2021 Charles River Report Card
The 2021 Report Card Grades are in! From A’s in the middle reaches (Sherborn to Waltham) to a C- in Boston’s Muddy River, the takeaway is that some stretches of the river are relatively healthy while others, particularly in more urbanized sections of the watershed, are not.
In Summer 2021, due to a record thirty-five inches of rain, fifty-three combined-sewer overflows discharged over 126 million gallons of sewage and stormwater straight into the Charles River, untreated. That's about the volume of 36 Olympic-sized swimming pools. This dropped the Lower Basin’s grade, from a “B” to a “B-” for 2021.
This year, we celebrate 50 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act, the landmark legislation that called for all waterways in the country to be “fishable and swimmable” by 1983. The Charles is inarguably cleaner than it was in 1972, and we are proud of the role that we have played, with your vital support, but the work is far from over.
Climate change is bringing more intense rainstorms, extreme heat, and drought, which means more “combined sewer overflow” events; more cyanobacteria blooms; more stormwater runoff; and more threats to public health. We must rise to these challenges, together, to restore water quality and achieve a fishable, swimmable Charles River for future generations.
Wonder how your favorite stretch of the Charles fared? Dive into that Dirty Water! Explore the 2021 Charles River Report Card StoryMap, read the Three Rivers Report Card, and find the full press release on our website. And, learn more in the widespread press coverage from WBUR, WGBH, Boston Globe, Boston.com, NBC 10, WCVB, POLITICO, Water Environment Federation, Boston Patch, and Your Arlington.
