Cheryl Cuddahy | The Lowell Sun | April 11, 2019
http://www.lowellsun.com/contests/ci_32566740
We may all be guilty from time to time of getting so caught up in our daily lives that we forget there is a gorgeous planet that surrounds us that sometimes can only be seen by taking the back roads.
One beautiful piece of this Earth is the Wachusett Reservoir Watershed, a 117-square-mile paradise touching the communities of Boylston, Clinton, Holden, Hubbardston, Leominster, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling, West Boylston, Westminster and Worcester.
The Wachusett Reservoir, along with the Quabbin Reservoir and Ware River, are the unfiltered source of high-quality water for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water-supply system.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Division of Water Supply Protection manages and protects the watersheds and the drinking-water supply. They offer educational programs to inform the public of this important mission and the importance of clean water.
“The Wachusett Reservoir was constructed as a water supply to Boston and its suburbs by damming the south branch of the Nashua River,” says Kathryn Parent, program coordinator for the DCR’s Wachusett/Sudbury Section. “At the time of construction, during the early 1900s, the Wachusett Reservoir was the largest in the world. It remains an engineering marvel and is one of the few unfiltered water supplies in the country.
The reservoir is part of the Nashua River Watershed and is fed by the Quinapoxet and Stillwater rivers.
The Division of Water Supply Protection welcomes the community to experience the beauty of the Wachusett Reservoir Watershed with events kicking off spring.
“A variety of free programs are planned to offer something for everyone, from a moderate hike to indoor hands-on experiments,” Kathryn says. “April Vacation programming will be provided by watershed rangers and educational staff to kick off the season and reinvigorate public events at Stillwater Farm Interpretive Site.”
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