Huge Victory for the Charles River!

After years of advocacy from CRWA + Conservation Law Foundation – including the threat of litigation – US EPA will now require certain large private property owners to do their share and manage their own stormwater, reducing pollution in Boston's three urban rivers; the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset.

This is a first-in-the-nation big deal. Stormwater pollution is the greatest threat to healthy urban rivers, carrying excess phosphorus and nitrogen that causes toxic cyanobacteria blooms, rampant invasive species growth, and fish kills.

Large impervious surfaces, including big box stores and malls, only make up 20% of our watershed, yet are the source of up to 70% of the stormwater pollution according to EPA.

This is a big win for our rivers! Read our press release and check out coverage on WBUR and WGBH.