It's not the old Merrimack Cleaner water inspires talk of beaches, other recreation along the river

By J.J. Huggins
Staff writer

April 28, 2008 12:39 am

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When Jefferson Davis water-skied a dozen or so miles from Haverhill to Newburyport 30 years ago, he didn't worry about getting tired. He worried about falling into the disgusting Merrimack River.

"It was funky," the now 49-year-old real estate agent from Haverhill recalled. "There were things floating by that we had no idea what they were."

Today, things are much different. The Merrimack River Watershed Council announced last week that its latest testing shows the water is clean enough to swim and boat in, except during a rainstorm and for three days afterward.

The data is consistent with what officials said back in the mid-1990s. The latest test results are refreshing information for the leaders of the communities along the river.

Rather than discouraging people from taking a dip in the various swimming holes, officials can encourage it. And they can promote recreational activities on the water, which could help economic development.

A beach in Lawrence would have been unthinkable in the 1970s. But it's not out of the question today, said Mayor Michael Sullivan.

"The beach would be the next step, based on the fact that the river is swimmable and clean," he said. "It's workable, very workable."

People in Lawrence dreamed of opening a beach back in the 1990s when Lowell opened one on Pawtucket Boulevard, but it never happened. But with all the recent talk of how clean the river is, the idea is getting a second look.

A beach would fit in with the proposed 1.3-mile, 12-foot-wide paved pathway along the river's edge, from Sal's Riverwalk to Great Stone Dam, Sullivan said.

The area is already a hot spot for fishing, and it's important to promote that to show Lawrence is "turning into this sports city now," Sullivan said.

The Merrimack River flows south from New Hampshire, into the Atlantic Ocean off the northern tip of Plum Island. The river has long been a vital resource for the communities it flows through. It once powered the mills, and it now serves as a source of tap water and recreation. Methuen, Lawrence and Andover get their drinking water from the river.

The Lowell Parks and Recreation Department has been running its beach in the summertime for a decade.

"On hot days, obviously the place is packed," said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Tom Bellegarde.

Lifeguards supervise the beach, which stretches 200 feet along the river. The water is tested on a daily basis to ensure that it's clean enough to swim in. The beach has been temporarily closed several times over the years because of poor water quality, Bellegarde said.

"Over 10 years, you've got to expect those kinds of things," he said.

Haverhill has a thriving boating community, but officials there have said they cannot open a beach because of dangerous currents.

"It gets pretty rapid down here," said Human Services Director Vincent Ouellette, who oversees recreation for the city.

But still, the clean water provides a playground for people like Davis, who water-skied down the river 30 years ago. He and his three sons — ages 17, 13 and 9 — jump off their boat and tow each other with tubes, water-skis and knee boards on the river.

"We're not reluctant at all to let them in," he said of allowing the children into the Merrimack.

That's a far cry from when he was growing up.

"You can see down now, man, 5 or 6 feet," Davis said. "Where before, if you put your hand in the water, well, you wouldn't put your hand in the water, but if you did, you probably couldn't see your hand."

Methuen doesn't plan to open a beach, but the river is still an attraction for the city, Mayor William Manzi said.

"I think that the Merrimack is a great resource for the entire Merrimack Valley, and the fact that it's clean is a huge boon, both economically and from a fresh drinking water perspective," he said.

Methuen is using a $250,000 state grant to turn the old Bea's Sandwich Shop site near the Route 110/113 rotary into a park and boat ramp. Manzi hopes to unveil plans and begin work on that project shortly, he said.

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