Water sampling will be done in Deerfield, Longmeadow, Gill, Agawam, Montague, Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Northampton, Greenfield and South Hadley.
The Connecticut River is seen from Mount Sugarloaf in Deerfield as it flows between Sunderland and Whately.The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is seeking volunteers to collect samples of the Connecticut River for water quality testing this summer.
Sampling provides details on the water’s suitability for human use, helps in tracking down sources of contamination and assists officials in addressing sewer discharges and stormwater flows, according to the commission.
Volunteers are needed for sampling of the main stem, or the principal body of water, at seven locations: one in Longmeadow, one in Agawam, one in Springfield, one in Holyoke and three in Chicopee. An eighth location in South Hadley will be tested, but a volunteer is already in place.
Tributary sampling, which is for the smaller bodies that feed the river, is needed on weekday mornings, as the weather allows, in Northampton, Deerfield, Greenfield, Gill and Montague.
The samples will be tested for the presence of e. coli bacteria.
Sampling will begin May 25 and run through September.
The sites are bridges, boat ramps, fisherman access points and other recreational areas.
“They’re all places where people are going to the water,” said Patty Gambarini, senior environmental planner at the commission. It’s important “to know about water health.”
Mainstem sampling volunteers will be asked to collect samples early every Wednesday morning and bring them to the commission’s Springfield office at 60 Congress St.
“At some sites, there may be accessibility issues, but anybody can do this,” said Gambarini.
The commission is partnering with the Connecticut River Watershed Council and the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The project is now in its fourth year.
The information will be posted on this website.
Volunteer training sessions:
Weekly mainstem sampling
When: Thursday, April 21, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Jones Ferry River Access Center, Jones Ferry Road, Holyoke
Contact: Patty Gambarini at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission – 413-781-6045, ext. 333 or pgambarini@pvpc.org.
Tributary sampling
When: Tuesday, April 26, 5:30 p.m.
Where: The offices of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield
Contact: Andrea Donlon at the Connecticut River Watershed Council – 413-772-2020, ext. 205 or adonlon@ctriver.org.