Conway

Located on the eastern foothills of the Berkshires, rain that falls in Conway drains to two watersheds: the southeastern portion of the town drains to the Mill River, while the rest of the town drains to the South River in the Deerfield River drainage. The portion of Conway that drains to the Mill River watershed is mostly forested and forms one of the largest blocks of unfragmented forest in Massachusetts. Some of this land is also very important in terms of public drinking water. The Roaring Brook sub-watershed forms the bulk of the watershed for South Deerfield's drinking water reservoir while a small portion of the town (West Brook sub-watershed) is part of the watershed land for the City of Northampton's Ryan and West Whately Reservoirs. The Mill River watershed also encompasses the 1,946-acre Conway State Forest, which includes miles of trails for hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, mountain biking and nature study. Private homes and small farms (mostly livestock, logging and maple sugaring operations) are scattered throughout the town. For more on Conway, visit: www.state.ma.us/cc/conway.html

Citizen Involvement
Conway residents have been extremely active in the Mill River Project, participating in stream teams and taking advantage of watershed activities (field walks, presentations, writing grants). In 1999 students at the Conway Elementary School completed a shoreline survey along the portion of the Mill River, which flows through the school grounds. The students found that the river was fastflowing, cold, heavily shaded and marred by only a limited amount of trash. Below the elementary school, the greatest concern for the Mill River by stream team members was the potential for salt contamination from winter de-icing activities along Route 116. In this stretch, Route 116 is right next to the Mill River for about 2 miles (3 km).

Potential Watershed Activities in Conway:

• Prioritize and protect key open space (river walks, farmland, forest).
• In collaboration with neighboring towns, develop a regional open space plan.
• Organize a Mill River clean-up.
• Search for rare species (for instance, northern spring salamanders in small tributaries).
• Work with the local elementary school to incorporate the Mill River into their curriculum.
• Develop a trails map and work with landowners to achieve long-term trail protection.
• Preserve important views and historical resources.
• Work with local farms to increase their long-term viability (manure management, marketing, etc).
• Improve stormwater management & monitor water quality along Route 116.