WESTFIELD—The Westfield River Watershed Association (WRWA) is looking for volunteers to help clean the Westfield River Watershed on Sept. 23.
WRWA, in conjunction with the Connecticut River Conservancy, have co-sponsored a river cleanup to help clean the tributaries to the Connecticut River and help lessen impact on the environment. The cleanup will be happening Saturday, Sept. 23, beginning at 9 a.m., and the WRWA’s portion will be taking place along the Westfield River in both Westfield and Agawam, and volunteers are urged to attend.
The former train bridge that crosses the Westfield River just west of the automotive bridges (WNG file photo)
“It’s one of the really great resources of Westfield and the towns in the area and we want it to be available and useful and enjoyable,” Mark Damon, secretary and WRWA board member, said of the Westfield River and the cleanup efforts.
The cleanup happens twice a year and according to Damon, about 50 bags of trash are collected during the event but efforts have shown improvement.
“The river is getting better, it’s gradually getting cleaner,” Damon said. “Every year we find a few spots that are messy but it’s getting better.”
However, there are still some large items, Damon said, which do need to be cleaned out from the area.
“There’s usually some tires and a few other large items, we get furniture, we get things like mattresses,” he said.
He also warned that needles may be found, so those helping will want to be mindful and careful when cleaning.
Damon said that the cleanup helps people contribute to the community and to the environment, while also being able to explore portions of nature that they may not be normally exposed to.
“Sometimes I have people tell me they had seen wildlife they didn’t know we had in the area,” he said.
For those that would like to participate, Damon said that you should wear clothing that you won’t mind getting dirty or wet, and that children should be accompanied by an adult or guardian for safety reasons. The WRWA will provide volunteers with equipment, including gloves, but people can bring their own.
Volunteers can meet in Westfield at the public parking lot off of Meadow Street, or in Agawam they can meet at Pynchon Point at the South End Bridge Circle on River Road, according to the WRWA website, but are urged to arrive no later than 9 a.m.
If you would like more general information on the watershed and the WRWA’s efforts, you can visit westfieldriver.org, and for more information on the Westfield cleanup you can call Damon at (413)977-1577, or email him at [email protected], and for the Agawam cleanup you can contact Sheryl Becker at (413)374-1921.
