BRAT to monitor Spoonerville Brook

The Black River Action Team announces the launch of a volunteer water quality monitoring program to begin in June of 2012.

 “It’s been a long time coming,” smiles BRAT Director Kelly Stettner. The program is the result of numerous elements coming together: Scott Bradley of Aquacheck Labs, Inc in Perkinsville is donating the testing costs of nearly half the samples; the state of Vermont’s water quality lab approved the BRAT for a LaRosa Partnership, which will cover the testing costs of the rest of the samples. In addition, a new BRAT volunteer has stepped up to the proverbial plate: Bill Manner, who recently retired to Springfield from the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Conservation where he was the Watershed Program Coordinator for many years. Bill’s forte is helping grassroots groups such as the BRAT get started with water quality monitoring.

As an additional element to the volunteer sampling, Stettner has raised money through CleanWaterFuture.org to purchase a hand-held multi-parameter water probe to begin gathering information on the health and condition of Spoonerville Brook, a tributary to the Black River in North Springfield. The Spoonerville is very close to the proposed site of the waste-water leach field of the North Springfield biomass incinerator, scheduled for construction in 2014. “We want to gather as much base-line information on the Spoonerville Brook as we can,” said Stettner. “That way, if there IS an impact on the water, we’ll be in a better position to recognize it.”

The water quality monitoring program, although operated on a volunteer basis, is not without cost. Stettner recycles empty ink cartridges and “tech items” through FundingFactory.com to help raise money, but cash donations are extremely important and gratefully welcomed. Checks made out to BRAT can be mailed directly to the group at 101 Perley Gordon Road in Springfield, VT 05156. Tax-deductible donations should be made out to the BRAT’s fiscal agent, the CT River Watershed Council, and mailed to their office at 15 Bank Row in Greenfield, MA 01301, noting “BRAT” in the memo.

(Black River Action Team press release)