Merrimack River Watershed Council

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Merrimack River Watershed Council

Protecting the Merrimack River Watershed for people and wildlife from Franklin, NH to Plum Island, MA

05/23/2026

Thank you so much to all who attended our Annual Spring Event at on Tuesday! It was a wonderful night, filled with great company, great food, and the best view of Newburyport Harbor we could ask for.

We so appreciate the support of all our sponsors, including our friends at , , and . We also want to extend a special thank you to the Ciampitti Family for their support.

With previews of our 2025 Water Quality Report (out soon!) and our priorities for the upcoming year of MRWC, it was wonderful to connect with our community and celebrate how far the Merrimack River has come. We're aiming to make the river better for all people and wildlife, one day at a time.

Want to help? Sign up for our newsletter for opportunities to give and volunteer. There's plenty to do in our watershed, and we'd love to hear from you!

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/BgTLfUG

05/13/2026

Spring Event is coming up! 🌿 Don’t miss this watershed moment on Tuesday, May 19. It’s supposed to be a gorgeous day and we’ll be enjoying beautiful views with great company.

Join us for a feel-good evening on (and for) the Merrimack River—community, mission, and a little celebration. You’ll get a preview of our Annual Water Quality Report, meet the team, and enjoy an evening of cocktails and snacks at .

✅ Grab your ticket to RSVP here: https://merrimack.org/events/mrwc-spring-event-2026/
✅ Bring a friend to celebrate with
✅ Help keep our watershed thriving

05/12/2026

Spring is culvert season, and we want you in the field with us.

A culvert is a pipe or tunnel that carries a stream beneath a road or rail bed. Most people never think twice about them, but they're critical to river health. A well-placed culvert lets water flow freely, allows fish to migrate, and gives amphibians safe passage between habitats. A failing one can fragment ecosystems, worsen flooding, and quietly cut species off from the habitat they need.

Every spring, our team fans out across the watershed to assess culverts — documenting what's working, what's failing, and what needs attention. This year, we're inviting community members to join us as we do this important work.

Want to get your boots muddy for the river? Sign up to join us at https://bit.ly/MRWCvolunteer. No experience necessary — just curiosity and a willingness to look closely.

05/08/2026

"What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" - Henry David Thoreau, Letter to H.G.O. Blake, May 20, 1860

If you caught the new Ken Burns PBS documentary on Thoreau, you may have already been thinking about the Merrimack River. (Don't worry, we're always thinking about the river.)

In the late summer of 1839, Thoreau and his brother John paddled from Concord, Massachusetts, up through Lowell and along the Merrimack River all the way to New Hampshire. The author wrote about the quality of the light, the character of the current, the fish, the farms, and the factories already beginning to crowd the banks.

Despite all its history and transformations, that same river is still here, a centerpiece of the region. We monitor 17 sites along its banks every season, tracking what's thriving and what needs our attention. Thoreau documented the Merrimack with wonder and precision. So do we.

Want to learn more about the state of the Merrimack River? Stay tuned for our annual Water Quality Report, coming out later this month.

Join us in person to celebrate the past and future of the watershed on May 19 at in Salisbury, MA where we'll preview our findings (and have a great time!)

Tickets are available at https://merrimack.org/events/mrwc-spring-event-2026/

05/06/2026

Wondering what actually happens when we say we're "testing the water"? Our Annual Water Quality Report is almost here, so it's a perfect time to learn more about the science we do here at MRWC.

Our team collects samples at 17 sites along the Merrimack River mainstem on a consistent schedule throughout the season and more frequently around rainfall events when CSO activity is possible. We measure f***l indicator bacteria (E. coli and enterococci) and compare results against EPA recreational water quality standards to determine whether a site is safe for contact.

These results don't exist in isolation. A high reading after a storm tells a different story than high readings on a dry day. Patterns across sites and seasons reveal a fuller picture of river health. We’re working to fill in the details one test at a time, so we can advocate for a cleaner Merrimack River every day.

You can volunteer to be a citizen scientist and help us with our water quality sampling. Visit https://bit.ly/MRWCvolunteer to learn more!

05/04/2026

The Merrimack River supplies drinking water to 600,000 people. That's not a statistic we take lightly.

Water quality isn't just about what's in the river — it's about what that water becomes: the glass you fill at the tap, the water your kids drink at school, the source communities across the watershed depend on every day.

This spring, as we kick off our 2026 testing season, we're sharing more about how monitoring works, what we're looking for, and what the data tells us. Because the more you understand the science, the more the river becomes yours to protect.

Want to get involved? Join our citizen science team by visiting https://bit.ly/MRWCvolunteer

Image credit: Winslow Townson

05/01/2026

Did you know the Merrimack River’s impact reaches far beyond the riverbanks?

🗺️ The Merrimack River watershed covers ~5,000 square miles — one of the largest in New England.
📍 The river runs about 117 miles from Franklin, NH to Newburyport, MA.
🏘️ The watershed includes 200+ communities across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
🚰 And more than 600,000 people get their drinking water from the Merrimack.

That’s why protecting clean water here protects communities across the region — upstream to downstream.

Come celebrate the river in person with us at our upcoming May 19 Spring Event! Find more info and get your tickets at merrimack.org/events.

04/29/2026

If you've been near a stream or fish ladder in the last few weeks, you may have already seen them. River herring are running.

Every spring, alewives, and blueback herring return from the ocean to the freshwater streams where they were born — a migration that's been playing out for thousands of years, long before there were dams, culverts, or cities in the way.

They matter more than most people realize. River herring are a keystone species — food for osprey, striped bass, eagles, and seals. When their numbers are healthy, the whole food web feels it.

Watch for them near fish ladders and stream outlets this month. It's one of the most quietly spectacular things spring has to offer. Have you seen herring or other fish out in the watershed? We'd love to hear from you!

Learn more about our local fish passage work at https://merrimack.org/projects/

Herring photos courtesy of our friends at the Chesapeake Bay Program.

04/28/2026

Meet the wood turtle — one of the Merrimack watershed's most quietly remarkable residents.

Found along clean, cold streams with sandy banks, the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is a living indicator of watershed health. They're also one of the most intelligent turtle species in North America — studies have shown them navigating mazes with the problem-solving ability of rats and pigeons. They forage in forests and meadows but always return to their home stream, and can live 40+ years if habitat stays intact.

In Massachusetts, wood turtles are a Species of Special Concern. Their survival is directly tied to the health of the rivers we monitor every season. When you protect a watershed, you protect the wood turtle's whole world!

Want to learn more about the wildlife in the Merrimack watershed? Visit us at https://merrimack.org/

03/30/2026

Freezing for a reason! On February 14, a brave crew of MRWC fundraisers took the plunge off Plum Island. Together, we raised over $11K (and quite a few glasses) in celebration of MRWC’s mission. We recruit potential plungers toward the end of each year, so make sure you subscribe to our newsletter if you want to get involved in this or other volunteer opportunities:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/BgTLfUG

02/12/2026

On Feb. 14th, fifteen brave souls will jump into the Atlantic at Plum Island to raise funds for the Merrimack River Watershed Council. We'll celebrate afterwards with some well-earned brunch at the Riptide Cafe.

Donate now to support our plunge!
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RHJPQ34AYFJQY

Address

60 Island Street, Suite 246
Lawrence, MA
01840

Website

http://www.merrimack.org/

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