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Quequechan River Celebrated at Last

Deborah Allard-Bernardi, Herald News Staff Reporter - 6/26/2004

Used for power by the mills once located in the downtown area, and then hidden away and diverted through pipelines beneath the Earth, the Quequechan River may no longer appear mighty, but it is finally getting a little respect.

The first-ever Quequechan River Festival will be held Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Britland Park. The festival, sponsored by Green Futures, a local environmental group, is being held as a larger effort to bring attention to the "hidden" river that flows through the city and from which Fall River got its name.

It's slated to be an old-fashioned fair that will include field games, such as a three-legged race, pony rides, archery, potato sack races, kayak demonstrations on the Quequechan, arts and crafts, juggling acts, and kite flying. They'll also be a rock-climbing wall. A large tent will be erected for some of the events and games, such as face painting and puppet making. Food and refreshments will also be available. The event is free and open to the public.

"Our goal in sponsoring the festival is to bring residents to the Quequechan River to enjoy a day of fun," said Tim Bennett, president of Green Futures. "The festival is part of a larger educational effort which has as its goal the realization of a greenbelt along the upper Quequechan and the 'daylighting' and restoration of the river's falls." The river's falls were once located in the downtown area, across from The Herald News on Pocasset Street. The river flowed through downtown and in the area where Plymouth Avenue is now situated.

Currently, the flow of the Quequechan is controlled by mechanical gates located at the Water Department's Fourth Street gate house. Water flows through pipes from the gate house, where it is then directed down Pocasset Street under the former Darwood Mill Complex, and out to Crab Pond and the Taunton River. The river was put into a culvert and directed through pipes in 1962 to make way for Interstate 195, according to Alfred J. Lima, a spokesman for Green Futures.

Green Futures and the city for the last several years, however, have been working to restore the falls and parts of the river. Lima said the city applied to the United States Corps of Engineers for a feasibility study nine months ago. Funding cuts have held up that study, but Lima said Green Futures is "still hopeful the Corps will fund" the river's daylighting. If the river is unearthed, the falls would be reconstructed, and the river's flow would be daylighted from South Main Street and along Pocasset Street to where the river runs under the highway. Lima said the effect would be "quite dramatic." "Maybe within 10 years, it could be a reality," he said.

Besides food and games to celebrate the Quequechan River, the festival will also feature musical entertainment by Michael Troy, who will sing songs about the Quequechan and Fall River. Other performers include the Back Eddy Bluegrass Band and Wild Goose Nation. The Suspenders will put on a show of juggling and tomfoolery.

The festival is co-sponsored by the city of Fall River and is funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

Britland Park is located at the end of 17th Street, behind the Fall River Police Department on Pleasant Street. Parking will be available at the end of Wordell Street, off Plymouth Avenue between Burger King and Honey Dew Donuts.

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