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The Water Closet: Middleton Stream Team
WATER RESOURCE AND CONSERVATION INFORMATION FOR MIDDLETON, BOXFORD AND TOPSFIELD
Ipswich River Flow Rate (S. Middleton USGS Gage) in Cubic Feet per Second (CFS):
For December 29, 2009: Normal . . . 52 CFS Current Rate . . . 166 CFS
AN IPSWICH RIVER VALLEY
Our Ipswich River flows over 40-miles to the sea while descending only about 110-feet. As the Golden-eye duck flies source to sea the distance is only about 30-miles. Slow rivers in soft-flat terrain meander. We want to tell those who haven't noticed of a Topsfield valley, only a mile or so long, that contains the river from Rowley Bridge Road just east of Masconomet Regional School to Wheaton's Hill abutting Route One. This beautiful valley, a phrase often associated with mountains and fast flowing rivers, is of hills with many large open fields that descend gently to a fairly straight stretch of river. In walks on four quiet back roads that encircle the valley, we are given a glimpse of what pastoral Essex County was like when there were still farms. The most famous on the southern heights of our loop was Meredith Farm the home of champion Ayrshires, a once popular breed of dairy cattle. The refrigerated semen of their bulls was mailed 'round the world. At Meredith there are no longer handsome cows and bulls with speckled maroon and white coats and impressive horns; however, the large fields mown for hay are still open. Across the river to the north the once Coolidge Estate's fields are also yearly mown or planted in corn. More fields continue on north above them. A leisurely one and one-half hour walk, all within a few feet of old roadside farmers' stone walls, shaded in long sections by venerable hickories up to two-feet in diameter and few great ashes twice that, will have you on scenic heights and shady lows along the river. There is little traffic to worry about on the narrow roads that were a century ago dirt cart paths traveled by cattle, hogs, horses, oxen, and children en route school or better still a swim in the river or a sled ride on Wheaton's Hill.
And like all New England roads the scenery changes with the seasons. In late October we walked under the yellow leaved hickories, fading red-orange sugar maples, bare ashes and still dark green white pines, the latter loaded with cones in the best mast year most of us can remember. Then last month came the cold storm that left a half-foot of dry light snow; remnants, despite rain since, are still with us. Before that storm, air down off the Canadian Shield had come in brisk west winds for almost a week. Water surfaces froze; even the river's edges were paved. With the snow the countryside became white decorated with patches of evergreen, gray groves of bare hardwoods, and a black line of open water. Last week the shelves of ice from the river banks were a faint yellowish shade of translucent gray. A year ago there, under similar very cold conditions, we walkers came upon an otter eating a fish on a shelf of ice, a couple-feet from liquid water. He left its 32 degree warmth for the wind chilled air of 10 to enjoy his or her sashimi. Even those of us who like raw fish shivered. The diner we were admiring was as black as the light absorbing water, its wet fur glistening in the dim winter light.
Lack of development, open fields broken by patches of woods, a river fed by a half dozen intermittent streams, and seasonal changes of clothes have this valley a lovely place for all us animals. It is looped and made accessible by Rowley Bridge Road, River Road, Salem Road, and Cross Street. There are miles of edge habitats outlining woods, bushes and bodies of water. On our visits we see hawks waiting in trees beside the fields where there is food for their prey. The pine cones mentioned have winged seeds, which sail great distances. On a walk in October we filled our jacket pockets with hickory nuts in no time. This past year the red oaks also had a bumper crop of acorns, rich food for squirrels, turkeys and deer. The grasses, even just stubble, are a great source of nourishment and shelter for smaller creatures particularly when snow covered.
We tout this one-mile stretch of forty of our favorite river and urge you to check it out. One of several places to park on the four roads mentioned is where the Rowley Bridge Road passes over the river. Better still go look for diverse habitats nearer home along sections of streams or up and down rivers. John Hanson Mitchell wrote his wonderful book Ceremonial Time: 15,000 Years on One Square Mile about the land around his home in Littleton. Perhaps inspired by Thoreau, he went out frequently in all seasons and conditions and watched what was happening. His observations were combined with geologic and social history about the area studied. We might not write voluminous notes as these naturalists did, but we can all explore and discover our own undeveloped parts of town. Many of us old timers did this as children and wouldn't for anything give up those memories. Some of us have returned, at times wishing we had never left.
THE WATER CLOSET is provided by the Middleton Stream Team
StreamTeam@comcast.net (978) 777-4584
Check out more of the Water Closet at the Tri-Town Transcript. (Do a search for "The Water Closet.")
