The NSRWA recently formed an Advocacy Council to guide the organization’s positions on relevant issues that face the health of waters in our region. The NSRWA has been a voice for protecting our waters since 1970. As the health of our waters, for humans and wildlife, becomes more important we hope to continue to be a guiding voice to protect our waters here on the South Shore.
Our Advocacy Council consists of members from communities in our watershed and region who have legal, policy, planning, engineering, environmental science and town government experience and expertise. The Advocacy Council hopes to provide input to our members and the public on positions individuals can take at the local level to ensure the health of our waters in their communities.
Please attend your town meeting and support these articles.
| Town Meeting | Date and Location | Article # | Why We Support This |
| Marshfield | Monday, April 22 at 7 pm – Marshfield High School | #14 Item 7 Community Preservation Fund $35,000 for Engineering to Remove Veteran’s Park dam while improving the park’s water features that honor our veterans | Item 7 supports engineering work needed to upgrade the Veteran park’s water features while removing the dam preventing fish passage. For years we have monitored the fish ladder at this dam and found many fish unable to pass to spawn. River Herring, Shad and Eels all require freshwater spawning areas their populations are in dangerous decline. Removing this dam will allow fish to pass freely and reduce upstream flooding. |
| Hingham | April 22 at 7 pm -Hingham High School | #29 Plastic Bag Reduction and Encourage Reusable Bags | Plastic bags end up in our rivers and oceans impacting our wildlife. We support the reduction of the use of single plastic bags and encourage reusable bags. On the South Shore Pembroke, Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury and Plymouth have all passed plastic bag bans – statewide 97 towns have passed bans. The more towns pass a ban the more likely the state is to enact a statewide ban that would allow for a fee to be placed on paper bags that would encourage reusable bags. |
| Hanover | May 6 at 7:30 pm – Hanover High School | #13 Section 9. Prohibit the hook up of any new irrigation systems to the town’s public water supply | The towns of Norwell and Hanover’s drinking water supply is drawing down the levels of streamflow in the Third Herring Brook, a tributary to the North River we are working to restore. The impacts to streamflow are most extreme (sometimes drying up the stream) in the summer time when water demand increases due to lawn watering. Any decrease in summertime demand will help restore streamflow to the brook. |
| Norwell | May 6 at 7:30 pm – Norwell Middle School | Choose to Reuse | See Hingham above |
| Hull | May 6 at 7 pm – Hull High School | #30 Plastic bag reduction bylaw | See Hingham above |
Town of Hanover Water Withdrawals
Third Herring Brook Dry Near Water Withdrawals Summer 2016
