• Home
  • How We Work
  • Where We Work
  • News Room
  • About Us
  • My Nature Page

The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

None


The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts Press Releases
Search All Press Releases

Kerry Crisley
617-227-7017, ext.316, kcrisley@tnc.org

Summit Encourages Regional Approach to Plymouth-Carver Aquifer Protection

BOSTON, MA — December 6, 2007 — An Action Plan for the protection and management of the Plymouth-Carver Sole Source Aquifer was presented last week to participants at the region’s first Aquifer Summit in Plymouth, Mass. The Summit was hosted by Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer Advisory Committee and featured remarks by state Senator Marc Pacheco, Representative Viriato deMacedo, Representative Tom Calter and Representative Susan Gifford. 

In addition to presenting the Action Plan, the focus of the Summit was to develop ways for communities to collaborate to protect and manage the Aquifer in a sustainable way. Small group sessions tackled issues such as regional open space priorities, local Bylaw revision to protect Aquifer resources, water conservation and community outreach. Progress on these sessions will be presented at a public meeting in January.

"As Southeastern Massachusetts continues to develop at a rapid pace, we must adopt comprehensive, smart-growth practices to ensure the protection and proper management of the area’s precious natural resources," said Senator Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. "The Action Plan presented last week provides a comprehensive framework for the continued protection of the Sole Source Aquifer, which provides drinking water for citizens all across the region."

"This Summit was a great step forward in protecting the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer from future contamination," said Representative Viriato deMacedo (R-Plymouth).

"The Plymouth-Carver Aquifer is one of our most important natural resources. Because ground water knows no town borders, our regional commitment to protecting the aquifer is both necessary and prudent." said Representative Tom Calter (D-Kingston).

 

Small tributary of the Westfield River in Chester along the Keystone Arch Bridge Trail

Small tributary of the Westfield River in Chester along the Keystone Arch Bridge Trail © Jerry Monkman

"Water is life-blood of human existence and we must do everything we can to protect it," said Representative Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham).  "It is almost impossible to enact 'one size fits all' legislation to protect our water supply, so the work of the Advisory Committee is important.  We need more innovative ideas and a regional approach to this issue. Communities joining together can accomplish more than standing alone." 

Covering 199 square miles and holding more than 500 billion gallons of clean drinking water, The Plymouth-Carver Aquifer is the second largest sole source aquifer in Massachusetts. 

With population projected to increase by more than 200,000 in the next 20 years, southeastern Massachusetts is the fastest growing region in the state. These historic New England towns are confronted with rapid development which, if not properly managed, threatens to permanently alter the unique Aquifer and other critical natural resources.
 
In response to the need to protect the Aquifer, the Massachusetts Legislature approved the creation of the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer Advisory Committee in 2004. Comprised of representatives from each of the communities within the Aquifer – Bourne, Carver, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth, Plympton and Wareham – the Committee was tasked with developing strategies to protect this shared resource. 

In addition to supplying drinking water to Plymouth area residents, the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer supports a rich natural environment that harbors dozens of globally rare and endangered species and several rare ecosystems, such as coastal plain ponds, Atlantic white cedar swamps, and Pine Barrens. It is also the source of water for coastal rivers such as the Jones, Wareham, Agawam, Wankinko, Red Brook, Eel, and Weweantic.
 
“The Plymouth-Carver Aquifer holds an enormous volume of clean groundwater and supports extraordinary ecological treasures,” said Loring Schwarz, Acting State Director for The Nature Conservancy. “The communities’ proactive and regional approach to protect this shared natural resource is commendable and should serve as a model for others.”

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.