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"This is a great
opportunity to enhance an already good situation." >>related photos>> |
Watershed and River Management The ongoing management of a number of issues pertaining to the river’s sustainability as a natural resource emerged throughout the public hearing process. Watershed planning, the presence of more than a dozen Berkshire dams in the river, and the perennial problem of illegal dumping and trash along the riverbanks were a recurring source of concern. The combination of a distinctive watershed basin and development pressures in the Berkshires poses significant long-term challenges to the river. "Growth and development is the root of all environmental issues," Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Director Nat Karns said. Despite the perception that the county is shrinking, he said only three communities (Pittsfield, North Adams, and Adams) are seeing a declining population. The other twenty-nine towns are growing at their expense. This means that new public infrastructure is replacing the existing infrastructure and contributing to sprawl development. "Public investment should be encouraged in already developed and inhabited areas," he said. What happens in the watershed is inextricably linked to the fate of the river, said BRPC planner Tom Matuszko, adding that BRPC has been working on a project identifying non-point pollution sources along the watershed. "The river is a small part of the watershed," he said. "The big picture needs to be considered in the restoration. The health of the watershed will lend itself to the condition of the river." Watershed planning is particularly important for the Housatonic River because of its limestone geology, said Pittsfield Conservation Commission Chairman Michael Makes. The limestone is not only unique to Massachusetts, helping to foster an unusual wildlife habitat, it is also particularly porous, thus making the river more vulnerable to underground contamination. Makes said the Housatonic River basin contains the only limestone geology in the state. This is a resource that needs to be protected. The water flows horizontally through the limestone, presenting a unique geology with some challenges, highlighting the importance of developing a watershed plan, he said. In addition, the Housatonic River has some relatively natural free-flowing flood regions, particularly in southern Berkshire County, which has created some particularly interesting floodplain forests and sandbar communities, said Frank Lowenstein of The Nature Conservancy. "This is a great opportunity to enhance an already good situation," he said. Several people discussed the challenge of preserving the river’s natural capacity to flood over its banks and even shift course, within the constraints of existing development along the river’s corridor. "The river has an evolutionary quality that gratefully goes beyond the hand of an engineer or any person who wants to control it," HRI board member Benno Friedman of Sheffield said. "The decision here is about trying to find a balance between evolutionary change and the man-made constrictions placed on it. There is a desire to find the balance between how things are and how they change. The struggle is to find the path." Several towns such as Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Lenox, Lee, and Hinsdale have in the past few years cast their eyes toward planning issues involving the river as they update their open space and town master plans. BRPC planner Zoe Neaderland encouraged communities to take advantage of that process. "It offers a local way to control the river corridor," she said. Participants at the League of Women Voters meeting suggested that a river master plan be developed by plucking recommendations from each town’s own master plan findings. At the very least, they said, HRR should encourage towns to complete master plans and open space/recreation plans so as to be eligible for certain state and federal funding programs. Planning and watershed consideration should also be given to the volume or quantity of water flowing down the Housatonic, said EOEA Team Leader Tom O’Brien and former HVA Berkshire Coordinator Tom Stokes. Stokes, in particular, said that a major flood could have unforeseen and dire consequences, particularly pertaining to PCB contamination. Interviewed biologists also said an analysis should be made of existing flooding patterns to get a better understanding of the river’s water flows and their impact on river habitat. One of the more blunt suggestions in the public hearing process pertaining to river management came from Berkshire Natural Resources Council President George Wislocki. "Somebody should get rid of the dumb things on the river," he said. Specifically, he said there were dams that have outlived their purpose, unsightly dumps and trash, a steel bridge in Pittsfield with planking on it, and a "ghastly" high-voltage test site that looms ominously over the river in Pittsfield. "It would be good to have a study done of the things along the river that no longer have a use," Wislocki said. While not disagreeing with the sentiment, Friedman cautioned that sights that may offend some people may delight others. "The high voltage tower is my ten-year-old son’s favorite part of the river," Friedman said. "It is one of the most endangered species on the river." Dams How to handle the numerous dams along the river from Hinsdale to the Connecticut state line was one of the most frequently discussed issues in the public hearing process. The issue is particularly difficult for dams downstream of the PCB contamination. Because the dams contain PCBs from migrating further downstream, there was almost universal agreement that these dams should not be removed until the PCBs are eliminated as a threat. Lowenstein suggested that the Woods Pond dam in Lenox, Glendale hydroelectric dam in Stockbridge, and the Rising Pond dam in Great Barrington all be reinforced until the PCB cleanup is completed. Similarly, dams above the GE plant have also served as a barrier to contamination in Dalton, said HRI Director Tim Gray, as they have prevented contaminated fish from migrating upstream. Nevertheless, many people from several different constituencies said they would eventually like to see the dams removed. In Dalton, Crane & Company is looking at its six dams to determine whether they should be repaired or breached. Crane is interested in breaching at least one or two of them because of the high cost of maintaining and repairing them. HVA's West and East Branch Stream Teams have identified dams along their stretch of river and recommended them for removal. Former