Newsletters

Green Futures interest in all things Quequechan (Q) goes back to our beginnings in the mid 1990s. We made a number of educational videos on the potential of the Q and lead canoe and kayak tours of the Q from its headwaters at the Watuppa to the end of the visible river at Britland Park.

We were also the first to advocate for a bicycle path down the old Q rail line after a young man at one of our early meetings proposed the idea as an Eagle Scout project.

Well, the bike path is now a reality and a wonderful city amenity and the fact that the city’s CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) project has improved the quality of the river prompts us to further investigate and advocate what would be necessary to achieve one of our major goals of daylighting the buried Quequechan.

The Taunton River Wild and Scenic Stewardship Council offered to fund a study to look at the river. Green Futures proposed a plan which was subsequently funded to identify the issues and challenges involved in restoring and daylighting the Quequechan River. The objective of this phase is to identify the issues and challenges involved in restoring and daylighting the river and its riparian function, identifying viable restoration measures, and providing supporting information to guide planning.

We have since convened a kickoff meeting and then conducted a site visit to complete an initial site reconnaissance to identify the issues, opportunities and constraints related to restoring the river. The consultant has submitted a summary field reconnaissance and data acquisition, which will be the foundation of the final Technical Memorandum.

Stay tuned, more to come shortly.

HERE'S SOME HISTORY FOR YOU –

From canoes and walks to when a bike path on the old rail grade was just a vision, to river conferences, festivals, studies and more. It is time to finish the project. Let's uncover and restore the falls. Time to bring back the “fall” in Fall River.

Canoe the Quequechan!

Yes, it's possible to spend a few fun hours on our own Quequechan River...and the fishing's good, too!

Inline image 3 Can't go far? Well, strap the canoe to the roof of the car, go a few blocks and enjoy the local river. We will admit that there is litter - we've seen carriages from Arlans (remember Arlans?), and trash from the highway, but our poor abused mill river is trying very hard to make a come back, the evidence being the lush flora and fauna. And, who knows? If more people get out on the Quequechan, maybe the city fathers will notice and give it a hand to be the showplace it should be!

Inline image 2 First, it is important to understand that the Quequechan was originally a huge river with many a marsh and cove throughout. Over the years the mill owners reined in the river for power - marshes were filled, streams were rerouted into pipes, even the Falls were put into a pipe! and then it was sliced and diced by roads, railroads and superhighways. But there are still sections of the river where access is relatively easy. We explored one section - the area wedged between I-195, Quequechan Street, Pleasant Street and Plymouth Avenue.

Inline image 4 Inline image 1 Easy access with parking is found off Pleasant St. at pretty Britland Park, between Quarry St. and Plymouth Ave. Heading west on Pleasant, take a left down Eighteenth Street. This is right behind the new Police Station at 685 Pleasant St. There you can park with a short walk to the ledgy access point.

Inline image 8 Once you're in the river, either direction is interesting. We saw egrets and swans that day, and as you can see by the photos, they were surprised to see us! The turtles and fish were too quick for the camera; the songbirds flitted and sang in competition with the highway noise. We did notice however, that along the abandoned railroad line, where the trees have grown large, they successfully buffer a great deal of the traffic sounds. Perhaps one day, if the Quequechan River Bike Trail is built and landscaped, it will serve not only to be a great source of exercise and fun but also to beautify and quiet down this scenic area.

Inline image 5 Inline image 6 Although it is possible to canoe under I-195 when the water is very low, we do not suggest this - it is not for the faint-of-heart, as a team of Green Futures members discovered in the past, fighting off a plethora of spiders while lying flat on their backs in the canoe to get through the culverts! However, it is possible to canoe back and forth under the old railroad tracks, occasionally flushing out a few mallards in the rushes.

Inline image 7 Inline image 9 Interesting items at either end of this section of river are partially fenced in, walled conduits that historically, routed the river water directly underneath the mills, powering giant water wheels to run some of these mills, before electricity was prevalent. As you will notice, the mills are never really out of view.

Inline image 10 Apparently, if you don't mind tossing the fish back in after the catch, the fishing is pretty good in this area. On our way out of the river, we ran into people who were going out for the day. They said they come to the Quequechan often and enjoy the sport not far from home.

We hope we've convinced you to give the Quequechan a try: it's close; lt's free and it's fun. Don't forget the camera!

A River Runs Through It - Really Does

Milton J. Valencia, Herald News Staff Reporter, December 29, 2002

It was 20 years ago when Everett Castro first heard of attempts to resurrect the historic Quequechan River, yet it remains bottled up in tunnels below this city's roads, textile mills and downtown landmarks. It's a pattern of neglect that has polluted the river's history, Castro said. Still, he has new hopes for the Quequechan, with the recent release of an action plan and architectural sketchillustrating how the river can flow freely again through the heart of the city. It's the first master plan the city has had for the river's revitalization.

