Middle River
Greenway Work
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Middle River |
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Headwater of the Blackstone River |
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Middle River, Blackstone Northern Gateway ParkEnvironmental Monitoring!The Greater Worcester Land Trust is working with the College of the Holy Cross located in Worcester, to set up a baseline for environmental monitoring. To that end graduate David Groves (currently working for the National Wildlife Foundation) worked under Professor William Sobczak to created a method that would allow students or non-profit folks to evaluate the health of the Middle River in Blackstone Northern Gateway Park. The full paper describing the methods is a Word document that can be downloaded here, or sent hardcopy by the Greater Worcester Land Trust. Data was collected is being collected to monitor the health of this site by Proffessor Sobczak's freswater ecology classes at the College of the Holy Cross. This is an ongoing effort and Worcester is blessed to have such an academic institution as its partner. For more information on this project please contact Project Coordinator Colin Novick at the Trust. |
Landscape DesignThe Greater Worcester Land Trust requested the Conway School of Lanscape Design look at the Middle River from the standpoint of public access in the spring of 1997. As a result, C. Currie, C. Johnson, and S.Kellermann of the Conway School of Landscape Design produced a report and a number of graphic elements to assist in the conservation and public enjoyment of this historic and natural urban resource.The expansion of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor to include all of Worcester and Leicester, and the Presidential designation of the Blackstone River as an American Heritage River have brought serious attention to Quinsigamond Village and the tributaries of the Blackstone. |
Blackstone Northern Gateway Park DesignThe Greater Worcester Land Trust is one member of the Northern Gateway Visitor Center Task Force's Recreation Subcommittee. The Recreation Subcommittee, with the assistance of the National Park Service, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management and private corporate donors, has contracted with Terrasphere Consulting for the creation of a Master Plan for "Blackstone Gateway Park." This effort is part of the long running efforts to protect the natural resources along the Middle River while making some of the natural features available for the enjoyment of the public. The project seeks to evaluate the use of pedestrian bridges, boardwalks, trails, interpretive signage and other elements to tie together different neighbors to the headwaters of the Blackstone River while providing a high quality natural experience along an active transportation and industrial corridor. This project is currently ongoing. |
Visitor CenterAs the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor seek to design a visitor center for the Northern Gateway to the Blackstone River it is our sincerest hope that Worcester looks to this opportunity to make the Middle River a link that draws interest in the Blackstone River deeper into Worcester, and follow the Kettle Brook into Leicester.The Greater Worcester Land Trust has a direct interest in the Middle River as a result of the conservation restriction held on the Ryan Ornamental property. This property occupies both banks of the middle river. This site is the historic location of a mill pond that has since returned to river (the dam is still visible in the river as a stone wall (underwater in most seasons.)) It is this property interest which initiated our efforts with the Middle River. For more information, or a copy of this report please contact the Greater Worcester Land Trust. |
| Greater Worcester Land Trust (508)795-3838 101 Water Street, Worcester, MA 01604 E-mail: mail@gwlt.org URL:http://www.gwlt.org | Suggestions, Questions, & Site Survey |