Pocono
Moderator
Every now and then, your community does something that's good for the waters in your area. Last Fall, the town that we live in now; Merrimac, MA, put in a series of signs on the road that warned against dumping fluids or materials near one of our major waterways; the Merrimack River.
The Merrimack is the second largest river in New England; behind the Connecticut. When I grew up as a kid it was terribly polluted by the factories that used to be operative in the Haverhill, Lawrence and Lowell areas; the final days of the tanniing and shoe industries. In fact, it was categorized as a class H river in those days; which meant, essentially, that if you lit a match and tossed it on the water, there we about a 50:50 chance that it would catch on fire. That's hyperbole, but it was bad. The most outstanding thing about the Merrimack River when I was growing up was it smell.
Fast forward 50 years. THe factories are all shut down; re-purposed to more environmentally friendly uses. The popluation is environmentally conscious, there are no more effluents draining in and it's now a class B river; which means that you can do almost anything you want in it except drink it.
So, here's the good idea that Marty and I recorded today on our walk along the river:
And here are some of the small streams that drain into the Merrimack; some are vernal and go dry in the Summer, but most are spring-fed and stay wet throughout the year:
And here's the river that they're feeding and that the signs are helping to protect:
I think it's a really good idea and I'm happy to be a part of a community that acts in this way on behalf of our natural water resources.
Pocono
The Merrimack is the second largest river in New England; behind the Connecticut. When I grew up as a kid it was terribly polluted by the factories that used to be operative in the Haverhill, Lawrence and Lowell areas; the final days of the tanniing and shoe industries. In fact, it was categorized as a class H river in those days; which meant, essentially, that if you lit a match and tossed it on the water, there we about a 50:50 chance that it would catch on fire. That's hyperbole, but it was bad. The most outstanding thing about the Merrimack River when I was growing up was it smell.
Fast forward 50 years. THe factories are all shut down; re-purposed to more environmentally friendly uses. The popluation is environmentally conscious, there are no more effluents draining in and it's now a class B river; which means that you can do almost anything you want in it except drink it.
So, here's the good idea that Marty and I recorded today on our walk along the river:
And here are some of the small streams that drain into the Merrimack; some are vernal and go dry in the Summer, but most are spring-fed and stay wet throughout the year:
And here's the river that they're feeding and that the signs are helping to protect:
I think it's a really good idea and I'm happy to be a part of a community that acts in this way on behalf of our natural water resources.
Pocono