"There's always been the 'Let's try and restore the Quequechan', but it's never gotten that far," said Castro, of the local environmental group Green Futures. "It's been covered up a long time," he said. "But this can help us.

"We need bold vision here." Castro stressed that this vision gained new momentum with the action plan, recently released by a state-hired architectural firm. It outlines ways the city can build public support and take gradual steps to revitalize the river and its corridor, similar to the renaissance on the Providence waterfront.

Mayor Edward Lambert Jr. stressed that an initiative to unearth the river from its tunnels below the Greater Fall River Chamber of Commerce and along Interstate 195 would need time and millions of dollars, saying Providence's renaissance was a 20-year project. The mayor also noted the state's deepening fiscal woes. He said a Fall River bike path project along the Quequechan River was listed under a state transportation improvement plan, but funding has been withheld as the state sorts out priorities in funding programs. The bike path project, with gateways from Rodman Street and Pleasant Street, among other spots along the waterfront, could be one of the first steps toward creating public support for increased investment in the river, the mayor said. He noted it is one of the first steps listed in the state action plan.

Lambert also pointed out the city has planted trees along sections of Brayton Avenue and Plymouth Avenue, as portions of the river run near those roadways. The tree-planting program is also one of the first steps listed in the action plan, under a "beautification" report. The mayor hopes the attempts to enhance the river's surroundings will lead to increased support and interest in the revitalization of the Quequechan. "You've got to dream first, create a vision first, and then you find a way to get it done," Lambert said, looking at a sketch of a waterfall where the Chamber of Commerce building is located on Pocasset Street. Nearby, there is a black and white photo of the waterfall in 1963, before the highway and Chamber building were built. "You have to start somewhere, and this (report) is a great step," Lambert said. "Once we start to do it, it will build upon itself and people will want to take it to the next level."

The action report was the result of a Urban River Visions program commissioned by the state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, under a Community Preservation initiative. Goody, Clancy & Associates, a Boston-based architectural firm, hosted forums in seven urban communities throughout the state with rivers similar to Fall River's Quequechan. The public and local leaders were invited to offer ideas at each forum, and those suggestions were compiled in each action plan. The cities, Fall River included, can now apply for EOEA grants that allow communities to plan for recreation, as long as the direct attempt is to preserve and appreciate their rivers."People are drawn to the water," Doug Pizzi, of the EOEA, said when the forum was held a month ago. "It's time to bring people back to the water's edge."

The river plays a strong role in Fall River's history, and there are many tales stemming from Quequechan River, the Native American word for "falling water," from which Fall River got its name. Castro spoke of, among other stories, the "skeleton in armor," a tale of a soldier who died for the love of a woman and was found along the river's waterfront years later. And Castro and Lambert cited the river's role in generating energy for factories during the industrial and textile boom during the late 19th century.

Lambert said he'd like to incorporate a sense of pride in the river during the city's bicentennial celebration, to be held in the spring. "It's a great amenity to the city and we've ignored it for too long," Lambert said. "We need to treat the river better than we have."

Castro said there's no "written reason" to explain why the river was funneled through underground tunnels, but believes it's fair to say it was ignored after textile and industrial mills found new sources of power. He also said the river was polluted by the factories and nearby outhouses, and was considered a health concern. "Unfortunately, it was just thought of as a commodity to be used by early manufacturers," he said.

A part of the river was unearthed for a short time before the Interstate 195 highway was built. It was again buried, however, when Government Center plaza and the Chamber of Commerce were built. Most of the pictures of the river that remain today were taken at that time.

There are still parts of the river that see daylight, but it's through heavy bushes and neglected paths near an abandoned railroad track. The river can also be seen flowing out of the tunnel at the mills on the south of Anawan Street, near where it funnels into a cove at the Taunton River.

But over the last few years, Castro said, the focus on the Quequechan has mirrored a national focus to revitalize urban rivers, saying it can boost the local economy through its "tourist scenery." Major businesses and real estate agents would want to invest along the waterfront, Castro said, boosting Fall River's economy and quality of life.

One of the steps in the action plan is to boost public support, and Green Futures is working with other groups to hold community parties and "river appreciation" celebrations near the river, such as at Britland Park. The master plan cited the park as a possible place for a wooded preserve near the river.

Lambert said the city is considering a type of water fountain or other monument to memorialize the river, and it would be located outside Government Center, in the plaza built above the river. He said he would like to boost public support by getting private investors involved, as a way to appreciate the river that fueled the economy for so long. "Fall River wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the river," Castro said. "It really made Fall River the 'number one' textile city in the late 1800's."

Lambert said he will appoint a committee to review the state action plan, and the city will apply for grants for feasibility studies, and to test the river's water quality. He said he will also be in touch with the Conservation Commission, to discuss ways to create walkways along the river. But the mayor stressed such projects take time, and need public support and patience.