 New Blog of Ipswich River News: Ipswich River Round Table
Check out our new blog on Ipswich River happenings! Discuss issues - report wildlife sightings - it's a new place to learn about our river.
An Update from IRWA Executive Director Kerry Mackin
Thank you for your concern and quick response to our Action Alert a few weeks ago!
We are happy to report that, thanks to our collective efforts, MassDEP suspended its new "safe yield" interpretation and will replace it with a new approach which includes "environmental protection factors including the ecological health of rivers."
Thank you to everyone who wrote a letter, called or signed a petition. Together, we made a difference and the voice of the river was heard!
Naturally, we need to remain vigilant to make sure these encouraging words turn into real protections for the river. Our insights, as well as IRWA's science, developed over the past 20 years, will play a central part in making certain that DEP gets these new determinations right.
We'll keep you updated as the situation evolves.
You may receive a fundraising letter dated October which is now somewhat out of date (bulk mail can be very slow), but the urgent need for funding at this critical time remains. We need to raise $50,000 by January 1st.
Due to the tight economy, we cut our 2009 budget by over $50,000. IRWA, in its 33rd year, currently has only 3FTEs (6 staff members working the equivalent of 3 full time staff), along with more than 100 regular (and much-loved!) volunteers. It would be an enormous help if you would consider making a gift today so the voice of the river is heard.
We could not have achieved this progress without your help.
Together, we really made a difference. Thank you very much!
Alert: Ipswich River Watershed Association resigns from water advisory group as the Patrick Administration fails to protect rivers
IRWA joined three other environmental groups in resigning from MA DEP's Water Resources Management Advisory Committee in response to a policy change by the Patrick Administration that will permit the  commonwealth's rivers to be pumped dry.
"This is a major setback and an outrage," says Kerry Mackin, a national River Hero and IRWA's Executive Director. "The Ipswich River needs our help more than ever. Together, we can reverse this outrageous decision, prevent fish and wildlife from dying and keep the Ipswich River flowing with clean, safe water."
Thank you for taking action on this issue! DEP and the Governor's office are responding to your pleas, and we hope to have news for you soon.
IRWA and others on the Committee have advised DEP for years on water management laws and regulations. Under the five previous governors, DEP maintained that water withdrawal permits must leave a minimal amount of water, or "safe yield" in a river to sustain fish and other aquatic life.
Now, after not holding a committee meeting or seeking input for five months, the Patrick Administration says the environmental health of the river will no longer be a fundamental concern when setting the amount of water that communities and businesses can pump from our rivers. This decision affects all rivers in the state and specifically conflicts with the decision in a 2007 Superior Court ruling that ordered DEP to determine a "safe yield" for the Ipswich River.
For more information:
IRWA's 2009 Annual Report Now Available!
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Ipswich River Nature
Naturalist Jim MacDougall is creating a list of the large creatures that live within the confines of the Ipswich River Watershed. Please email Jim if you have additions, suggestions, or corrections!
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Give to the Ipswich River
Your support is crucial to IRWA's work to restore the Ipswich River and protect the region's water supplies. IRWA has strong support from members throughout the watershed and beyond. Please consider joining us!
IRWA Selected for LEAP
IRWA is one of 5 environmental organizations chosen from across the nation to participate in the Leadership and Enhanced Assistance Program (LEAP) of the Environmental Support Center. Over the next two years, IRWA will receive training and support to help us "leap" forward to acheive our organizational goals. We are very excited for this opportunity to strengthen our organization!
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IRWA Chosen for 2007 Catalogue for Philanthropy
IRWA has been selected for listing in the 2007 prestigious Massachusetts Catalogue for Philanthropy. This year 54 charities (out of 390) were selected as examples of excellence in all fields of Massachusetts philanthropy-the environment, culture (arts and education), human services and international.
According to George McCully, President of the Catalogue, "The Ipswich River Watershed Association was chosen because they are a great example of private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life in Massachusetts, and because they are both excellent and cost-effective. We urge donors, especially in the Ipswich River region, to consider adding the Ipswich River Watershed Association to their giving list this year."
Please click here for more information about the Catalogue listing. To see IRWA's page in the Catalogue, click here.
