New boat launch opens at Millers River in Athol

ATHOL – About 30 people, including local and state officials, showed up on the banks of the Millers River Friday morning to celebrate the completion of a new canoe and kayak launch, just a short distance from downtown Athol.

Over the past year, the state Office of Fishing and Boating Access has invested $358,000 in the construction of the launch, which will also provide a convenient location for shore fishing. The new facility sits just upstream from the dam owned by MassGrow and is accessible via Crescent Street Extension.

Selectboard Chair Rebecca Bialecki thanked those in attendance for navigating the extensive road reconstruction work on Crescent Street and Chestnut Hill Avenue to get to the launch.

“I’m glad you all made it. These kinds of events are important to show off all the natural and environmental access points we have in Athol,” said Bialecki as she introduced Department of Fish & Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea.

“I really want to thank everybody for coming together to celebrate what I think is really a remarkable achievement,” said O’Shea. “The Millers River, as you all know, is a really special spot and I know this project means a lot to the community and to a lot of us in the region.

“For us, we do take this idea of ‘nature for all’ seriously, and this is really an example of how anybody, no matter who you are, you get access to the Millers River and that’s what this is all about.”

O’Shea added that the project has been in the works for around 20 years and will offer a lot of opportunity for outdoor recreation.

“This is the kind of work we need to keep doing,” he said. “You’re investing not only in your own community but in future generations.”

Terry Smith, acting director of Fishing and Boating Access, said this project is a testament to the power of the partnerships between the community and the state.

“Personally, I’ve worked with Dave Small for over 20 years. Mike Roche has been an advocate here, he’s a former Masswildlife board member under previous administrations and is an active fly fisherman,” Smith added. “There’s a whole handful of sportsmen and women who really pushed this project.”

Smith noted that the state has signed a land management agreement with the town for this facility, though it’s on state property. Monitoring of the site, the policing of the site, trash and litter removal will be done by Athol.

“Those of us of a certain age recall what this river used to look like back in the 60s. I went to elementary school in South Royalston, and on any given morning, when it got really warm, you didn’t know whether to open the windows and let the air in or keep them closed to keep the stink out,” said Small, president of the Athol Bird & Nature Club. “It was really pretty awful. Every day, the river would change color.

“But when you look at what we’ve done in the last 50 years to this water body, it’s remarkable. And the change came from a lot of different people, from a lot of different partnerships, working together to clean this river up. Now we have a resource we can be really proud of.”

Small stressed the importance of the new launch to the immediate neighborhood.

“It’s really important that the people who don’t have cars to be within walking distance of a natural area. Within a 10-minute walk from here are whole neighborhoods,” he said. “Now the kids can come down here and catch fish or do whatever kids do, but they’ll be able to spend time near the water. We’re really embracing the idea of allowing communities to access our natural resources.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.