Invasive Water Chestnut Removal Event, June 4th

On Saturday, June 4, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM,  Groundwork Somerville, the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Friends of the Mystic River will host a community event to remove invasive water chestnuts from the Mystic River. Using canoes, kayaks, and small boats, volunteers will pull water chestnuts out of the water by hand and then deposit the harvested plants at a designated shore site.  Volunteers who have canoes or kayaks are encouraged to bring their own. If you need a boat, Groundwork Somerville may be able to provide you with one (thanks to the generous cooperation of the Boys and Girls Club of Middlesex County).  We only have 20 canoes available for volunteers, so please register for this event as soon as possible.  Canoes are available on a first come, first served basis.

Volunteers should meet at 8:00 AM at the old DCR boat ramp adjacent to 75 South Street in Medford, MA.  A limited amount of parking is available on South Street; additional parking is available on nearby Curtis Street, Maple Ave, Touro Ave, and Manning Street.

If you plan to attend this event, please register online at: http://bit.ly/mRnSIQ.

Or RSVP by email to jonathan@groundworksomerville.org.  In your RSVP, please indicate your full name, phone number, email address, and whether you will need a canoe.

We also need volunteers on the riverbank to help move harvested plants from boats to dump trucks. Boaters are required to use life preservers/personal flotation devices.

Immediately following the hand-pulling event, lunch and refreshments will be available for volunteers at the put-in site.

To learn more about the water chestnut removal effort on the Mystic River, please contact Brad Arndt at brad@groundworksomerville.org or (617) 455-1127.

This event is sponsored by Groundwork Somerville, the Mystic River Watershed Association, the Friends of the Mystic River, the Riverside, Mystic Wellington, and Winter Hill Yacht Clubs, and the Medford Boat Club.

PLEASE NOTE: The MA Department of Transportation will be conducting repairs of the I-93 bridges in Medford beginning on Friday, June 3^rd at 8:00 PM and continuing through Monday, June 6^th at 5:00 AM.  This bridge work will require the placement and periodic maneuvering of a large barge within the Mystic River on a daily basis.  If you are planning to travel to the water chestnut event by boat, please be aware of potential delays and impediments posed by MassDOT’s scheduled maintenance activities.  For more information, please visit http://www.93fast14.com.