Community Support for Water Resources

Athol, Massachusetts has a rich set of water resources. Due to several recent community initiatives that have focused on conservation in our region and activity by the Army Corps of Engineers there are a large amount of land reserved as water shed and as protected lake and river habitats within the town limits.

The predominant water resource in our area is the Miller's River which travels seven miles through Athol from New Hampshire to the Connecticut river.

The community exists largely because of it's access to this swift flowing river which, once dammed several times has provided industry in the area the hydro-mechanical power it required to grow as a milling and textile leader in early New England history.

In the 30's and 40's the Miller's river had become so polluted that it would not support fish populations but the residents of Athol started to manage this abuse of the system and have turned it around significantly.

There are, however, 3 major polluters in Athol who continue to cause problems. It is worth noting that all three have put measures in place that should help reduce their impact on the river. The community must be vigilant, however, the industries in this economically depressed region are in a strong negotiating position as the residents object to their use of the river, the community also desperately needs their jobs and local spending to survive.