Programs

  • Water Supply Resilience Advocacy

    IRWA advocates for programs and policies that promote water supply resilience by keeping water in our rivers. Specifically We: Work regionally with municipal allies to: •Implement Water Neutral Growth Plans. •Update local bylaws & regulations. •Administer and actively participate in the PIE-Rivers Partnership, a regional resiliency collaborative of the Parker, Ipswich, and Essex River Watersheds. •Build consensus around scientifically sound water management strategies via our membership in the North Shore Water Resilience Task Force. Influence state leaders to pass the drought bill, modernize water withdrawal regulations, and advance climate resiliency policy. Engage community advocates to reduce their own water consumption and appeal to their delegates at Town Hall and the State House.
    Geographies
    Beverly, MA, USA;
    Danvers, MA 01923, USA;
    Georgetown, MA, USA;
    Hamilton, MA, USA;
    Ipswich, MA, USA;
    Lynn, MA, USA;
    Lynnfield, MA, USA;
    Middleton, MA 01949, USA;
    North Reading, MA 01864, USA;
    Peabody, MA, USA;
    Reading, MA, USA;
    Salem, MA, USA;
    Topsfield, MA, USA;
    Wenham, MA, USA;
    Wilmington, MA, USA
    Dates
    Not indicated
    Source
    User-generated
    Climate change,Water resources
    Adults,Children and youth
    350K
    –

  • River Water Monitoring

    Our River Water Monitoring programs enable us to assess the health of the Ipswich River and drive our Restoration & Resiliency work. With the help of our program volunteers and partnerships we collect data related to water quality, water conservation and barriers. RiverWatch is our water quality monitoring program. Each month, March through December, volunteers collect data on weather conditions, recent rainfall, water color, odor, clarity, temperature, velocity, depth, dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Herring Count is conducted each spring at the Ipswich Mills Dam in downtown Ipswich. Volunteers perform 10 minute counts from the top of the fish ladder throughout the season. Macroinvertebrate Monitoring is an annual sampling program to measure the biological health of the Ipswich River.
    Geographies
    Beverly, MA, USA;
    Danvers, MA 01923, USA;
    Georgetown, MA, USA;
    Hamilton, MA, USA;
    Ipswich, MA, USA;
    Lynn, MA, USA;
    Lynnfield, MA, USA;
    North Reading, MA 01864, USA;
    Peabody, MA, USA;
    Reading, MA, USA;
    Salem, MA, USA;
    Topsfield, MA, USA;
    Wenham, MA, USA;
    Wilmington, MA, USA
    Dates
    Not indicated
    Source
    User-generated
    Climate change,Water resources
    Adults,Children and youth
    350K
    –

  • River Restoration

    Through our restoration efforts, we look backwards in time to undo past decisions which now pose a detriment to watershed health, like removing dams and fixing undersized stream crossings. We aim to restore connectivity to allow native fish, flora, and wildlife to flourish in a free-flowing river.
    Geographies
    Georgetown, MA, USA;
    Hamilton, MA, USA;
    Ipswich, MA, USA;
    Lynn, MA, USA;
    Lynnfield, MA, USA;
    North Reading, MA 01864, USA;
    Peabody, MA, USA;
    Reading, MA, USA;
    Salem, MA, USA;
    Topsfield, MA, USA;
    Wenham, MA, USA;
    Wilmington, MA, USA;
    Beverly, MA, USA;
    Danvers, MA 01923, USA
    Dates
    Not indicated
    Source
    User-generated
    Climate change,Groundwater,Rivers and lakes,Wetlands
    Adults,Children and youth
    350K
    –