River Crew
The river is dynamic and ever-changing. The River Crew goes out regularly from May - September to scout and clear hazards in the areas that are most readily accessible for safe and enjoyable paddling. The work is hard, wet, and dirty usually done in up to waist-high water. We have a standing schedule of Tuesday evenings 5-7:30 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, weather conditions and water levels determine when we can go out from week to week. The schedule occasionally adapts to another weekday evening or weekend morning based on crew availability and conditions.
If interested to be on the notification list for River Crew activities, email: [email protected]
2019 Priorities:
- Dale St to Central St: maintain safe paddling in this heavily used section below the Ballardvale dam. No major hazards reported as of April 2019; some minor trouble spots need attention.
- Shawsheen Pines to Ballardvale: maintain safe paddling in this heavily used section above the Ballardvale dam. No major hazards reported as of April 2019.
- Rt 38 Tewksbury to Shawsheen Pines: this area requires a major effort to improve safety conditions due to many blockages and hazards. The upstream portion from Shawsheen Pines to the Tewksbury line (just above the power lines) is clear as of April 2019.
- North Main St to Den Rock Park: this area does not have public access but is of interest for those paddling through to the Merrimack. We hope to scout and work this area later in the season as circumstances allow.
Top 5 Blockages: This album shows the top 5 blockage areas in paddle-friendly sections that we are tracking as of the start of the 2019 season. The primary Andover paddle sections are generally clear. Longer paddles downstream from Tewksbury to Ballardvale are safer and more enjoyable if these major upstream blockages are cleared.
- Mill Street culvert (Tewksbury): This is now generally clear as of 05/11/2019.
- Above Rt. 38 (Tewksbury): This is upstream of the bridge from the launch site at the Knights of Columbus. Difficult passage in lower water.
- Shawsheen Overlook above Bridge Street (Tewksbury): Two large trees in this section make difficult passage.
- Below Brown Street launch site (Tewksbury): There is a logjam that builds just below the Brown St launch. May need to portage around.
- Near Tanager Rd (Tewksbury): This is about half-way between Rt. 38 and Shawsheen Pines in Andover and about 1/2 mile upstream of the power lines near the Tewksbury / Andover boundary. The portage here is difficult with a steep bank on river right and swamp on river left.
2018 River Crew Retrospective: This album captures some of the jobs done in 2018 to help keep paddling safe and enjoyable in Andover.
Mike Dempsey (front) and Riverkeeper Ken Doran (back) on a scouting mission in Tewksbury 4/6/2019: