The Shawsheen river state is affected heavily by humans. There is trash located all along the trail going into the river and floating in the water. One of the main reasons for the large amounts of trash at the site is that since it is right next to a busy road, so many people throw their trash out of their car windows and it lands in or around the river. Because the dam causes the river to be slow moving and the bodys of water in the wetlands sit in the same place for long periods of time, trash is built up and causes the aesthetic value of the site to be diminished greatly. Removing the dam would allow the water to speed up and trash to be moved from its build up near Stevens street downstream. Below are two photos of trash seen in the river. At the site, there is a lot more waste similar to the pieces seen in these pictures.
Ecosystem Services:
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The marshland itself harbors a wide array of ecosystem services. The water in the marshland at the Shawsheen River site has a pH of 5.5. It is slow moving with a speed of 36.88 meters/second. Where the water is moving faster there is more oxygen; whereas, where the water is moving slower, there is more Carbon Dioxide. This is a provisioning ecosystem because when the dam is removed, there will be less carbon dioxide because of the increased water velocity. As a result, this will allow for a natural filter. This will create a possible water source that is safe for humans to drink. Therefore, this river has a lot of instrumental value if the dam is removed. Also, some aquatic plants will make a shorter life because they won’t be able to survive in the fast moving