Please donate to our Annual Fund. You can use this easy link to contribute on-line. 

 

We thank you for your continued and enthusuastic support. Have a wonderful holiday season, and rest easy that we are doing all we can to preserve the health of our river.

Way up in the northeastern area of the Westport River Watershed, in a remote part of the city of Fall River, is a place called Boiling Spring, where crisp and clear water bubbles up from underground.

This area is surrounded by the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve, and conservation land owned by the City of Fall River, the Dartmouth Land Trust and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

Earlier this month, WRWA and Green Futures hosted a trek through the woods to the legendary spring.  We hiked a long trail, through stands of dense oak and white pines, to a clearing with a stone structure surrounding the flowing water.  The pristine stream makes its way to the Copicut River, eventually ending up at the Head of Westport and the East Branch.

 

The Copicut River empties into the Copicut Reservoir

This water source was used many years ago, to help with commercial activities including the making of charcoal and cedar shingles.  It also was a clean and dependable source of water for livestock and people.

This active spring is located on land that is now preserved and protected through the efforts of conservation groups.

While this tributary gets off to a great start at Boiling Spring, challenges and pollution sources along the way to the Westport River need to continue to be addressed.  Limiting runoff from roads, and implementing nitrogen reducing practices will help keep our estuaries healthy into the future. 

WRWA was recently awarded a $1,000 grant through the Ronald Desrosiers Memorial Fund (Westport Citizens Betterment Fund). This grant will provide funding for drain stickers to prevent the dumping of hazardous material into storm drains. WRWA will work with the Westport Highway Department to identify drain sites, starting at the Head of Westport. WRWA staff and volunteers and Westport Water Resources Management Committee volunteers will put the markers on or near the storm drains throughout the year.

The purpose of these stickers is to make people aware of the workings of the storm drains, which run right to the Westport River, and to prevent contaminants or hazardous materials from being discarded in these drains. WRWA would like to thank the Fund Committee for their generous support, of not only this project, but of all the projects that they have funded that benefit the Town of Westport.

Our third annual "BUOY THE WINTER BLUES" art show, to be held February 27 - March 5
at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery in Westport, is shaping up to be our best yet.

The Great Egret is a large white bird, often

seen wading in shallo w water. They are known for their white plume, S-shaped neck, and yellow beak. During the breeding season, a patch of skin on the egret's face will turn neon green, and very long wispy feathers will grow from its back. 

These "aigrettes" were particularly desirable for ladies hats in the late 19th century. Due to their very fashionable feathers, this bird was hunted nearly to extinction. However, the Great Egret made a comeback, thanks to conservation efforts to protect birds from becoming a fashion trend. This movement started the first Audubon organizations. The Egret is the symbol for the National Audubon Society.

Great Egrets live in fresh, brackish, and saltwater environments. They hunt fish, frogs, eels, crustaceans, insects and other animals. Great Egrets can fly at 25 miles per hour, with a wingspan of 4-5 feet and many migrate south before the winter.

Before breeding, males build nests high in treetops.  When a female pairs up with a male, she will often help him complete the nest. Great Egrets are known to practice a behavior called "siblicide," in which the hatchlings will often kill their smaller siblings. This does not occur with every brood, but this behavior ensures that the strongest offspring will survive. This behavior is also common among predatory birds, including owls, hawks, and eagles.

Although the Great Egret overcame near extinction, humans still pose a threat to these birds. Habitat destruction and pollution are the two biggest concerns for the Great Egrets.