The Task Force was officially established as a subcommittee of the Selectboard at its 6/17/24 meeting with the objective to identify specific actions that can be taken by the Town of Shutesbury, the Lake Wyola Association, MA Division of Conservation Resources, and residents to address the problems created by stormwater runoff, including damage to roads and the lake itself.
The Task Force will be responsible for undertaking the following tasks:
- Read all past studies
- Identify specific stormwater/erosion "hot spots" using previous studies and current site visits
- Propose and prioritize specific project/project phases for proposed fund-raising (assuming different grants/models for different purposes)
- Identify appropriate funding options
- Make follow-up presentations to update the Lake Wyola Advisory Committee, the Lake Wyola Association, the Select Board and the Conservation Commission
Becoming a Watershed Advocate for Lake Wyola
Outdoor Environmental Celebration and Evening Webinar
Join the Shutesbury Lake Wyola Stormwater Erosion Task Force and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) for two events this August focused on the watershed dynamics that are leading to stormwater erosion, sedimentation, and other issues currently impacting the Lake and surrounding neighborhoods. You will learn how to look beyond what is happening in your yard or on your road to what’s happening in the watershed as a whole, and what we can do about it. All those who care about Lake Wyola are invited to join.
Environmental Celebration – Sunday, August 10, 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Rain or shine. Following the annual Weed Watcher’s paddle (10 – 11 a.m.), come hang out on the lawn of the Lake Wyola Association Hall to play with sophisticated hands-on watershed models and eat ice cream. The EnviroScape allows users to simulate rainfall and manipulate the landscape to understand how pollution moves through a watershed. The Stream Table allows users to manipulate stream flow velocity and streamside development to understand erosion and deposition, meander development and movement, and sediment transport. At 11.45, FRCOG staff and members of the Lake Wyola Stormwater Task Force will also lead a short walk along Shore and Pine Drives to examine how water moves across the landscape and understand the impact of stormwater erosion. This event will be informative and fun for all ages and ice cream will be available the whole time! Thanks to the Lake Wyola Association for co-sponsoring.
Webinar – Tuesday, August 12, 7 to 8 p.m. The Stormwater Task Force and the FRCOG will co-present on the Lake Wyola Watershed, how we got to the point of needing a task force to tackle erosion, how to approach improving stormwater erosion and water quality for the long-term and at the watershed-scale, and what you can do. Q & A will follow.
To register for the webinar ahead of time and receive a Zoom link and reminder email, go to uniqo.de/b8NajE.
