Hope for an Updated Bottle Bill in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick is recommending changes to the state's Bottle Bill for the first time since it took effect back in January 1983. To see proposed changes click here
This change is long overdue and will finally give a monetary value to a large percentage of the single-use beverage containers that are purchased in Massachusetts and too often end up as worthless litter.
Opponents are calling it a tax but it really isn't. While it is true that folks will be required to pay an additional nickel, they will have three choices when the container is empty: Return it to the store and redeem the nickel; Place the container in their trash/recycle container and let the state have the nickel; carelessly discard the container into the environment and hopefully allow someone willing to recover it to get the nickel. Sounds like a win-win situation to me! Only improvement that I would suggest is that the deposit should be a dime to help offset the present-day costs to retailers and recycling facilities.
Before happily ripping the January page from the calender hanging on the wall of my cave, I note that there are only 48 days till the arrival of spring. Might the worst be over?

Concord River - Egg Rock to near Ball's Hill & Back

Hearing the weather forecast for artic conditions later this week, prompted me to squeeze in a paddle/trash patrol this afternoon, while conditions were relatively hospitable.
Just as last week, getting to open water proved a bit of a challenge. However, once that challenge was overcome, I found myself happily gliding along a glass smooth river through a New England winterscape. The scenery could be summed-up as ice (in numerous formations), snow covered ground, still some snow covered trees from Saturday's storm, cloudy skies, and air temperatures just above the freezing point. The theme of the day was "winter is tightening its icy grip" and like it or not, it may be time to retreat to the warmth of my cave till the 'January Thaw' arrives.
Heading downriver, I passed under the 'Old North Bridge' and noted not a soul in the area which, in my experience, is fairly unusual. Flint's Bridge or Monument Street is still closed to traffic, though no construction work was occurring. A little ways past this bridge, I encountered a lone common merganser. She was working her way upriver with an eye-catching motion of jutting her neck forward and back while paddling with her feet. Occasionally she would disappear beneath the river's surface in search of fish. Once she became aware of my presence, she flew a short distance away.
Continuing downriver, I saw a few cross-country skiers at Great Meadows and noted another in an orchard as I looked up towards Punkatasset Hill. Saw a pair of wood ducks just before passing Saw Mill Brook. After the abandoned cabin the river turns sharply to the southeast, past a well iced-in backwater, then northeast to round Ball's Hill. Before reaching Ball's Hill however, I encountered the end of open water. The river's steady current was being swallowed under the jagged ice and this became my turnaround point for this trip.
After a quick re-fueling, I began my trip back upriver. Aside from several grey squirrels and the aforementioned common merganser who was re-encountered near the North Bridge, I saw only two people enjoying the North Bridge area.
Reaching Egg Rock, I decided to see if the Assabet was open water through the 'Leaning Hemlocks'. It was and the hemlock's boughs were still cradling the recent snow. Would have been a nice photo had I remembered to bring a camera.
Turned around one more time and paddled around the tongue of ice sticking out from Egg Rock and headed to my takeout location. As a trash patrol, today was a bust! Any trash there may have been was locked in or under the near shore ice. My YTD total remains at 7.

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Nashoba Brook & Back

This afternoon I broke the ice quite literally on the 2009 trash paddling season and patrolled the lower Sudbury River and the Assabet River from Egg Rock to Nashoba Brook and back. The main channel of the river was open water but the shorelines are iced over for as much as 10 feet out from the shore in places. Getting to the open water was a little more challenging than usual.
On the way to Egg Rock, I recovered an empty Dunkin Dounuts Latte plastic container and that became the first piece of trash for the new year. It was followed by a nip bottle, 3 empty plastic bags, an empty Gatorade container and an empty cardboard box.
The scenery was very winterlike; snow, ice, bare trees and cloudy skies. However the air temperature was several degrees above freezing and there wasn't too much wind.
Wildlife observed were 3 hawks, and a mixed group of mallards, Canada geese, and Muscovite ducks.
Water levels are still high. Dodge Rock is submerged and Willow Island is awash. The mouth of Spencer Brook is frozen over but Nashoba Brook is open water and flowing at a pretty good clip.
After reaching the mouth of Nashoba Brook, I paddled upstream a short way and turned around after passing under the abandoned Old Colony Railroad bridge.
The trip back to my starting point was smooth and fast and I reached my takeout location with a lucky 7 pieces of trash bringing my YTD total to a lucky 7.