2002 -

Gregg M. Miliote, Herald News Staff Reporter, November 24, 2002

Goody, Clancy & Associates held an eight-hour visioning workshop Saturday to create an urban river vision for the Quequechan River and surrounding areas. The workshop, held at the Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center, invited residents from the area to discuss their own ideas for future uses of the riverfront area. Those in attendance included teachers, members of the park board, officials from the Greater Fall River Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. and members of environmental group Green Futures.

Residents who attended the workshop were broken into three separate groups to discuss connections to the river, river images, economic development and river uses. Goody, Clancy & Associates' employees led the three discussion groups.

The workshop alone won't determine the future of the river, but it could lead to a feasibility study of the various options discussed.

Many residents were interested in coming up with a way to make the Quequechan River's waterfall visible again. It is now blocked from public view under Interstate 195.

Members of the "connections" group discussed bringing back the falls to generate more tourism for the city. Other ideas included having tour boats on the river, connecting the river throughout the city, setting up bike paths along the water and beautifying the views from surrounding buildings. "We need to get people aware of the river, because then people will realize this is an enormous community asset," said resident Jim Smith.

The workshop was held because Secretary of Environmental Affairs Robert Durand recently selected Fall River as one of seven communities to take part in a new initiative to revitalize the downtown area by using natural resources. "Through the Urban River Visions program, we hope to help communities make their rivers a catalyst for business development, attractive recreation areas for residents to enjoy and a focal point for tourism," Durand wrote in a recent press release. The outcome of the workshop will help Goody, Clancy & Associates create arendering of the ideas expressed at the meeting.

"We need a real engineering study to find out how all these ideas will work out to proceed," said project director David Spillane.

Fantastic Editorial

Open Fall River's Falls

Editorial, Providence Journal, April 16, 2002

Yes, there are falls in Fall River. And yes, the Massachusetts city was named after them -- an extraordinary series of six falls descending a total of 132 feet. But no, you cannot see them, because Route 195 and various highway ramps cover them. Burying glorious waterways was one of the strange things that American cities did in the industrial era that started in the late 18th Century and continued until 30 years ago or so. As Providence has shown, however, rivers entombed and nearly forgotten can be reopened. The same can, and ought to happen, to the stretch of the Quequechan River where Fall River's falls used to roar.

Quequechan is an Wampanoag word meaning "Falling Water". The falls are a rather unusual geological feature for an East Coast city south of Maine. Cities along the East Coast are usually flat, only rising a little above sea level. But Fall River has dramatic hills.

The Quequechan River is relatively placid until it gets to the Government Center. Then it tumbles in a series of rapids emptying into the Taunton River. The cascades once powered the great Pocasset, Troy and Anawan mills. Builders of Route 195 diverted the falls through a conduit.

Plans have emerged over the years to reopen the falls, but they never went anywhere. The river-restoration success in Providence and a statewide forum held last autumn in Fall River give new life to the idea. The conference was run by Urban Rivers, a Massachusetts office that studies ways to "daylight" rivers -- that is, to open them up. Restoring the falls could give a much-needed boost to Fall River's downtown. Battleship Cove, featuring the Massachusetts, is nearby. And the city has a harbor plan to increase tourism. A short greenway connecting a tourist center and downtown could run along the river and re-emerged falls.

These are lovely ideas. Can they be done? A feasibility study for opening up the river would be the place to start finding an answer. Citizens interested in the topic should consult the Web site of Urban Rivers, a branch of the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement (www.state.ma.us/dfwele/). Another good source of information is a Fall River/New Bedford environmental group called Green Futures (www.greenfutures.org). Green Futures has taken an especially strong interest in uncovering the falls.

There was something perverse about Fall River burying the spectacular falls that gave it its name. But as other cities have shown, such mistakes can be undone.

January 2008 A River and Its City: - Al Lima presents his book, http://www.gfrpartners.com/08HistoryOfTheQueque chan.htm

Daylong Panel Sheds Light on Quequechan

Deborah Allard-Bernardi, Herald New Staff Reporter – 11/21/2004

Hidden but not forgotten, the Quequechan River, which flows through pipes beneath the city, was referenced Saturday during a statewide environmental conference titled "Urban Rivers and their Neighborhoods." Agencies and organizations throughout the state attended the daylong event at the Great Hall of the International Institute of Culinary Arts to stress the importance of revitalizing urban rivers and their surrounding communities.

Daylighting the Quequechan River is a long-term goal of the city, and of Green Futures, which sponsored the conference along with the Urban Ecology Institute.

Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. gave an opening address to participants to acquaint them with the city and the Quequechan River, which was bottled up in 1962 to make way for Interstate 195. The name means "falling water" in the Wampanoag Indian language, lending the city its name. Prior to the river's concealment, Lambert said the community once "saw its lifeblood in the falling river" as it powered Fall River's granite-built mills and "fueled our economy," making this city the textile capital of the world.

