Ed Himlan from MA Watershed Coalition to Present Talk on Reducing…

May 10th from 7:00-8:30 PM at Groton Town Hall

This talk is free and open to the general public. It is sponsored by The Groton Lakes Association in conjunction with the Great Ponds Advisory Committee and the Lost Lake Watershed Advisory Committee. Recognizing that one of the major causes of pollution comes from stormwater run-off, this is an important subject to understand and learn how each of us can remedy these problems on our own property. Ed will focus on lakes and ponds, but the principles are the same everywhere.

Rain that runs off from homes, lawns, driveways and parking areas carries a lot of pollution. This dirty stormwater flows onto streets and then into streams, ponds and lakes. Sand, silt and other pollutants spoil uses of local waters: stream life vanishes, lakes fill with weeds, and high bacteria counts can pose risks for people.

Ed Himlan of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition will share a slideshow on how to keep lakes and ponds healthy. This program will feature low-cost, easy ways to prevent and fix polluted runoff:

See where the rain goes
Build rain gardens and bio-swales
Create rock-filled soakage trenches
Plant filter strips and groundcover buffers
Reduce erosion of dirt roads
Make simple basins to capture sediment
And more…

Putting stormwater in the ground will help to reduce costs for weed treatments and drainage systems. This workshop will show how to make a difference for your lake or pond.

The mission of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition is to protect and restore streams, lakes, and water supplies. We work with local, State and Federal agencies, community groups and businesses to implement partnership projects.

MWC Executive Director Ed Himlan has thirty-four-years’ experience in watershed management and education. Ed has expertise in water protection planning, public policy, grassroots groups, local assistance, and public presentations. He has served on State and Federal advisory groups, as well as boards of local organizations, including the Lake Samoset Property Owners Association.

Ed has a Master’s degree in Natural Resources Planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to joining MWC in 1994, he was the Executive Director of the Nashua River Watershed Association (1981–1994). Ed has helped municipal officials, businesses, homeowners, contractors and community groups to plan, design and construct more than sixty rain gardens and other stormwater solutions. The educational materials and run-off remedies created by these activities offer practical examples and guidance that can help people to improve the health of local streams and lakes.