Some 2008 Reflections

While awaiting a more favorable day to begin the 2009 trash paddling season, I reflect back on 2008. In addition to the trash that made it into either dumpsters or recycling containers were the following tangible and not so tangible items:
This old wooden paddle found floating on the upper Concord River

These bottles and cans include a Coke bottle (50's);Budweiser can commemorating 2007 World Champion Red Sox: Parsons' Ammonia bottle; an unknown small bottle; a Virginia Dare soda bottle

Additional bottles include a LaChoy soy sauce bottle; a rugged but broken old bottle that bears an Indian chief's image and the slogan "It is different, we use a natural pure spring water" the Indians called it "The water of life", That is why they came here to drink"; an eight-sided Heinz ketchup bottle; a small bottle of Foss' Liquid Fruit Flavors; and a larger Virginia Dare bottle. Apparently Virginia Dare was referred to as "The First Lady of the Land" and her name showed up on different beverages. Virginia was the first child born of English parents in North America. She was born in 1587 into the Roanoke Colony of which no trace could be found in 1590. Sunsequently her rather Anglo-centric title.

The non-tangible included: numerous encounters with wildlife in which I was priviledged to come eye to eye with wild creatures in their element and witness their displays of prowess; a new appreciation of the very dynamic nature of the rivers which has resulted in my becoming more willing to be enveloped by the river's environment, slow down, and subsequently note the many small things that are in a state of continual change; and lastly, a good amount of exercise and a ton of fresh air!

Sudbury River - Rt. 62 to Pantry Brook & Back

My last trash patrol of 2008 took place this afternoon under a mostly cloudy sky and temperatures in the mid 40's. Given the weather forecast for the next two days, today's conditions were delightful and not to be missed. Once launched into the Sudbury River's springlike conditions in regards to water level and flow, I decided to see if passage through Fairhaven Bay was possible or if it would be blocked by ice.
Approaching the Route 2 underpass I recovered my first piece of trash, an empty beer can. At Heaths Bridge only 3 pieces of trash were found for a welcome change from this spot's usual bounty. The near shore ice at Martha's Point had retreated far enough to allow my paddling right up to the hillside and continue my ongoing search for a piece of hand-tooled stone. Came across a few interesting pieces, recently exposed by erosion, but nothing that really bore signs of having been tooled by a human hand. This search will continue in 2009 as hope springs eternal.
Just beyond Martha's Point the small stream running down to the river through the woods was flowing at pretty good clip. Looking through my binoculars from here, I could see what looked to be open water in Fairhaven Bay so I paddled onward with hopes of getting across. Once in the bay I found that most of the remaining ice was on the west side where the water is very shallow. A lone seagull was on the ice and several ducks flew off before I could determine what kind they were. Between the bay and Lee's Bridge at Rt. 117, I recovered another 8 pieces of trash, the most notable being a 2.4 cubic foot plastic bag that had originally contained lawn fertilizer or peat moss. The smaller of the two archways under the bridge was completely submerged.
A little ways beyond the bridge the field on the river's east side was filled with Canada geese. Near the river's shore and the edge of the field, a hawk was perched atop a 5 foot high sign and as he took flight his red tail was prominently displayed.
The outlet for Farrar Pond intrigues me when I pass by during times of high water. I find myself wondering if the river can get high enough to allow entry to the pond. Looking through binoculars today I noticed some sort of man-made structure (a vault?) that appears to be built into an earthen dike. Usually the vegetation hides this area from view. At any rate, there would be no access to Farrar Pond today. However, at Pantry Brook I was surprised to find that not only was the water level above the sheet pile barrier but the brook's channel was ice free. Passing over the barrier I noted the water height gauge read 5.98. Plenty of room for my vessel's modest draft! Once into the impoundment, I allowed my kayak to raft-up to the ice and using that for stability, hot cocoa and a power bar were enjoyed while my eyes scanned the large open wetland that reached out to the southwest. A couple of shapes in the distance caught my eye. The first looked like the shape of a moose and the second looked a bit like a pair of short scarecrows. Using my binoculars I determined that the moose shape was just a fallen tree and the scarecrow shapes were possibly some sedge grass. However, as I scanned the scarecrow shapes a second time I detected movement by one of the scarecrow heads. These shapes were probably 100 yards southwest of my position and were just about in the middle of this large flooded wetland. Both of the scarecrow shapes were only a few feet above the water level. Holding the binoculars on the shape that appeared to move soon revealed a set of eyes and I realized that I was more than likely looking at two very well camouflaged duck hunters. Despite the fact that I saw no ducks in the area, I decided not to intrude on their activities and made this my turnaround spot. I have to admit to being a bit spooked by the experience. It was easy to imagine that they were laying in ambush for me and that but for my luck in spotting them with the help of binoculars, I might have been a dead duck!
Heading back downriver, a beaver saluted my passage with a good tailslap near Macone's Farm. This beaver family appears to have two lodges. One for use in high water and another near Pantry Brook for the drier times.
At Fairhaven Bay, I went ashore at Scout Island and after reorganizing my modest trash haul, stretched my legs by walking the length of the small island. The air seemed to have warmed a few degrees and I became conscious of not wanting my last patrol of the year to end too soon.
Passing under Heaths Bridge I espied a beaver up on the ice munching on a 4 foot long branch. Almost made it by him without his notice but when I next looked over he had slipped beneath the surface. About a quarter mile past this point 4 empty containers were recovered from the river's east shore. The best of the lot was an empty bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey bobbing proudly amidst the ice and twigs.
The traffic on Route 2 was at times stopped on the bridge and those drivers got to watch me move unimpeded beneath the roadway and into the last stretch of river between there and my takeout location.
The most enjoyed song lyrics of the day were provided by Gordon Lightfoot and Great Big Sea. Gordon's "Minstral of the Dawn" had the passage "The minstrel of the dawn is here to make you laugh and bend your ear.......He talks of better days ahead and by his words your fortune's read".
Great Big Sea sang "Banks of Newfoundland" which opens with "Me bully boys of Liverpool and I'll have you all beware When you sail on them packet ships, no dungaree jackets wear But have a big monkey jacket All ready to your hand For there blow some cold nor'westers on the banks of Newfoundland"
Just before concluding my trip, I recovered the last 8 pieces of 2008 trash from underneath the commuter rail bridge. My total for the day was 24 bringing my total for 2008 to 2689.