The Quequechan flowed through the downtown area and into a waterfall that was located across the street from the Herald News building on Pocasset Street. When the Quequechan was no longer needed, it was diverted into a culvert and buried beneath concrete, where it flows out to Crab Pond and the Taunton River. What remains of the river above ground today can be seen from Britland Park on Pleasant Street.

"It has not gotten the attention it deserves," said Lambert. "It's something our activism and your presence today can change."

Green Futures President Tim Bennett said holding the conference in Fall River was "quite appropriate," due to the efforts in this city to clean up and daylight its hidden river.

Some of the agencies and organizations in attendance included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Trust for Public Land, the city of Chicopee, the city of Easthampton, Massachusetts Highway Department, Chelsea Green Space and Groundwork Lawrence.

Also in attendance were several legislators, including state Rep. Michael J. Rodrigues D-Westport, a representative from Fall River state Sen. Joan Menard's office, Westport Selectman David Dionne and Joseph Carvalho, representing the Coalition for the Responsible Siting of LNG Facilities.

The conference brought together officials and activists to consider successful approaches to realize the potential of urban rivers, creating greenways and trails to link rivers to their neighborhoods, and to focus on political advocacy and project funding.

Lois Adams of the Environmental Protection Agency and assistant to the Office of Civil Rights and Urban Affairs was the keynote speaker. "There's really not enough attention afforded to urban rivers," said Adams. She stressed that cleaning up a river with visible and invisible problems and pollution "is difficult to do" and is a "stubborn problem to solve" that can take years.

"These problems didn't get here in a day and they're not going to leave in a day," said Adams. Still, she said, it is doable. "It's your opportunity to affect change," she told attendees.

Speakers, panels and workshops made up the day and offered agencies and organizations the opportunity to bring ideas and enthusiasm for their projects back to the office on Monday. "It's a long road, but it's a road you can succeed on," said Adams.

MORE 2004

Go to www.gfrpartners.com/04UrbanRivers.htmlfor photos of this event courtesy of David Weed, Partners for A Healthier Community.

Also, on December 8, 2004, Green Futures and Urban Ecology Institute sponsored a report on rapid ecological assessments of seven sites along the Quequechan River completed over the summer of 2004. See photos and a description at www.gfrpartners.com/04QRiverReport.htmlcourtesy of David Weed, Partners for a Healthier Community.

One Possibility for the Quequechan River

Inline image 11

2004 – Quequechan River Festival

Quequechan River Celebrated at Last

Deborah Allard-Bernardi, Herald News Staff Reporter – 6/26/2004

Used for power by the mills once located in the downtown area, and then hidden away and diverted through pipelines beneath the Earth, the Quequechan River may no longer appear mighty, but it is finally getting a little respect.

The first-ever Quequechan River Festival will be held Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Britland Park. The festival, sponsored by Green Futures, a local environmental group, is being held as a larger effort to bring attention to the "hidden" river that flows through the city and from which Fall River got its name.

It's slated to be an old-fashioned fair that will include field games, such as a three-legged race, pony rides, archery, potato sack races, kayak demonstrations on the Quequechan, arts and crafts, juggling acts, and kite flying. They'll also be a rock-climbing wall. A large tent will be erected for some of the events and games, such as face painting and puppet making. Food and refreshments will also be available. The event is free and open to the public.

"Our goal in sponsoring the festival is to bring residents to the Quequechan River to enjoy a day of fun," said Tim Bennett, president of Green Futures. "The festival is part of a larger educational effort which has as its goal the realization of a greenbelt along the upper Quequechan and the 'daylighting' and restoration of the river's falls." The river's falls were once located in the downtown area, across from The Herald News on Pocasset Street. The river flowed through downtown and in the area where Plymouth Avenue is now situated.

Currently, the flow of the Quequechan is controlled by mechanical gates located at the Water Department's Fourth Street gate house. Water flows through pipes from the gate house, where it is then directed down Pocasset Street under the former Darwood Mill Complex, and out to Crab Pond and the Taunton River. The river was put into a culvert and directed through pipes in 1962 to make way for Interstate 195, according to Alfred J. Lima, a spokesman for Green Futures.

Green Futures and the city for the last several years, however, have been working to restore the falls and parts of the river. Lima said the city applied to the United States Corps of Engineers for a feasibility study nine months ago. Funding cuts have held up that study, but Lima said Green Futures is "still hopeful the Corps will fund" the river's daylighting. If the river is unearthed, the falls would be reconstructed, and the river's flow would be daylighted from South Main Street and along Pocasset Street to where the river runs under the highway. Lima said the effect would be "quite dramatic." "Maybe within 10 years, it could be a reality," he said.

