RIVER CURRENT
Your source for the latest news, updates, & events.
Charles River Watershed Association Hosts the Watertown Dam Herring Festival
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is thrilled to announce the 2024 Watertown Dam Herring Festival, which will take place on June 8th, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Watertown Dam, 64 Pleasant Street. This exciting event will feature live music, community art activities, an Indigenous performance, and engaging activities suitable for all ages.
Charles River Watershed Association Announces New Board Members and Staff (PRESS RELEASE)
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is pleased to announce the addition of several new board members and staff to its growing team.
Bill Golden to be Honored at Charles River Watershed Association Annual Meeting (PRESS RELEASE)
Charles River Watershed Association is honoring former State Senator Bill Golden at the group’s 58th Annual Meeting on March 27. Mr. Golden is being awarded the Anne M. Blackburn Award, the group’s premier lifetime achievement award for individuals who have demonstrated dedication and leadership toward achieving a cleaner and healthier Charles River, its watershed, and our natural environment.
CRWA applauds federal funding, calls for health, resilience improvements to Allston Multimodal Project (PRESS RELEASE)
“Let’s build this project, but let’s build it right, with a 2024 mindset, not a 1950s highway mindset,” said Emily Norton, CRWA Executive Director. “Having twelve lanes of highway between Allston and the Charles River is not better access to the river, it will be better access to extreme heat, air pollution, and noise.”
Charles River Watershed Association Announces $600K Climate Resiliency Grant from Barr Foundation (PRESS RELEASE)
Charles River Watershed Association is pleased to announce the organization is the recipient of a generous $600K climate resiliency grant from Barr Foundation which will support our continued work to prepare communities for climate impacts.
Charles River Watershed Association Celebrates Climate Chief Hoffer’s Recommendations, Calls for Watershed Planning and Restoration (PRESS STATEMENT)
We are pleased to see first-in-the-nation Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer’s urgent report, which outlines dozens of recommendations for state action to coordinate efforts across agencies to meet the Commonwealth’s ambitious climate goals and reduce emissions.
New Resilient Mass Plan Charts Path to Climate Resilient Future! (STATEMENT)
We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration for developing the 2023 Resilient Mass plan to chart the course to a more climate-resilient Commonwealth!
Exciting New Bill Promises to Generate $55 Million Annually to Address Inequities in Access to Outdoor Recreation & Bolster Climate Resilience (PRESS RELEASE)
Many communities in Massachusetts enjoy a wealth of year-round outdoor recreational opportunities, yet stark disparities exist in access to outdoor recreation––underserved and Environmental Justice communities see fewer investments in parks, trails, and open spaces.
Wetlands Abloom, and Exciting News for Preserving Biodiversity
Did you know wetlands hold over 40% of the world's biodiversity? At this point in the summer, our watershed's wetlands are awash with life––filled with lush greenery, blooms, and birdsong
Momentum Building for Bill to Regulate Pesticide Use on Public Properties (PRESS RELEASE)
CRWA is pleased to report that An Act Relative to Pesticides (H.825/S.487), sponsored by Representative James Hawkins and Senator Paul Feeney, has received a favorable vote by the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and has moved to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Amid Devastating Flooding, Dam Failure in Leominster, Four Things the State Can Do Right Now
Amid widespread, devastating flooding in Leominster, the collapse of Brooks Pond Dam, and the evacuation of the Barrett Park Pond Dam, we again urge the state to make it a priority of the Commonwealth and the Secretary to remove defunct dams and protect residents from catastrophic flooding.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey, EPA, State, and Watershed Associations to Announce Annual Water Quality Report Cards for Three Boston Rivers (PRESS RELEASE)
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined U.S. Senator Ed Markey, Charles River Watershed Association, Mystic River Watershed Association, Neponset River Watershed Association, state and local leaders, and community partners to announce the 2022 Water Quality Report Card Grades for the three rivers that flow into Boston Harbor––the Neponset, the Charles, and the Mystic.
Numerous Combined-Sewer Overflows (CSOs)in the Charles River Due to Heavy Rain
This past weekend, heavy rainfall caused seven combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to discharge untreated sewage for nearly 5 hours in the Charles River. This comes on the heels of the release of nearly 9 million gallons of sewage the weekend prior.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey, EPA, State, and Watershed Associations to Announce Annual Water Quality Report Cards for Three Boston Rivers (MEDIA ADVISORY)
On August 3, 2023, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will join U.S. Senator Ed Markey, Charles River Watershed Association, Mystic River Watershed Association, Neponset River Watershed Association, state and local leaders, and community partners to announce the 2022 Water Quality Report Card Grades for the three rivers that flow into Boston Harbor––the Neponset, the Charles, and the Mystic.
MONDAY: WHIP CLARK TO HIGHLIGHT FEDERAL INVESTMENTS IN NATICK FLOOD MITIGATION
CRWA Applauds Healey-Driscoll Administration for $5.6 Million for Defunct Dam Removal–Including $250K for Natick!
Charles River Watershed Association applauds the Healey-Driscoll Administration for expediting $5.6 million in state funding to protect communities from the hazards of catastrophic dam failure. This includes $250K for the Town of Natick to advance the removal of the Charles River Dam in South Natick.
Court denies EPA’s attempt to dismiss CLF, CRWA lawsuit on stormwater pollution (PRESS STATEMENT)
This week, a judge denied the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) motion to dismiss a suit filed by Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) that aims to hold EPA accountable for implementing stormwater runoff protections in the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset River watersheds.
New Designs for Medway Schools Will Help Reduce Stormwater Pollution in the Charles River
Charles River Watershed Association and Town of Medway have completed designs for green stormwater infrastructure at Medway High School and Middle School to restore river health and make Medway more resilient to climate change.
Legislature Considering Expansion of Popular Climate Change Readiness Program (PRESS RELEASE)
An Act to incentivize the adoption of local climate resilience policies (S.599), known as the MVP+ Bill and sponsored by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton), establishes an MVP Trust Fund to increase program capacity and creates an additional category of MVP+ communities,
Supreme Court Slashes Clean Water Act Protections
In today’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the court radically redefined which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act, leaving nearly 51% of wetlands and 18% of streams without protections nationwide.