National Audubon President Peter Berle of Stockbridge said the Housatonic is a free-flowing river. There are many dams which no longer function today and now pond up the river, creating sediment traps. In Stockbridge stagnated water and nutrients have created a proliferation of weeds behind the Glendale hydroelectric dam. This particular problem was specifically cited in the Stockbridge Master Plan as an issue that should addressed. Dam removal, however, is not an easy nor a simple process. In Pittsfield, Michael Makes urged the removal of two dams that no longer serve a useful purpose. Although Pittsfield Mayor Gerald Doyle, Jr., said he had no objections to removing the dams, studies would have to be conducted to examine the economic and environmental impacts. Trout Unlimited (TU) is a strong proponent of dismantling dams in situations where it makes economic and ecological sense. Some participants suggested that the national organization be utilized as a resource. It has developed The Small Dams Project, an initiative to assist communities facing decisions on dam repair or removal. Based in Wisconsin, it considers public safety, environmental, and economic implication of dam removal. According to TU, environmental considerations are rarely factored into the decision-making process of whether to remove dams, which is usually based on technical, cost, and safety issues. TU is setting up a full-time office and materials to assist communities examine the river restoration advantages of dam removal. Dam removal, however, was not universally endorsed by sportsmen. Mike Palivoda, president of the Great Barrington Fish and Game Club, said he opposed removing dams as they create habitat for fish. Others strongly urged that an agency take on the responsibility of overseeing the dam permitting process. Provisions may exist that would allow regulatory agencies to resolve issues such as stagnating water, the construction of portages for improved canoe access, and the possible placement of fish ladders. “Three hundred years ago there were salmon in the Berkshires on the Housatonic,” Nick Nadorff said. “I would like to see them return.” Dumps and Cleanups River cleanups represented one of the first active efforts by Berkshire residents to reverse decades of abusing the Housatonic. According to residents, the first river cleanup was accomplished in 1967 by the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club. Scores, if not hundreds, of cleanups have occurred since then, including an annual Source to Sound event coordinated by HVA since 1993. In addition to the self-evident objective of removing debris and thus enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the river, the cleanups have helped establish a growing river constituency. Throughout the public hearing process, residents spoke of how river cleanups represented their first hands-on exposure to the Housatonic and helped instill a sense of purpose in doing more on behalf of the river. “Involve the community in river cleanups to try to give them a personal investment in keeping the river clean,” wrote Jane Winn. The best example of a river cleanup stimulating further action occurred in Great Barrington after dozens of residents started to remove the remains of a charred building behind Main Street. Not content to simply clean the overflowing heap of debris, volunteers took it upon themselves to carve what has become the Great Barrington River Walk. “Cleaning the river is a lesson in river appreciation,” said Rachel Fletcher, coordinator for Great Barrington River Walk. “I got to tell you, you feel good at the end of the day,” agreed Pittsfield City Council President Tom Hickey of his experiences in river cleanups. Thus, many residents expressed a strong desire to continue river cleanups and to involve the community as much as possible, especially children. “They will appreciate the wonderful asset that we have in our town’s backyard,” said Barbara Syer of Great Barrington. Participants in past cleanups said the events also often alerted residents and officials to other problems along the river, such as contamination or illegal dumping, and would continue to help identify problems in the river. Several areas along the river were cited as needing special attention. These included the East Branch in Pittsfield, a Stockbridge dump west of Church Street, the riverbank at Stockbridge Industrial Park, the Lee Lane gravel pit, the Butler farm, an old dump in Lee between West Park and Center Streets, a backup of sediment deposits in Stockbridge at the Glendale dam, and the West Branch in Pittsfield. “It shocked me how incredibly dirty it is,” HRI Director Tim Gray said of a walk he had taken along the West Branch. “A crew working there for a month could do a lot for it. It is a very neglected area.” But according to city officials, significant amounts of trash and debris have already been removed from the West Branch, highlighting two problems associated with the cleanup. Hickey expressed frustration that he participated in some very successful cleanups, only to discover a year later that more trash and debris had been thrown on to the cleansed areas. The problem is particularly vexing in places where there is easy access. Fletcher noted that in Great Barrington the solution has been persistence and public participation. By just continuing to remove debris as it appears and including as many people as possible in the cleanup process and river walk construction, she said, the incidences of dumping and graffiti have fallen to a minimum. The second issue is that some problems are well beyond the scope of volunteers spending a day on the river. Professional assistance and heavy equipment are needed in some instances to scour some of the most vexing dumps and debris. Riverfront property owner Ellen Lanyon-Ginzel of Stockbridge said she owns the property where part of the former town landfill is embedded in the embankment. She has tried to clean up car and other materials along the river bank, but was told she needed a permit and that the job would require extensive and expensive work. She expressed mortification about the presence of the debris but does not know what to do about it. Sportsmen suggested that equipment and
organizational assistance should be provided to volunteer groups willing to perform
cleanups. This proposal was echoed in several public hearings. Noting that getting
regulatory permission for cleanups can be very time consuming and problematic, they said
that environmental organizations could help secure permissions in preparation for
community cleanups. George Wislocki suggested that machinery be purchased to assist in
river cleanups. |