Besides food and games to celebrate the Quequechan River, the festival will also feature musical entertainment by Michael Troy, who will sing songs about the Quequechan and Fall River. Other performers include the Back Eddy Bluegrass Band and Wild Goose Nation. The Suspenders will put on a show of juggling and tomfoolery.

The festival is co-sponsored by the city of Fall River and is funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

Britland Park is located at the end of 17th Street, behind the Fall River Police Department on Pleasant Street. Parking will be available at the end of Wordell Street, off Plymouth Avenue between Burger King and Honey Dew Donuts.

November 2005 - Early River clean-up: http://www.gfrpartners.com/05QRiverClean-Up.htmlCourtesy of David Weed, Partners for a Healthier Community

September 2006 - Quequechan River Festival: http://www.gfrpartners.com/06QuequechanFestival.html Courtesy of David Weed, Partners for a Healthier Community

Here what we had to say in 2008 -

Hey, Fall River, …“FREE THE QUEQUECHAN!”

Visionaries and creative thinkers exist in every community. Unfortunately they are always few in number and all too often their ideas for moving their communities forward are summarily dismissed by the political clique in power.

Also unfortunately …especially in Fall River, politics is so incestuous that this close consanguinity results in what one would expect …genetically defective politicians who lack the ability to vision beyond their own term in office and who do not have the capacity to think differently from those politicians that preceded them. They seek input and advice only from those similarly handicapped from within their own immediate political family and are incapable of considering …or even understanding …the views of their community’s best and brightest.

Perhaps Fall River’s motto of “We’ll Try” should be changed to what we’ve heard from many local officials, “We Can’t Do That Here!”

While other cities, around the world, have been doing marvelous things with their community rivers, harbors, and other natural attractions, Fall River stays mired in the negative ooze of its past.

Baltimore has its Inner Harbor; San Antonio has its Paseo del Rio; neighboring Providence its Waterplace Park and Riverwalk. Sure, some will say, those are larger cities than tiny Fall River and have greater resources to power their particular urban improvements.

Well, small and dirty Chattanooga (pop. 155,000+-) has what it calls its “21st Century Waterfront.” Portland, Maine, (pop. 64,000+-) has its Old Port; Lowell, on the mighty Merrimack River, (pop. 105,000+-) has its Historical Park and Canal Walk; and stone’s throw away New Bedford (pop. 99,000+-) the Whaling National Park and Historic Waterfront.

Fall River (pop. 92,000+-) is unique in being the only city on the Atlantic coast of the United States with a waterfall …not water flowing over a dam …but a real, honest-to-goodness waterfall! There would not be a city at that location, were it not for the Quequechan River.

A city with any pride at all, does not ignore …and then trash, the very natural feature that gave birth to the city, brought wealth to its inhabitants, and gave the community its name.

Since the end of World War II and the flight to the ‘burbs, Fall River has made a number of uninspired, half-hearted attempts to reinvent itself. Hasn’t worked in the past, won’t work now.

Recent attempts such as creation of a “restaurant row;” new courthouse; faux trolleys; copies of memorials, gates and statues; may be used as building blocks in revitalizing Fall River’s downtown and waterfront …but the keystone is the restoration of the river and its falls.

The Quequechan falls and greenways will connect the waterfront with downtown. A linear park, on the north side of Pocasset Street, would create an urban park in the heart of the city; foster community; encourage economic development; promote tourism.

For those who aren’t capable of climbing steep hills to access the waterfront or downtown attractions, or just don’t want to walk through the park, views of the falls will be visible as they ride a funicular from the area of Battleship Cove to the top of the hill near Gromada Plaza. Small shops, restaurants, art galleries, entertainment venues, historical areas within the urban loop from the waterfront to downtown, between Pocasset Street and Coulmbia Street, will flourish with increased resident and tourist traffic.

Some community fossils, chronic naysayers, the perpetually defeated, and those incestuous political leaders will say it can’t be done. They’ll give you the new city motto “We Can’t Do That Here.” Sad, very sad!

Let’s talk about one community that had less to work with than Fall River, but had the vision to realize what could be done with the polluted and periodic river that flowed through their urban center.

Wichita Falls, Texas, (population 99,000+-) was named after a small waterfall in the Wichita River. Unlike Fall River, industrial expansion and urban growth did not destroy the falls.

That much smaller, than the Quequechan, waterfall in the Wichita River flowed over layers of sandstone and was washed away in the great flood of 1886. Gone, residents of the community mourned the fact that they now lived in a city named Wichita Falls …that no longer had its falls.

Fast forward a hundred years and the technology …and more importantly the will, was there to put the falls back in Wichita Falls. So, a concrete 54 foot high, four cascade waterfall was designed and built in time for Wichita Falls centennial celebration.

A riverwalk was then constructed along the river and falls that connects downtown Wichita Falls with the 178 acre Lucy Park.

