Merrimack Valley Magazine

Newburyport and the U.S. Coast Guard

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Local cities have been heavily influenced by their location on the Merrimack River. Upriver cities used the strong current to power textile mills, and Newburyport’s ocean view led to shipbuilding and maritime trade. It is also the claimed ancestral home of the U.S. Coast Guard.

George Cashman, founder of Yankee Homecoming, the city’s annual mid-summer, week-long festival, was behind the 1950s effort to designate Newburyport as the Coast Guard’s official birthplace. His research revealed Newburyport to be the launch site for the first commissioned U.S. revenue cutter, the Massachusetts. Persistent lobbying paid off in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation declaring Newburyport the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard. However, the Coast Guard has resisted acknowledging the distinction, citing competing claims from other locations.  

A group from the Newburyport Harbor Commission picked up Cashman’s charge; its goal was to make Newburyport a Coast Guard City, a Congressional designation given sparingly to cities that create a welcoming environment for Coast Guardsmen and their families.  The U.S. Coast Guard Station Merrimack River  is a popular choice for Guardsman interested in testing themselves against the most dangerous river mouth on the Eastern Seaboard. 

 

Troubled Waters — Merrimack River Doc Now Streaming

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“Troubled Waters,” a 2019 documentary about the Merrimack River, is now available for streaming at the Chelmsford TV website.

Filmmaker and journalist Dianne Sherratt-Steimel directed the film, which examines chemical and sewage pollution in the river and features interviews with Lori Trahan, James Kelcourse, Diana DiZoglio, Christina Minicucci, Rocky Morrison and mvm’s own Doug Sparks.

For more on the environmental issues facing the Merrimack River, read The Course of the Merrimack from our Sept/Oct ’19 issue. >>>

‘Troubled Waters’ Premiere Screening

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Merrimack Valley journalist Dianne Sherratt-Steimel premiered her documentary “Troubled Waters,” an examination of chemical and sewage pollution in the Merrimack River, on Friday, Jan. 24., at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts.

The Merimack River Watershed Council’s Interim Director John Macone introduced the film, and the premiere was wrapped up with remarks from dignitaries such as U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan.

For more on the environmental issues facing the Merrimack River, read The Course of the Merrimack from our Sept/Oct ’19 issue. >>>

Merrimack River Watershed Council Hosts Annual Conference

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Speakers Address PFAS Pollution, Microplastics

On Friday, January 31, The Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) will hold its fourth annual State of the Waters conference. This year’s theme is Next Generation Pollution: The Challenges and Solutions. Attendees will hear from experts on the topics of PFAS pollution, microplastics and climate change.

The scheduled speakers include Sen. Diana DiZoglio; Heather McMann, executive director of Groundwork Lawrence; Wendy Heiger-Bernays, clinical professor of environmental health at Boston University; Weile Yan, associate professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at UML; and Greg Coyle, staff engineer for the city of Lowell.

Left to right: Sen. Diana DiZoglio, Heather McMann, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Weile Yan, and Greg Coyle.

The conference coincides with increased awareness of the economic, recreational and cultural importance of the Merrimack River to our region. Amid the attention, the MRWC has become a vocal advocate for the preservation of the river watershed.

“Since March, we’ve seen a huge increase in our social media traffic,” says Dan Graovac, president of the MRWC board of directors. “Our donations went up. Our membership is up. Engagement is up.” Graovac attributes this growth partly to strong partnerships with local organizations, including waste water treatment plant operators, and partly to increased awareness brought on by the Voyagers kayaking trip.

The conference takes place at Northern Essex Community College’s Hartleb Technology Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free for MRWC members and $35 for non-members or late registrants. Find out more at Merrimack.org.

 

If you’re looking for other ways to support the efforts of the MRWC, the organization has partnered with Stop & Shop in North Andover. This January, when you purchase a reusable shopping bag at the 757 Turnpike Street location, $1 will be donated to the MRWC.

 

Come along on a 4-day journey down the Merrimack River with local leaders in ‘Course of the Merrimack’ from our Sept/Oct ’19 issue.

What Lies Beneath

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Chamber President Takes Freezing Dive Beneath Merrimack River

On Sunday, Nov. 17, Dougan Sherwood, president of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, dove into the Merrimack River. There, he investigated several locations known to have underwater impediments. He was joined by other divers and assisted by Haverhill’s harbormaster, Mike Vets.

For Sherwood, 45, this wasn’t his first time on the Merrimack. In August of 2019, led by Northern Essex Community College president Lane Glenn, he, along with local politicians and community leaders, kayaked the length of the river, spreading awareness of environmental concerns, as well as recreational and economic opportunities. ( Read the full story here >>> )

“I learned a lot on that four day, 117-mile trip,” he says. “And it piqued my personal interest to better understand the river — from environmental to recreational. I got to see the [cities and towns on the Merrimack River] from a unique perspective.”

Sherwood says that the goal of Sunday’s dive was first to determine what the obstructions are and then to understand what might be done about them to increase downtown Haverhill accessibility for boaters.

 

“We have some amazing restaurants lined right along the river, and more are coming. In just the past month, two more restaurants have announced plans to locate right on the riverfront.” Sherwood says. “We believe that more boaters will want to tie up at the city’s docks once they know that there’s a safe way to come and go. Identifying these obstructions is a step on the process to create safer waterways in downtown Haverhill.”

He clarifies that detailed information about the riverbed already exists. “Work has been done in recent years to map the bottom of the river in downtown Haverhill. … We have GPS coordinates of certain obstructions.” He explains that it’s one thing to have coordinates and another to find them in waters with fast currents and extremely limited visibility.

Since assuming leadership of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce in July of 2018, Sherwood has come to believe that the Merrimack River is the most important resource in the region. He is a member of the Greater Haverhill Foundation’s River Access Committee, which seeks to increase activity on the Merrimack.

The dive took place during low tide and focused on two locations: Rocks Village Bridge (where a large impediment exists) and downtown Haverhill. Sherwood plans to follow this preliminary dive with additional excursions in the coming year.

 

 

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