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IRWA Director Receives National Award
Kerry Mackin, Executive Director of IRWA, has
been named a national River Hero by River Network, a Portland, Oregon-based river
conservation group. When Kerry first arrived at IRWA fourteen years ago, it wasn’t yet clear
that the river was being pumped dry. Kerry connected the dots and began to investigate and
publicize the problem, enlisting the US Geological Survey to conduct definitive studies. Her
passionate advocacy for river protection and dogged determination to restore healthy
streamflows to the Ipswich River has rippled across the state and nation. State policies requiring
more effective water conservation measures have been enacted statewide, and the plight of the
Ipswich River has raised the profile of low-flow threats to rivers nationwide.
The award caps off a year of remarkable progress for IRWA, which is celebrating its 30th
anniversary as the voice of the Ipswich River.
River Network selected Kerry from dozens of nominations to receive this prestigious river
conservation award. In 2002, River Network inaugurated the annual National River Heroes
Award to recognize individuals who provide leadership, inspire the work of others, use
innovative strategies to achieve significant results, and foster the growth and sustainability of a
watershed community. “Kerry exemplifies the spirit of the National River Hero Award,” said
Katherine Luscher, Program Director at River Network. “Her dedication to both her community
and the Ipswich River is to be applauded. River Network is honored to recognize Kerry's
inspirational work. She truly is a River Hero.”
In May, Kerry will travel to Washington state to be honored at the National River Rally. The
awards will be presented at a banquet on May 20, 2007. Read more about Kerry's award in the press release (pdf).
Read also this article in the Ipswich Chronicle on Kerry's award.
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Gottlieb Expresses Support for Water Management Policy
Andrew Gottlieb, former Chief of the Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development, sent a letter to the Joint Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment expressing general support for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Water Management Act (WMA) Policy and Guidance. Gottlieb recently led a "blue ribbon" panel to study the effectiveness of the WMA policy, which requires water conservation standards and offsets for increased water withdrawals in medium and highly stressed basins. The panel met throughout fall 2006, heard presentations on the lawfulness, scientific basis, and economic rationale of the policy, and issued an “interim” report. The report, which can be read here, reviews the views presented to the panel and does not contain any consensus recommendations. Gottlieb's cover letter summarizes the core issues, concluding that the WMA policy "has it basically right” and recommending that the Legislature focus its efforts on developing funding mechanisms to assist
communities with the costs associated with improved water resources management. Click here to read his letter.
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Advocacy Campaign Achieves Major Progress
IRWA’s Advocacy Campaign has achieved remarkable progress this year. The Towns of Danvers and Middleton agreed to settle the appeals of their water withdrawal permits. The settlement provides greater environmental protection for the Ipswich River and ensures that the Towns will be able to meet their needs for a safe and sustainable water supply. Decisions in the appeals cases filed by Hamilton, Topsfield and Wenham were generally favorable to IRWA’s position. Also, the Town of Reading decided to stop using its wells adjacent to the Ipswich River, which have pumped the river dry for many years.
Please see the policy and advocacy page for details on these new developments. Please contact Kerry Mackin for more information on how IRWA is working to ensure that state water policies, water withdrawal permits, and regulatory decisions protect the Ipswich River.
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IRWA Assists Towns with Water Resources Management
The Ipswich River Watershed Association announces several new initiatives aimed at helping communities manage water and stormwater and protect the threatened Ipswich River. “IRWA offers technical assistance to and collaboration with the communities, so they can meet their water needs and other objectives, while better protecting our rivers,” said Kerry Mackin, IRWA’s Executive Director. “We have a long history of working with communities to improve water conservation, and this initiative will build upon those efforts,” she said.
A new publication, Water Wise Communities: A Handbook for Municipal Managers in the Ipswich River Watershed, is now available. Water wise communities are recognize that wise management of water resources is essential to quality of life, economic opportunity, and ecological health. The handbook provides a checklist of 20 tools that communities can use to better manage water and watershed lands. Fact sheets provide an overview of each tool, local examples to illustrate its application, and links to additional resources. IRWA is grateful to the New England Biolabs Foundation, Essex County Community Foundation, Massachusetts Environmental Trust, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for their generous support in developing the handbook.
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Ipswich Fish Consumption Advisory
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued an advisory that mercury in fish caught in the Ipswich River may pose a public health threat. Detected mercury levels fell below the Food and Drug Administration Action Level of 1.0 mg/kg, but within a level that may pose a concern to certain individuals. MDPH recommends that children under 12, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and women who may become pregnant refrain from consuming any fish from the Ipswich River. All others should limit consumption to two meals per month.
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