Using Partnerships and Community Science to Protect Wild and Scenic Rivers in the Eastern United States

Alison Field-Juma,Nancy Roberts-Lawler

doi:10.3390/su13042102

Abstract

The Musconetcong (New Jersey) and the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord (Massachusetts) are federally-designated Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers, a model for river conservation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. These two rivers are embedded in a patchwork of private and public land ownership. The Act has been used to facilitate partnerships among municipal, state, federal and local non-profit actors to implement river conservation plans. These partnerships have supported community science-based monitoring to make the case for dam removal and stricter water pollution controls. Two case studies examine using community science to provide actionable data to decision-makers. In New Jersey, a documented increase in macroinvertebrates post-dam removal supported additional dam removals, leading to the return of American shad to the river. Quality controls and training proved to be key components. In Massachusetts, stricter effluent discharge permits reduced instream Total Phosphorus from 0.8 mg/L in 1999 to the eutrophication threshold of 0.023–0.05 mg/L. Community engagement in river science and stewardship was an important co-benefit. As many US rivers evolve from generating hydropower and conveying waste into major recreational resources, local organizations are uniquely positioned to engage the public and generate quality-controlled data to use in advocating for major improvements in water and habitat quality. Useful policy and regulatory frameworks for broader applicability are suggested.

Highlights

This paper suggests that the benefits of community science could be expanded further by engaging more diverse teams of volunteers in the research questions themselves
Whether the community science approach can be applied beyond these two cases will depend on the local context, the regulatory framework, and the availability of potential partners
The eastern United States has a strong tradition of local home rule, with management of local governance and social services by community volunteers, which is not the model throughout the world

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rivers in the eastern United States have undergone a profound evolution in roles over the past three centuries. From initially providing abundant fish protein and transportation routes, colonial and early industrial era dams harnessed them for hydropower which severely limited the earlier uses. Rivers were used to convey waste from farms, homes, and factories to the ocean. The result was heavily polluted rivers with dams that blocked the migration of fish and accumulated contaminated and nutrient-rich sediments. This pattern has repeated, in various permutations, around the world [1]

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Conclusion