• The River
    • Eagles along the Hoosic
    • Meet the Hoosic
    • The Natural Community
    • The Watershed
      • Virtual Tour
  • About Us
    • Strategic Plan
    • History
    • Support HooRWA
    • Volunteers
  • Projects
    • Issues/Concerns
    • Videos
  • Recreation
    • Biking the Hoosic
    • Hiking the Hoosic Watershed
    • Paddling the Hoosic
    • River Flow Info
  • Advocacy
    • Reducing NPS Pollution
    • Remediation Projects
    • Restoring and Protecting Habitat
    • River and Trail Access
    • Sound Land Use
  • Calendar
  • Become a Member
  • Donate
    • Facebook

Hoosic River Watershed Association

Stream Crossing Surveys

in Ongoing in the Watershed on 03/09/14

BEAT (Berkshire Environmental Action Team) is working to survey culverts and bridges around Berkshire County in an effort to make every major road repair an opportunity to improve ecosystem and habitat connectivity to help wildlife cross roads safely. The HVA (Housatonic Valley Assoc.) and now HooRWA will be working with them in this effort. MassDOT (Dept of Transportation) will provide a list of crossings in Berkshire County that they would like surveyed right away. Eventually the intent is to survey every stream crossing.

As roads are repaired, all crossings must be “suitably culverted, bridged, or otherwise designed to withstand and to prevent the restriction of high flows, and so as not to obstruct the movement of aquatic life indigenous to the waterbody” in order to receive a Category 1 (non-reporting) Army Corps of Engineers permit. What this jargon means – to get the easy permit, your crossing must allow highwater flows and aquatic wildlife to pass easily under the road. All the data will be put into the UMass Stream Continuity database that MassDOT will use as well.

BEAT believes that to meet the standard above, the crossing must meet the General or Optimum Crossing Standards of the Massachusetts River and Stream Crossing Standards. Additionally, they would like to see provisions made for terrestrial wildlife appropriate to the wildlife in the area, the size (volume of cars) of the road, and the topography. Often it appears that putting in a larger crossing just makes obvious sense to keep deer or other animals off the road.

Please contact HooRWA if you wish to find out more.

« State of the River Conference
Walloomsac Headwaters Park and Natural Area »
Paddling between North Adams and Pownal is usuallly safest when the Williamstown gauge reads 200cfs - 700cfs.

Water Level


USGS Water-data graph for Williamstown
Find out today's water level.
Use your judgment before leaving, if the river feels too dangerous for you, postpone your trip.

Upcoming Events

Jan
25
Mon
7:00 pm HooRWA Annual Meeting – A Zoom e...
HooRWA Annual Meeting – A Zoom e...
Jan 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
HooRWA Annual Meeting - A Zoom event
HooRWA’s Annual Meeting Monday, January 25, 2021 at 7 p.m. via  Zoom Video Conference The Hoosic River Watershed Association will hold its annual meeting to elect members to the Board of Directors and you can[...]
Feb
17
Wed
7:00 pm HooRWA’s State of the River Conf...
HooRWA’s State of the River Conf...
Feb 17 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
HooRWA's State of the River Conference
The Hoosic River Watershed Association is hosting a virtual State of the River Conference on Wednesday, February 17, beginning at 7 p.m. HooRWA, with the assistance of the Williams College Center for Environmental Studies, is[...]
View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML

Sign up for our mailing list

Archive

Past Newsletters

Recent Posts

  • Rivers and streams, lakes and ponds are abnormally dry
  • Drought status: Abnormally Dry

Contact Us


906 Main St, Williamstown, MA 01267 /
PO Box 667
(413) 458-2742
office@hoorwa.org

Copyright © 2021 · Website by Brainspiral