The North River watershed is nearly 11.5 square miles collecting water from Peabody and Salem and the North River is the largest source of fresh water to Salem Sound. To learn about the North River Widening Project

Stormwater is a major source of non-point pollution. There are many ways we can reduce, control and clean stormwater to prevent pollution. Here are some resources.

2008 Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Performance Analysis
written by Tetra for EPA Region 1. BMP Performance curves in Appendix B are a good place to begin reading this 193 document.(PDF, 2 MB)

The Practice of Low Impact Development
The key to successful LID is to begin with effective site design. The Practice of Low Impact Development provides important details about this LID practice. (PDF, 2 MB)

from Coastal Smart Growth Program by Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, 2006.

REDUCE RUNOFF: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In
- a 9 minute video showcases green techniques such as rain gardens, green roofs and rain barrels that help manage stormwater runoff in a more sustainable manner produced by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Botanic Garden. Check out our Greenscapes Program for more information on rain gardens and rain barrels.

Urban and Community Forestry Stewardship for Watershed Health
A grant from Department of Conservation and Recreation Urban Forestry enabled SSCW to focus on conservation, restoration, and stormwater managment in the North River Watershed in Salem and Peabody.

The major goal is to restore the North River and its tributaries so that they once again become natural amenities that improve the communities' quality of life, not hazards to be ignored or buried underground. As additional population growth and development continue, the remaining unprotected natural resources are at risk. To learn more about the watershed and next actions, the North River Forest and Watershed Awareness final report is available as a PDF (7.9MB) and in the SSCW office. The appendices are also available as a PDF (16.6MB).

Our North River Awareness Week was a great success. Thank you to everyone who participated. With the assistance of MA Riverways in 2007, we established 10 stream teams that conducted "Shoreline Surveys" of the North River and Peabody Brooks in May (yes, the month of floods). In June, the stream teams met to review all the findings and discuss what actions need to be work on. The action plan is detailed in the North River Forest and Watershed Awareness final report and available as a separate document (186KB).

A special thanks goes to five Tufts graduate students in the Tufts University Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning for their hard work in researching and preparing the report: "Nurturing the Recovery of the North River: A Practical Vision" which can be read by coming to the SSCW office or downloading the report PDF (22MB) and Appendices & References (7MB). This report also presents opportunities for communities of Salem and Peabody.

Stay tuned; get involved as we embark on this river journey.

Let us know if you want to help us out, by sending us an email with your name, address and phone number.