Urban Rivers Advocates Forum
At Fall River Heritage State Park
The
Riverways'
Urban Rivers Program, part of the Department of Fisheries,
Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement held their 4th annual
forum in Fall River in November, 2001. The forum consisted of
a morning filled with various lectures highlighting ongoing projects
such as the reclamation, improvement and redevelopment of the
Spicket River in North Lawrence, MA and new projects such as
Green Futures concern with our own Quequechan River.
The afternoon held a choice of field trip to either Providence,
RI and the Providence River, which has undergone some stunning,
beautifying changes during the past few years or a trip following
the rabbit-run path of the Quequechan River in Fall River, continuing
on to a portion of the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve.
Field Trip to the Quequechan River, Fall River, MA
Group proposes restoring
Quequechan River
by James Finlaw - Herald News
- 11/1/01
Before it was bottled up in a network of subterranean tunnels and hidden from view, the Quequechan River dominated the heart of the city. In the days when the Quequechan flowed unmolested, it was most notable for its falls, which spilled over rugged stone outcroppings located in the area where the Fall River Chamber of Commerce is now situated on Pocasset Street. The presence of the thundering falls led the Native Americans that once inhabited the region to bestow the name "Quequechan" upon the waterway. The city derives its name from the title the Indians gave the river, which when translated means "falling water."
Everett Castro, a member of the local environmental group Green Futures, hopes the river can one day be exhumed and restored to its original, cascading splendor. "We would be the only city on the coast that would have a waterfall," said Castro. "I want to bring the soul of the city back."
On Saturday morning,
Castro and the members of Green Futures will take part in a meeting
that will focus primarily on the Quequechan River and the potential
for bringing the lost waterway back to life. Organized by the
Riverways Urban Rivers Program, a state entity under the purview
of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the meeting
will be held at the Heritage State Park Visitor's Center at
9 am. The mission of the four-year-old program is to encourage
cities, their residents and environmental groups to revitalize
and clean up urban rivers. Urban River Coordinator Cindy Delpapa
said the event's keynote speaker will be William Warner, the
principal architect of the plan that led to the "rediscovery"
of the Providence River. Once buried underground in a series
of pipes, the river now winds its way through downtown Providence
and is famous for its popular Waterfire displays. "The Providence
River is now the heart of the city, as opposed to something that
is forgotten. Now it has Waterfire and gondolas," said Delpapa.
Delpapa said the process of unearthing long-buried urban rivers
is known as "daylighting." She said Providence's example
is one she hopes can be replicated in cities across the region.
"It's important for people to realize it can be done,"
she said. "It can be a real economic engine for a city,
as we see in Providnece."
Castro said he hopes that Fall River can one day benefit from "daylighting" the Quequechan. While the group's plans for such a mammoth undertaking are very preliminary, Castro said he envisions a time when the waterfall is once again visible on Pocasset Street. "We understand Route 195 is there, but if you could restore the falls and have a linear greenway between the highway and Pocasset Street...it could really help revitalize the downtown," he said. The spot Castro referred to is now occupied by a narrow strip of lawn that is abutted by Interstate 195 to the north, and Pocasset Street to the south. The Fall River Chamber of Commerce building also occupies the site.
Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. has discussed the possibility of "daylighting" the river with Castro in the past. He said he finds the idea compelling, but also noted that it could be too problematic to bring to fruition. "It's the kind of project I would have some real interest in, but I don't know how feasible it is," said Lambert. "At this point it's really just a dream and a remote possibility." If uncovering the long-buried river were to prove to be an impossible task, Lambert said he would be glad to investigate other ways of paying homage to the river from which the city took its name. Lambert spoke of the possibility of building a fountain, or other monument on the narrow strip of land on Pocasset Street that overlooks the highway.
While restoring the falls in the city's downtown area is an aspect of the Quequechan revitalization plan that may prove impossible to accomplish, both Green Futures and Lambert believe it is important to do something with the portion of the river that is still above ground. Tucked between Britland Park and Interstate 195, the segment of the Quequechan that remains visible is divided by an old rail line that runs along a strip of land that cuts through the river's center. It is the hope of Green Futures and the administration that the area can one day be the site of additional park land and a bike path. "If you go to Britland Park, you can see the potential," said Al Lima, a Green Futures member. Lambert agreed with Lima's assessment, noting that the city has long had plans to establish a bike path along the old railbed.