Here’s a blurb from a Wichita Falls community website:

“As the River winds through town, it crosses this attractive public park, whose wide-open spaces invite Frisbee-playing and late-afternoon picnics. The park also features playground equipment, gardens, walking trails, and a pool. More than a century ago, the river originally fell several feet as it passed through the area, but these falls were eventually eradicated by a massive flood. In the late '80s, the city "rebuilt" the 54-foot falls, creating several tiers for water to rush over. They're now one of the city's most popular sites. Lucy Park is a 178 acre regional park located in the center of the city. The park is in a bend of the Wichita River which gives it a natural setting with huge pecans, cottonwoods, and numerous other species of native and introduced trees.”

Our Quequechan River has almost three times the drop of the waterfall they reconstructed in Wichita Falls. Ours would be much more impressive and would spark the spirit needed to revitalize the entire downtown and waterfront areas.

What do you say? We say, “FREE THE QUEQUECHAN!”

January 2008 A River and Its City: - Al Lima presents his book, http://www.gfrpartners.com/08HistoryOfTheQuequechan.htm Courtesy Dave Weed, Partners for Healthier Community

2009

Following is another wonderful article on the Quequechan and its potential from the February 13thThe Herald News by Linda Murphy:

Restoring the Quequechan to its former glory -

The city named for its falls is missing something, and Green Futures would like to see it restored as an overall plan to daylight the Quequechan River, unite several neighborhoods along the waterway and bring ecotourism to the city.

Everett Castro, director of community affairs for the nonprofit environmental group, said Fall River is the only city on the East Coast to have had a naturally occurring waterfall that flowed into tidal waters. While other industrial cities dammed rivers to create waterfalls, the Quequechan River met with a 130-foot granite drop, creating a series of six cascades in the area of Gromada Plaza that eventually spilled out into the Taunton River.

When Interstate 195 was built, the falls were diverted underground through a series of culverts, but a smaller waterfall remains today behind the last surviving granite, water-powered mill on Anawan Street.

Green Futures’ plan also calls for daylighting the Quequechan River, which was largely covered up as textile mills converted from water to steam power in the late 1800s. “There was very little awareness back then about the importance of wetlands,” said Al Lima, Green Futures research director.

The river, named for the Native American word for “falling water,” is fed by several bodies of water that flow into South Watuppa Pond.

Devol and Sawdy ponds feed into Stony Brook and into the South Watuppa from the east, and from the north, it’s fed by North Watuppa Pond and from the south, it’s fed by Stafford Pond through Sucker Brook.

The river flows above ground under I-195 in several areas including Britland Park in the Flint neighborhood behind the police station, off Brayton Avenue in the Maplewood section and behind Wattupa Heights in the city’s Niagara neighborhood. Chase Pond is also a part of the Quequechan.

Despite the river’s high pollution levels, Lima said it is host to an amazing array of wildlife including ducks, deer and osprey. When the city’s ongoing combined sewerage overflow project is completed, it will improve the condition of the river.

Green Futures’ plan would create a greenway along the river and extend the bike path that winds through Westport to the Fall River line on Martine Street along railroad tracks that follow the river through city neighborhoods. The falls would be restored on Pocasset Street just below Gromada Plaza, where the Chamber of Commerce is located.

“The river has divided the north part of the city from the south part,” said Lima, author of “A City and its River,” a book about the Quequechan. “We want to see it as a uniting feature.”

The two-faceted project, according to Lima and Castro, would bring tourists and economic prosperity to the area as it has done in other cities where rivers have been restored, including Providence, San Antonio, Texas, and Chattanooga, Tenn.

“Look at what diverting the river has done for Providence,” said Lima.

“This is not some utopian idea — it’s been done in other places successfully. The river and the falls are the heart and soul of the city; it’s the right thing to do.”

The idea of restoring the river and the falls was conceived several years ago and was the subject of state urban rivers initiative conferences in 2002 and 2004, but little progress has been made since then.

While Lima and Castro agree the project itself would be expensive, they’re calling for a less costly feasibility study to at least give the proposal a chance of being accomplished.

They also said the proposal has the potential of being funded as a public works project under President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan.

One obstacle, they said, is overcoming the mindset in the city that this proposal isn’t important because the city has more pressing economic woes. But they envision the plan as an economic generator that would attract tourists, increase property values along the river and lure businesses.

Lima said the project would also benefit the city by creating what is known as a “third place” — an area outside of schools and work where people from the community gather.

“This is a community-building project that could bring people in the city together,” he said. Lima, a member of the city’s master plan committee, said the proposal is included in the almost-completed master plan, which will then be submitted to city leaders for approval.

A Program at Bristol Community College – 2009

On the evening of September 17, a program entitled, “The Hidden Divide – The Struggle for the Quequechan Watercourse: Private Rights Versus the Public Interest,” was held at Bristol Community College.

