Friday, July 12, 2013, Greenfield, MA – On Sunday, July 21, the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRC) is hosting its annual meeting and ‘Celebration of Rowing on a Cleaner River’ and invites the public to join this free riverfront festivity. The event celebrates both the rebirth of rowing programs along the river and the cities and towns that have made significant investments to clean up the river. The celebration will be held at the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, North Riverfront Park, 121 West Street, Springfield, MA. Three local rowing organizations – Northampton Community Rowing, Holyoke Rows, and Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club – are partnering with CRC to offer rowing events and field trips.

The celebration will feature a number of opportunities for participants to get on the river, learn more about the river in the region and find out what local cities and towns have done to clean up the river. Events include:

  • 11am-2pm: A rowing or paddling trip on the Connecticut River from Holyoke to Springfield, MA.
  • 12:30pm-2pm: Kayaking, biking, and learn-to-row field trips departing from the Riverfront Club in Springfield, MA.
  • 2:30-4:30pm: A celebration along the river featuring light refreshments and music, river success stories and the presentation of the Bud Foster award for outstanding devotion, service and commitment to the river.

More information and event registration available online at ctriver.org/news-events/annual-meeting or call 413-772-2020.

“The communities of western Massachusetts have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in improving water quality with better treatment and infrastructure overhauls, while also creating new parks and access points to the Connecticut River,” says CRC Executive Director, Andrew Fisk. “We want to highlight the great work done by the towns and cities along the river. They have eliminated over 1 billion gallons of sewer overflows every year. This work has brought many more people to the river and new investments in rowing facilities and programs throughout the region. We would like to like to thank the communities for these investments at a fun public event.”

The Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club in Springfield is renovating the historic boathouse (formerly Bassett Boat Company), expanding programs for river-based sporting activities and providing river access for city dwellers. The Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club will host the first ever Dragon Boat Races in western Massachusetts on Saturday, July 20 from 10am-3pm. For more information or to sign up visit www.pvrowing.org or www.springfielddragonboat.com.

The City of Northampton has partnered with Northampton Community Rowing, Lane Construction and the State of Massachusetts for the establishment of a riverfront park and boat launch on the Connecticut River. Northampton Community Rowing will sublet a portion of the new park with the intention of establishing a new community boathouse. They plan to expand current programs to offer rowing, canoeing and kayaking opportunities to the public from the new park in the near future. For more information visit www.hampcrew.com.

CRC advocates for the entire, four-state Connecticut River watershed, working to protect water—the river, its tributaries, lakes, fish—and the land, plants, and creatures connected to that water to keep them safe now and for future generations. To learn more about CRC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit ctriver.org or call 413-772-2020 x201.