WATER QUALITY

The main stem of the Fort River is persistently impaired for bacteria, which can present health concerns for swimmers. FoRWA is working hard to diagnose the main causes of bacteria in the river so that we can stop contamination at the source.

Thankfully, there is limited concern regarding industrial pollutants in the watershed. Recent studies by the Town of Amherst and MassDEP showed that there were no PFAS (forever chemicals) in town drinking water, which mostly comes from the Fort River headwaters.

WHERE TO FIND WATER QUALITY INFORMATION

FoRWA samples the river biweekly throughout the summer at Amethyst Brook and at Groff Park. Bacteria colonies are counted manually at the Connecticut River Conservancy’s water quality lab in Greenfield, MA.