This program on the Quequechan was one in a series on community issues held to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Massachusetts Superior Court System.

Our own Al Lima gave an overview of the river from the colonial era up to the present. Others speaking on various aspects of the river and its history included Attorneys William Kenny and Jay Lambert; John Friar from the Fall River Water Department; and John Grovesnor and Donald Leighton of Newport Collaborative Architects …the group hired to facilitate the Fall River Energy Enterprise (FREE) initiative.

A montage of early Quequechan River photographs was assembled by Stefani Koorey and shown during the program. Check it out here -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZndEM-gZpY8.

Viewing these early photos it is important to note that although the power provided by the Quequechan was what first attracted Lancashire English textile entrepreneurs to the banks of the river …and created their family fortunes …the resource was soon squandered and the Quequechan became little more than an open sewer draining a rapidly urbanizing community.

Once the steam engine came along and Quequechan water power was no longer needed, the defiled and degraded river was of little monetary value so was paved over, bit by bit. The photos of the privies hanging over the river and sewerage running unchecked down neighboring streets …as well as the shots of the dumping of domestic and industrial waste to fill in the river’s shallow coves …shock us today, but were accepted by most in that not so distant past.

After all, these textile mill owners and supervisors lived on the hills well above the river. They didn’t live with the stench of the befouled Quequechan in their nostrils. Cheap labor, “the wretched masses of your teeming shore” …was inexhaustible ….and expendable. Starving Irish and other desperate immigrants had little choice but to live and labor along the foul and noxious Quequechan.

Anyone have a time machine? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to view the falls of the Quequechan pre European arrival? Tons of pure water crashing down the granite precipice through a pristine forest to the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay. Must have been quite the scene.

We continue to work with all Quequechan advocates to restore the river and daylight the falls.

If you read the recent “Info Alert” we emailed out you know the Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail is a spectacular success and it hasn't even had its official “grand opening” yet.

Let's keep the momentum going and restore the rest of this long abused river that gave Fall River its reason for being and its name.

Quequechan Rail Trail plans roll along

Phase II and III of the Quequechan River Rail Trail project recently began, extending the existing 1-mile multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians from the Westport line to Brayton Avenue.

by Jo C. Goode, Herald News Staff Reporter

FALL RIVER — Phase II and III of the Quequechan River Rail Trail project recently began, extending the existing 1-mile multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians from the Westport line along the South Watuppa Pond to Brayton Avenue.

City Engineer Byron Holmes said the approximately $5 million project adds another 1.4 miles to the existing 1-mile stretch, and will cross Brayton Avenue to Quequechan Street, connecting to Britland Park and Rodman Street. The project includes replacing seven former railroad bridges and is funded through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the major funding agency and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Holmes said design of Phase IV and the final portion of the rail trail project is approximately 25 percent completed, which will connect Britland and Father Travassos Park. The park, located in the Flint, is in the midst of a $2.5 million makeover. "When all of this is done, it's going to be pretty cool," said Holmes.

In addition to the bridge replacements, the rail trail will be a 10-foot wide paved surface, feature intersection improvements, landscaping, and user amenities, according to MassDOT.

The two phases of the rail trail project, which runs along the Watuppa secondary rail line, is expected to be completed by June 2016, said Holmes.

The mile-long swath of Phase I was completed in 2008. The delay to continue the next phases of the project was due to a number of factors, said Julianne Kelly, coordinator of Fall River Mass in Motion — including the issue of who owns property along the rail trail.

The City Council, she said, voted to name the pedestrian and biking trail the Alfred J. Lima Rail Trail, after the Fall River resident and retired planner, author and city activist.

Kelly said the completion of the rail trail will be a benefit for the city, making it a safe and beautiful place for residents and children to stroll or ride.

"This can be a real turn-around for the city, with a beautiful trail and park going through the center of the city," said Kelly. "And it will encourage interest in the area to people who would just normally be passing by," Kelly said.

2017 – Quequechan River Advocacy Continues – Daylight the River Now

Stay tuned!

BIORESERVE FAUNA OF THE MONTH – Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Photo - Steve Maslowski, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The wood thrush is our most common woodland thrush with a beautiful flute-like call usually heard before the bird is seen. The wood thrush is related to other local thrushes such as the common robin, hermit thrush, veery thrush and eastern bluebird.

Largest of our forest thrushes, preferring mixed forests of oak and pine, the wood thrush averages eight inches in length. The robin is our largest thrush, two inches longer than the wood thrush, but the robin is a habitat generalist not limiting itself to living only in the forest.

Both male and female wood thrushes are similar in size and color. These thrushes have reddish-brown heads, backs and upper surface of the tail. Underparts, from throat to tail, are white. It also has a white eye ring. The white throat and underparts contain a random pattern of brown spots. Legs and feet are pale pink.