Assabet River - Egg Rock to Westvale & Return

Today at low noon, after breaking some near shore ice, I launched into the Sudbury River and headed downstream to Egg Rock. Considering that spring is still 84 days away the weather wasn't really too bad. A steady light rain with temperatures in the low 40's. The main channels of both the Sudbury and Assabet rivers were open water with occasional floating slabs of ice. Ice extended out a few feet from the shoreline in most places and the small coves and backwaters were iced in.
By the time I arrived at Egg Rock, five pieces of trash were on my kayak's deck including the plastic cover for a 32-gallon rubbermaid trash barrel. Once on the Assabet, I encountered fog at the Leaning Hemlocks but it dissipated a little further upriver. Dodge Rock was completely submerged and as I passed its location I noticed that the snag of brush to the side of it held a pre-packaged trash bounty. A party bag is what I would call it. Someone had a party, then carefully placed approximately 20 plastic Solo cups. some beer cans/bottles, a nip bottle, and some aluminun foil into a trash bag which they securely tied in a knot. Pretty responsible to this point. Unfortunately the last step, which would have been depositing the bag into a dumpster, didn't occur and the bag somehow ended up in the river. So my trash count went from 5 to 37 with only a few minutes work.
Resuming my trip upriver I passed by a flooded Willow Island and noticed a mink slinking along the ice on the river's north side. We were both heading in the same direction and our paths soon crossed as we neared a group of Canada geese. The mink entered the river and began swimming towards the geese. As he passed across my bow he saw me, and oddly enough, began swimming directly towards me. When he got to within 3 feet of my kayak he decided to turn again and resumed his initial route towards the geese. While this was happening the geese had all exited the water and climbed onto the ice. They were aware of the mink and allowed him to get fairly close, about 15 feet. He actually climbed onto the ice using a tree for cover and then popped out from first one side then the other side of the tree. His two manifestations didn't seem to cause the desired reaction from the geese so he jumped back into the water and disappeared from sight.
The rain ended before I reached Route 2 and with things now drying out the river beckoned me onward. At Concord Junction, the large snag between the commuter rail bridge and Rt. 62 was easily passed through and shortly thereafter I was looking at the newly bridged-over gap at Pine Street. There are 5 new concrete spans across the river and I'm happy to report there is no support column in the middle of the river.
After passing by my grandson's elementary school, named for Thoreau, I encountered a snag that looked a little trickier to navigate around. This made a good spot to turn around so I retreated downriver to a backwater just below Thoreau School and allowed my kayak to run aground on a small submerged sand bar. Here with all systems powered down I enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa and a power bar before beginning my return trip.
As usual the trip downriver was an easy one and soon I was passing through the fog again at the Leaning Hemlocks and rounding Egg Rock before heading upriver on the Sudbury. Besides the geese and mink, the only other wildlife seen were numerous mallards. I arrived at my takeout location with 45 empty containers, of which 35 were recyclable. This brought my YTD total to 2665.

More Photos from Pokanoket Waters at Montaup 11/27 Post

Church Cove Shore

Looking Across Mt. Hope Bay Towards Fall River

Haffenreffer Museum

Church Cove

Brayton Point Electric-Generating Plant