A Stream Team is a group of local volunteers from all walks of life (river abutters, town official, anglers, boaters, garden club members etc.) who get together in support of their river by doing a Shoreline Survey and coming up with actions that will protect and restore the river. NSRWA Stream Teams are a project of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, with training and support provided by the Massachusetts Riverways Adopt-A-Stream Program. NSRWA currently facilitates two stream teams, in Hanover and Scituate.

What is involved in being on a Stream Team?

Members of the Stream Teams perform visual surveys of the shoreline along the Herring river estuary, next to the Driftway in Scituate and the Washington St. Bridge section of the North River. The goal of the shoreline survey is to observe and record the current conditions along the river's shoreline and create and implement a sampling program to isolate potential contamination sources in the rivers. The purpose of the survey is to deepen our understanding of the river's attributes and problems, and foster a sense of stewardship. Shoreline Surveys are a fun way to get out and explore the river, and help to educate your fellow citizens abut the importance of the beautiful resource!

Hanover Stream Team

The NSRWA is in the process of taking a more comprehensive look at the Washington St. Bridge section of the North River above and below the bridge and at different tide cycles, in attempt to identify the source(s) of contamination. This will be accomplished by the Hanover Stream Team, another volunteer driven program sponsored by the NSRWA, with the help of Massachusetts Riverways' Adopt-A-Stream program, a state funded program under the MA Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law. If you are interested in participating in next year's RiverWatch sampling program, or wish to get involved with the Hanover Stream Team, please contact Paula Christie at the NSRWA office at (781)-659-8168 or email paula@nsrwa.org.

Scituate Herring River Stream Team

The Scituate Herring River Stream Team is one of the volunteer teams formed by the North & south Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA), with training and support provided the Massachusetts Riverways' Adopt-A-Stream Program, a state funded program under the MA Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law.

Consistent with the missions and goals of the NSRWA, the Scituate Herring River Stream Team was formed to focus on the Herring River in Scituate, a tributary of the North River. The Herring River was determined to be an ideal Stream Team project because of concerns over fecal coliform contamination in some of the sections of the river and the river's proximity to the proposed siting of the MBTA train layover station, the Scituate Wastewater Treatment Plant (adjacent to the river), the Town Landfill (across the street from the river), and the Marina (on the river).

The Herring River Stream Team is attempting to address the environmental and visual impacts on water quality and the adjacent marsh including, but not limited to the following:

• Fecal coliform pollution, both point and non-point sources (failed septic systems, boaters, treatment plant discharge, birds etc.);
• Gasoline and oil runoff (from marina, road and future layover station and parking lot);
• Possible contamination from the landfill; and
• Environmental and visual impact of the proposed siting of the MBTA layover station and parking lot.

Joining a Stream Team

If you would like to participate in either the Scituate or Hanover Stream Teams, or would like to start your own Stream Team in your neighborhood, please contact Paula Christie at paula@nsrwa.org or 781-659-8168.