The wood thrush feeds on insects and other invertebrates and also eats some forest berries, fruits and seeds.

In the spring the wood thrush migrates north from Central America arriving in our area in early May. Males quickly claim a territory which they patrol constantly and defend from other males.

The wood thrush is monogamous. After mating the female builds a nest of twigs, leaves and grass and glues it all together with mud. Similar to the more familiar robin's nest, the thrush nest is usually located in a sheltered fork of a large shrub or tree. The eggs are blue, usually 2 to 4 in number. Some couples raise two broods each summer.

Both parents feed the chicks of the first brood, but if there is time for a second brood the male takes on sole parenting of the first, while the female incubates the second clutch of eggs.

Although still common, Wood thrushes are in trouble. Wood Thrushes do not do well in fragmented forests. Forested areas in southeastern New England are severely fragmented by roads, housing and business/industrial developments, excessive trail cutting and clearing, commercial logging, etc. Such openings provide access into the forest for predators ...especially cowbirds.

Cowbirds are not native to New England. The evolved out west on the Great Plains following herds of constantly roaming/migrating bison. Following bison meant they couldn't settle down, take the time to build nests, lay eggs and raise their young. Instead, cowbirds evolved the ability to lay their eggs in the nests of resident bird species as they passed by, continuing to follow the bison, letting these “foster parent” birds incubate their eggs and raise their young.

With the clearing of the eastern forest and destruction of the bison herds in the 1800s, cowbirds moved east. There they found clearings and forest edges and on these edges and forest fragments were wood thrush nests of just the right size for female cowbirds to deposit their eggs and move on.

Besides the sneaky cowbirds, wood thrushes have more traditional predators too. Forest hawks and owls prey on adults. Eggs and nestlings are often devoured by jays, crows, ravens, snakes, raccoons, opossums, weasels, fishers and red squirrels.

Despite all those predators, wood thrushes will continue to charm us with their flute-like song as long as they can find intact forests when they return each May to raise their families in New England.

BIORESERVE FLORA OF THE MONTH - Evening Primrose(Oenothera biennis)

The evening primrose is a beautiful, native wildflower with a long flowering season. Its species name, biennis, refers to the evening primrose's biennial (two year) life cycle. The first year this primrose starts out growing close to the ground, its lance-shaped leaves growing in a rosette pattern. The plant spends the summer storing energy in its long and thick tap root. Energy that it will use the following year to shoot up a one to four foot tall leaf and flower spike, bloom profusely and set seeds

The evening primrose needs full sun and grows best in well-drained, fertile soil. It is often found growing along country lanes and roadsides, in meadows, along field edges and in newly disturbed soil.

Flowering occurs from early summer through to early fall. Evening primrose flowers are monecious (both male and female). The bright yellow flowers, one to two inches in diameter, each have four petals that open in the evening and wilt by noon the next day.

Evening primrose flowers are rich in nectar and attract night flying moths and other pollinating insects. Following pollination a green bean-shaped capsule forms. When mature, the capsules dry, split open and drop their seeds.

Sparrows, mourning doves and other seed eating birds, mice and voles eat the seeds. A multitude of other wildlife species feed on other parts of the plant.

American Indians, who lived within this plant's range, ate the roots, leaves and seeds. Evening primrose seeds and primrose oil are still used today to treat various medical conditions.

AUGUST – Last full month of summer

Get outside and take a hike in the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve or on an area land trust property or wildlife sanctuary. Maybe pedal your bike around your city/town or explore one of the many bicycle paths in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. August is usually a pleasant month for outdoor activties in New England.

Check our Calendar here.

<Back

Newsletters

August 2017 - Wood Thrush, Evening Primrose, Q River Info

THIS AUGUST ISSUE ALMOST ENTIRELY QUEQUECHAN– But first …...

DAYLIGHTING THE QUEQUECHAN RIVER -The InitiativeContinues

HERE'S SOME HISTORY FOR YOU –

Canoe the Quequechan!

Open Fall River's Falls

One Possibility for the Quequechan River

BIORESERVE FAUNA OF THE MONTH – Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

BIORESERVE FLORA OF THE MONTH - Evening Primrose(Oenothera biennis)

AUGUST – Last full month of summer

Menu

Site Search

Newsletters

August 2017 - Wood Thrush, Evening Primrose, Q River Info

THIS AUGUST ISSUE ALMOST ENTIRELY QUEQUECHAN– But first …...

DAYLIGHTING THE QUEQUECHAN RIVER -The InitiativeContinues

HERE'S SOME HISTORY FOR YOU –

Canoe the Quequechan!

Open Fall River's Falls

One Possibility for the Quequechan River

BIORESERVE FAUNA OF THE MONTH – Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

BIORESERVE FLORA OF THE MONTH - Evening Primrose(Oenothera biennis)

AUGUST – Last full month of summer

Menu

Site Search

Social