trash and other debris. "Just throw it in the river" was a common solution.
As a result, the Shawsheen River once was little more than a 24-mile long
dump.
Today, thanks to the efforts of the Shawsheen River Watershed Association,
that's no longer the case.
Each year, Bob Rauseo of the association sends out a call for volunteers and
the association responds. Cleaning up the Shawsheen requires standing
waist-deep in water and mud to fish out the old shopping carts, oil barrels
and whatnot that foul the river. So far over the years, the group has
cleaned the Shawsheen from its headwaters in Bedford to the Stevens Street
dam in Andover.
Now comes the hard part.
This year, the association is focusing on the four-mile stretch that remains
to the confluence with the Merrimack River. This part will be the worst. The
most heavily settled area through which the Shawsheen flows undoubtedly
produced the most debris. Rauseo reports there are numerous old tires, oil
drums, car parts and even a few cars in their entirety.
The Shawsheen River Watershed Association is always looking for more
volunteers to help with its work. The group has done a fine job so far and
more hands will make the work that much easier.
