by Kim Kastens, Brewster Conant, Jr., and Katarina Spasojevic Overview: Why Salt Pollution Matters Organisms and ecosystems that evolved to live in fresh water suffer if they are submerged in salty water. Salty water can harm both plants and animals, and salt-stressed aquatic ecosystems experience a loss of biodiversity. Too much road salt getting into the… Continue reading →
Where Does the Salt in Nashoba Brook Come From?
by Kim Kastens, Brewster Conant, Jr., and Peter Severance Summary The Green Acton Water Committee collaborated with the Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers (OARS) to survey the specific conductance (SC) of the water in Nashoba Brook and its tributaries in Acton and Westford. SC is an indicator of salt concentration in the… Continue reading →
Nashoba Brook Has Been Growing Saltier for 50 Years
by Kim Kastens, Katarina Spasojevic, and Brewster Conant, Jr. Over the last 50 years, Nashoba Brook in Acton has grown saltier and saltier, according to data collected by the US Geological Survey and OARS (the Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury & Concord Rivers). This trend aligns with a global pattern, called Freshwater Salinization Syndrome, which… Continue reading →
Road Salt Threatens Aquatic Ecosystems in Acton
Contributed by Kim Kastens and the Green Acton Water Committee As part of a study by OARS of road salt pollution across the Sudbury/Assabet/Concord (SuAsCo) watershed, the Green Acton Water Committee measured electrical conductivity in brooks and rivers at 29 sites throughout the Fort Pond Brook tributary system. High conductivity is typically, although not always,… Continue reading →
How Level 3 Critical Drought Manifests in Acton
On July 21, 2022, the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force declared that the Northeast Region of Massachusetts, including Acton, had moved into Level 3 Critical Drought status. The Drought Management Task Force (DMTF) uses six different types of information in deciding when to declare a drought. This post takes a look at how these six… Continue reading →
Missed the “Acton’s Water Cycle” Forum? Catch Up Here (inc. event video)
by Norm Strahle and Kim Kastens The June 8, 2022 forum, hosted by the Green Acton Water Committee, covered the topic of “Acton’s Water Cycle,” beginning with where Acton’s drinking water comes from and culminating with what happens when it goes down the drain. The format included poll questions for the forum attendees and a… Continue reading →
June 8: Interactive Discussion of Acton’s Water Cycle
The Green Acton Water Committee invites you to the fourth in our series of educational forums about water issues of concern to Acton, to be held on June 8, 7–8:30pm, by Zoom. This year’s forum will take the generalized concept of “the water cycle” and apply it to the specific situation of Acton. Register for the… Continue reading →
Nagog Brook Had a Warm Year in 2021
by Kim Kastens and Song Leav As Green Acton reported in November 2021, Nagog Brook in western Acton experienced unusually high stream flow in the summer of 2021. This post reports that during that same time interval, Nagog Brook’s water temperature was also unusually high.
Q&A with 2022 candidate for Acton Water District Commissioner
There is one candidate this year for the position of Commissioner of the Acton Water District (AWD): Barry Rosen. This post contains Mr. Rosen’s answers to questions prepared by the Green Acton Water Committee to inform the voters about some current issues and opportunities facing the District, and the candidate’s thoughts on how to address… Continue reading →
Nagog Brook Streamflow: Torrent in Winter, Trickle in Summer — But Not This Year
by Kim Kastens and Song Leav The Green Acton Water Committee has monitored the stream level of Nagog Brook since the summer of 2017. The general pattern we have seen is a low and consistent streamflow during the summer and into the fall, followed by a high and variable streamflow during the winter and spring.… Continue reading →