Water Quality Monitoring

Long term monitoring

Our watershed is largely rural, and risk of industrial contamination from petroleum or metals is low. The main contaminant of concern in the Fort River Watershed is bacteria, which can make people sick if swallowed. Thanks to our partnership with Connecticut River Conservancy and their help analyzing samples that FoRWA volunteers collect, we have been able to monitor bacteria concentrations in the river since 2020. These samples are collected every other Thursday in the summer, with data posted to this data viewer – zoom in on the map to click one of the three Fort River sampling locations, Amethyst Brook and Groff Park in Amherst, and at the river’s Bay Road crossing in Hadley.

In general, Amethyst Brook is very clean. Fort River water quality at Groff Park is generally clean enough for passive recreation (wading, but not swimming). At its crossing under Bay Road in Hadley, the Fort River has persistently high bacteria levels that make it unsafe for recreation.

Bacteria Source Tracking

In an effort to identify and remediate persistent sources of bacteria in the river, FoRWA volunteers, in collaboration with Amherst College and UMass Amherst scientists have conducted rigorous sampling of sites upstream of Groff Park. This research has shown that contamination of Adams Brook is a primary driver of bacteria contamination in the upper Fort River (upstream of the Hadley town line). Additionally, Fearing Brook, which flows from downtown Amherst, is a secondary source of high bacteria water. FoRWA is actively pursuing ways to gain more insight into the causes of these persistent bacteria sources. We are working with the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and Massachusetts Department of Agriculture to find solutions and clean up the river.