A group of paddlers from the Shawsheen River Watershed Association had a ball on Saturday, May 11, after they found a discarded exercise ball on the banks of the Shawsheen River in Billerica.
The extremes of weather the region has experienced in recent years have posed challenges to keeping area waterways clean, but local watershed associations said infrastructure improvements could help keep rivers clean in the future.
BILLERICA Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to the paddle season, and kayakers launching onto the Shawsheen River for the first time since last year may notice that a boat launch in Billerica has a new name.