Paddlin' Local Waters

 

Paddled local waters this past week on the Concord River in Bedford, MA and the Assabet River in Acton, Maynard, and Stow.

The Concord River last Wednesday featured an adult bald eagle...

... actively fishing in the area of the Route 225 bridge (opening photo) between Bedford and Carlisle.  Also fishing were belted kingfishers, blue herons, and this osprey (with his catch)...

On Friday Mrs. Trashpaddler and I participated in the OARS Annual River Cleanup.  This year's event was similar to last year's in having 3 days in which teams could participate.  We focused on the approximately 1 mile of river between the Powdermill Dam in Acton and the Waltham Street Bridge in Maynard where navigable waters came to an end...

Yesterday, I returned to the Assabet in Stow, MA and paddled upriver to the Route 62 Bridge Repair project in Gleasondale where a boom now stretches across the river...

Came across an empty cubic-yard bag related to the project that had escaped downriver and snagged on a fallen tree...

The bags are made of woven polypropylene and when filled with sand are used in building temporary cofferdams around the bridge abutments allowing the work area to be relatively dry.  One of the bridge project's employees gladly took it off my hands.

Only other boater on the river was a fellow fishing from his powerboat.  He was having good luck catching bass.

Trash for the week:

Wednesday's...

Friday's (from above Powdermill Dam)...

...and yesterday's...

...which included a 1941 Coca-Cola bottle.