THIS SATURDAY BOAT ON THE CHARLES WITH A MISSION

On Saturday, July 21^st between 10 AM and 2 PM the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) invites people of all ages to help remove water chestnut, an invasive exotic weed, from the river.   CRWA, in cooperation with Charles River Canoe & Kayak, is providing free boats, gathering baskets and maps to volunteers.  Meet at 2401 Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30), Newton, MA 02466 to get started.  If you have your own boat, please consider participating as well.

“This Saturday, CRWA hopes to get the majority of weeds pulled, but additional hand-pulling will continue for the next few weeks and for many years to come,” explained CRWA Executive Director Bob Zimmerman.  A group of Newton and Waltham residents will help volunteers get started on shorelines and in the shallow areas of the Lakes District of the Charles River, where weeds are not easily eradicated by mechanical harvesters.  Volunteers should wear old clothes, work gloves (seeds have spikes) and bring plenty of water and sun screen.

Removing these plants in the next few weeks is critical before the seeds mature and drop to the bottom of the river.   One plant can produce up to 120 seeds and the seeds already in the river can last up to twelve years.   In the deeper waters the dense growth is being removed with mechanical harvesters thanks to the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) contracting of

Aquatic Control Technology, Inc, (ACT) for $125,000.  This Saturday, ACT is donating their staff and two harvesters to assist volunteers with weed collection.

Water chestnut (not the kind used in Asian cooking) choked a substantial portion of the Lakes District of the Charles River during the mid/late 1990’s.  The aquatic plant forms a dense vegetative mat on the water surface, driving out native plants, reducing light penetration, depleting oxygen and/or damaging fish habitat, and is a safety hazard for boating.  For eight years between 1995 and 2002 CRWA spearheaded efforts to remove the water chestnuts, and the Metropolitan District Commission contracted for a comprehensive program of mechanical harvesting and manual hand-pulling of this highly invasive weed.  Most of the area was cleared and the majority of the river is relatively weed-free.  For the past four years, both individually and as groups, Newton and Waltham residents have hand-pulled many weeds from several coves and along the river’s shore. The water chestnut has never completely disappeared and several areas have now become heavily infested again. 

This event is taking place rain or shine, and volunteers will be invited to a potluck celebration later that day. Please contact Larry at 617-965-5110 or Rebecca at 781-788-0007 x200 or visit www.charlesriver.org or www.paddleboston.com for more information.