2023 Report Card Grades — how did your favorite part of the Charles rank?

WATER QUALITY REPORT CARD

On August 23, 2024, CRWA gathered with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 Water Division Director Ken Moraff, Mystic River Watershed Association, Neponset River Watershed Association, state and local leaders, and community partners to announce the 2023 Water Quality Report Card Grades for the three rivers that flow into Boston Harbor––the Neponset, the Charles, and the Mystic. 

Since 1995, U.S. EPA has issued the annual Charles River Report Card to report the recreational health of the Charles River. The 2023 Report Card Grades, which range from A to F, show vast overall improvements compared to prior decades, yet illuminate how the weather extremes of drought, heat, and increased precipitation impact river health, safe recreation, and enjoyment of these rivers, at a time when residents rely on them most.

TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE GRADES!

GRADES BY STRETCH:

WHAT DO THE GRADES TELL US?

Based on our data collected by community science volunteers, the report card grades show the percentage of time public health hazards like E.Coli bacteria, sewer overflows, and cyanobacteria blooms impede safe recreation in four river sections and two tributaries, the Stop River and Muddy River.

In the Charles River, grades ranged from A-’s in the Upper Middle and Lower Middle watershed, B’s in the Stop River Tributary, Upper Watershed, and Lower Basin, and a C in the Muddy River, following trends observed across recent years. More urbanized, paved areas consistently see lower grades due to stormwater pollution while greener, more forested areas of the watershed are swimmable on most days.

CLIMATE CHANGE STALLS PROGRESS

Greater Boston is already seeing the effects of climate change––impacts of increased precipitation, drought, heat, and stronger storms threaten to stall the progress made toward swimmable urban rivers. In the three highly urbanized watersheds, with over 80% impervious cover in some communities, the scale and consequences of heavier rainfall and extreme weather are stark, resulting in more stormwater pollution, frequent combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and flooding. In 2023, heavy rains caused 39 Combined Sewer Overflows, releasing 72 million gallons of sewage into the Charles River. That’s the equivalent of 109 Olympic swimming pools full of sewage.

IS IT SAFE TO SWIM IN THE CHARLES?

The short answer is… sometimes. And in wet weather, generally no.

Public health hazards like bacteria pollution from stormwater, sewer overflows, and dangerous cyanobacteria blooms continue to make swimming and boating unsafe in many sections of the Charles River. CSOs directly restricted recreation on the Charles River for roughly an entire month in 2023.

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?

“What these grades show is that progress has stalled. We don’t accept that and we don’t think the public should either. The Clean Water Act promised fishable, swimmable rivers by 1983. US EPA’s Clean Charles Initiative promised a swimmable Charles by 2005. Promises have been made but not kept. Cities and towns must reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff they are discharging, and Cambridge, Boston, Somerville and the MWRA have to end sewage releases. We can achieve a swimmable Charles in all its segments but we need the public to help us bring more pressure on decision-makers to make the necessary investments.” said Emily Norton, Executive Director at Charles River Watershed Association.

We advocate for a clean, resilient, swimmable Charles River in all aspects of our work––one way is building nature-based solutions like green infrastructure in cities and towns to keep pollution out of the river and build climate resilience. Other options to eliminate CSOs include separating combined pipes or building underground storage to hold stormwater or combined sewage. But none of these will happen to the extent needed for a healthy Charles unless decision-makers hear that the public supports the necessary investments to do so.

We urge you to join our ‘Cut the Crap’ campaign to help us put an end to combined sewer overflows and take a step towards a swimmable Charles River.

We’ve made great strides, let’s finish the job!