following brief outline of the talk: American development depended upon rivers and streams
to provide both highways to the interior and power for the proto-industrial economy. The history of
Westfield was no different. Original settlement at the conflux of the Westfield and Little Rivers was
followed in 1668 by the first water-powered mill. In 1697 the first dam and mill was placed on the Westfield
River and by ten years later, there were water powered mills on every stream in the Westfield Valley. The
river, however, was also a source of danger. At least 20 major floods struck the community in the last 300
years with those of 1868, 1879, 1927, 1936, 1938 and 1955 doing the most damage. Westfield's watershed
continues to offer both promise and threat in the 21st century.

"Atlantic Salmon in New England: status, conservation and research" : Stephen McCormick, a USGS
researcher at the Conte Anadramous Fish Research Center in Turner's Falls and an Adjunct Professor in the
Biology Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst will speak on Tuesday, November 15 at
7:00 p.m. at Westfield State College (exact location will be available here by late September). Dr. McCormick
has provided the following brief outline of his talk: Atlantic salmon were once highly abundant in all of the
large rivers of New England. In the Connecticut river and other rivers of southern New England, dam
construction and habitat loss were responsible for their extirpation in the mid-1800's. Restoration efforts
begun thirty years ago have met with limited success. In downeast Maine, Atlantic salmon were abundant
until the mid-1970's when populations began to decline, resulting in their listing as an endangered species in
2000. In this talk I will review the status of Atlantic salmon in New England and describe current restoration
and conservation efforts. I will also present some of our research on the impacts of dams, acid rain and
pollution on Atlantic salmon, focusing on the downstream migratory (smolt) stage.

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EVENTS SPONSORED BY THE HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE:

To register or for more information about the HCI-sponsored events listed, contact Jane
Christensen at 413/268-8219 or email at jchristensen@ttor.org.

HCI CONFERENCE: The Future of the Highlands: Lessons From Our Neighbors
Saturday, September 17 | Huntington | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | $25 per person includes lunch; pre-
registration required.
Download 2005 Conference Schedule and Registration Form (pdf format)

Our 3rd regional conference will feature informative sessions on alternative energy, community
outreach, fiscal impacts of conservation, and many more!
Jean Richardson, author of Partnerships in Communities: Reweaving the Fabric of Rural Communities will
deliver the keynote address. Drawing on her experience directing the Environmental Partnerships in
Communities program in Vermont, her talk will include insights and expertise in community-driven
solutions to sustainable community development in rural areas.
Tom Bailey of the Little Traverse Conservancy in Michigan will motivate participants to stand up for
conservation through his talk, ‘Fighting the Good Fight'. Tom's enthusiasm is contagious and he'll have
specific responses for defending conservation in community discussions.

SPECIAL PERMITS AND VARIANCES

Wednesday, September 21 | Cummington | 7 p.m. | $15 per person, pre-registration required.

Are you clear about the difference in purpose and process between special permits and
variances? Attorney Donald Dubendorf will cover key issues and complex criteria for making decisions
on variances and special permits, as well as important procedural requirements to avoid automatic
approval. This course is part of the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative's Core Curriculum.

CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS: The Fundamentals of Stewardship and Administration

Thursday, September 22 | Doyle Conservation Center, Leominster | 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | $35
per person, bring your lunch, register by Sept. 12
For information contact Jackie Allain, jallain@ttor.org; 978-840-4446 x1923
To register,send your name and contact information along with a check for $35 (payable to The
Trustees of Reservations) to TTOR. Attn: PCI Sept 22 workshop, 464 Abbott Avenue,
Leominster, MA 01453

Conservation restrictions (CRs) are a fundamental tool for land conservation but without regular
attention and maintenance, their long-term effectiveness is limited. Learn how land trusts and
conservation commissions with few or no staff can create an efficient system for managing
Conservation Restrictions (CRs) from Judy Anderson, the Executive Director of the Columbia Land
Conservancy in Chatham, NY. Participants will examine the implications of CR language on baseline
documentation reports and long-term monitoring needs, analyze CR documents to better understand
what needs to be done to protect the integrity of the CR and discuss the use of volunteers for CR
stewardship.

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PRESERVE MASS BARNS CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 29 | Doyle Conservation Center, Leominster | 9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
For information call 617-723-3383 or email ekelly@preservationmass.org. This year's
conference focuses on barn repair and construction. Workshops include A Historic View of New
England Barns, Barn Foundations, and Care and Maintenance of Your Barn-- for preservationists, barn
owners, and others who share an interest in historic New England barns.

Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) Certification Training

Unit 1 OVERVIEW OF CONSERVATION COMMISSIONS | 9:00am - 11:30am
Unit 3 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE WETLANDS PROTECTION ACT | 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Saturday, November 5 | Crowne Plaza Hotel, Pittsfield
Each unit $60 per person, $45 for MACC Members
For information or to register call MACC 617-489-3930 or visit MACC website.

Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) Certification Training

Unit 7 OPEN SPACE PLANNING AND PROTECTION TECHNIQUES | 9:00am - 11:30am
Unit 8 MANAGING CONSERVATION LANDS | 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Saturday, December 3 | Stanton Hall, Huntington
Each unit $60 per person, $45 for MACC Members
For information or to register call MACC 617-489-3930 or visit MACC website.

We would love to hear about your events and activities in the Westfield River Watershed. Contact
Westfield_RiverNotes@hotmail.com to list your events.

Membership of the Committee

Town of Becket Bill Toomey, Mercedes Gallagher alternate (Treasurer)
Town of Chester Robert Thompson (Chair), Dave Pierce alternate
Town of Chesterfield Matt Barron, Denise Cormier alternate
Town of Cummington Ben Forbes, Judy Moore alternate
Town of Huntington Jeff Penn (Vice-Chair)
Town of Middlefield Carl Lafreniere
Town of Savoy Debbie Kaczowski
Town of Washington Vacant, Georgette Keator alternate
Town of Windsor Jim Caffrey (Secretary), Deborah Balmuth alt.
Town of Worthington Helen Sharron Pollard
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Joan Kimball, Jennifer Howard alternate
National Park Service Liz Lacy, Jamie Fosburgh alternate
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Chris Curtis
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Melissa Jette, Gale LaBelle alternate
Trustees of Reservations Jocelyn Forbush, Wendy Sweetser alternate
Westfield River Watershed Association Dan Call, Tom Condon alternate

Please feel free to pass this along to other friends of the Westfield River. To subscribe to Westfield
RiverNotes send an email to Westfield_RiverNotes@hotmail.com.