>> THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS HAS SO
MANY RIVERS THAT THE STATE'S WIKIPEDIA PAGE IS STILL PUTTING
TOGETHER THE LIST.
FOR VISITORS, THESE WATERWAYS ARE NICE TO LOOK AT, BUT FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE TOWNS IN WHICH THESE RIVERS FLOW, THEY
CAN BE THE MOST IMPORTANT BODIES OF WATER IN THEIR WORLD.
CONNECTING POINT'S BRIAN SULLIVAN TRAVELED TO THE
FRANKLIN COUNTY TOWNS OF ASHFIELD AND CONWAY TO TAKE A
LOOK AT THE SOUTH RIVER TO FIND OUT WHERE IT'S BEEN AND WHERE
IT'S GOING.
>> THE ROADSIDE RIVER IS ONE OF THE MOTHER COMMON SIGHTS IN
MASSACHUSETTS.
CHILD THE CHARMS AND CONNECTICUT MAY CAR -- THE CHARLES AND
CONNECTICUT MAY CARRY THE NAME RECOGNITION THERE ARE SO MANY
OTHERS SCATTERED ACROSS THE STATE.
MANY WATER WAYS WERE SIMPLY REFER TO AS THE MILL RIVER.
THE MILLS CHANGED THE NATURAL FLOW OF THE RIVERS TOING R
INDUSTRIAL NEEDS.
AND THAT HE TOOK THEY TOA RESULT OF A HEAVY STORM.
THEY TOOK OUT CONWAY WHEN HURRICANE IRENE TOUCHED DOWN.
SINCE THEN, THIS RETAINING WALL HAS BEEN INSTALLED.
WATERSHED ORGANIZATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WOULD LIKE
TO SEE MORE PRODUCTS THAT ESTABLISH THE MEANDERING PATTERN
AND WIDE BERTH TO AVOID FUTURE CATASTROPHES.
>> YOU SEE THE CHANGES IN THE RIVER SYSTEM, AND THE RIVER
SYSTEM BECOMES MORE UNSTABLE.
IF YOU GET A HEAVY RAIN EVENT LIKE TROPICAL STORM IRENE, THE
RIVER DOESN'T HAVE THE ROOM THAT IT NEEDS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT
RAINFALL.
AND SO WHAT YOU END UP WITH IS EROSION, YOU END UP WITH
FLOODING, YOU END UP WITH, AGAIN, ROADS AND BUSINESSES AND
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE THREATENED BY THIS.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THIS WORK IS RECREATE THE
NATURAL SYSTEM THAT OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS HAS BEEN
REALLY DISRESPECTED.
>> IN A MAJOR STEP TO MITIGATE THAT DISRUPTION, ONLY A STONE'S
THROW FROM CONWAY CENTER, THEY PARTNERED TO DO A RIVER
RESTORATION PROJECT AS THE SOUTH MEADOW.
IT IS AN 11-ACRE PLOT OF LAND WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME TO WALK,
DO BIRD WATCHING OR HAVE A SEAT TO WATCH AND LISTEN AS THE RIVER
CURVES AROUND THE PROPERTY AND CONTINUES ALONG THE ROADWAY.
THE SOUTH RIVER MEADOW IN CONWAY IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A RIVER
RESTORATION PROJECT GONE RIGHT.
THIS AREA IN TECH WHERE THE GRADE DROPS DOWN A COUPLE OF
FEET FROM THE REST OF THE FIELD AND CONTINUES TO SLOPE TOWARDS
THE WATER COMES IN PRETTY HANDY IN THE SPRINGTIME WHEN ALL THIS
SNOW AND ICE MELTS OFF.
>> WE ARE VERY PROUD OF IT.
IT HAS BEEN RESTORED ALL ALONG THE EDGES.
THE INVASIVE PLANTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED, WE IS HUGE.
IT IS A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT IN PROCESS FOR WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO
WITH THEIR OWN LAND, AND IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THIS WAS THE
TOWN LAND THIS WAS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE FIRST MAJOR
PROJECT.
>> THAT POINT OF PRIDE CARRIED A PRICE TAG IN THE $300,000 RANGE.
AS WAS MENTIONED, THEY WOULD LIKE THIS PROJECT TO DEMONSTRATE
TO PRIVATE LAND OWNERS ALONG ROUTE 116 FROM, AFIELD TO
CONWAY, SOMETHING THEY MAY CONSIDER DOING TO PROTECT THEIR
PROPERTY.
AS WITH ANYTHING, IT COMES DOWN TO DOLLARS AND SENSE.
>> THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO DO AT ONE CHUNK.
AND THEY ARE DIFFICULT PROJECTS SO THEY DON'T GET DONE AND DON'T
GET DONE AND WE ARE STILL IN DANGER.
>> ALL THAT PIECEMEAL WORK COULD BE UNDONE WITH A BREECH AT THE
ASHFIELD LAKE.
THIS IS NOT THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE.
IT IS THISSEN ARE EARTHEN DAM WHICH, WHEN ORIGINALLY
CONSTRUCTED, WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME.
BUT TO KEEP IT UP, IT WILL COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THAT
PRICE TAG IS LIKELY TOO STEEP FOR THE LOCAL RIVER GROUPS TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES.
IF THEY REALLY WANT TO PROTECT WHAT CONTEXTED THE TWO TOWNS.
>> THE STATE WILL COME IN LIKE THEY DID IN 1990 AND DO ALL THE
RESTORATION THEMSELVES.
BUT IN TODAY'S CLIMATE OF SHARING COSTS I IMAGINE THAT WE
WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 10 TO 25% OF THE COST OF THE REHAB.