The Flagging Program is Back!
CHARLES RIVER BASIN– The Flagging Program is back! The go-to resource for safe recreation on the Charles River, the Flagging Program provides live water quality updates through a system of color-coded flags to indicate boating safety between Watertown and Boston.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the partnership between Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Community Rowing, Inc (CRI). Since 2007, our dawn-rising water quality monitors have launched from the docks of CRI to sample at five locations in the Lower Basin to closely monitor water quality. This partnership with Community Rowing is essential to CRWA’s River Science Program and helps educate the boating community and protect public health.
The Flagging Program provides a comprehensive picture of recreation risks for boaters—warning of sewage overflows, cyanobacteria advisories, and E. Coli contamination that could make boating unsafe. Using a predictive model that analyzes precipitation forecasts, and verified by weekly on-the-river samples, the Flagging Program is a highly effective resource to help boaters make informed decisions about how to stay safe before heading out on the water.
"There's nothing like being in a narrow rowing shell on the Charles River to get you up close and personal with the wildlife, the weather—and the water quality! Most of the time the boat stays up and stable, but occasionally there are unforeseen forces that cause the boat to ‘flip.’ That's why the Flagging Program is so critical to rowers, especially those who have health or immune issues like rheumatoid arthritis,” says Charlotte Pierce, producer of Ready, Row! USA podcast and A Watershed Moment. “I have Community Rowing rowing friends who watch the flags carefully since immersion could put them at risk during a red flag period. This is why many CRI rowers volunteer and contribute to the work of the Charles River Watershed Association– a clean and safe Charles River is important to all of us!"
For CRI, the Flagging Program is essential for keeping rowers safe on the water. "CRI is a safety-first organization," said Ted Benford, Executive Director of Community Rowing. "While we usually think of safety in the context of injury prevention or bad weather, public health risks from exposure to poor water quality are just as important. We continue to be grateful and proud to have CRWA's Flagging Program launch from CRI for the fifteenth year."
On the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the Clean Water Act, the Flagging Program also serves as an essential reminder that the full power and promise of this revolutionary law has yet to be fulfilled. Since its passage in 1972, we have witnessed the transformation of our river—no longer the Dirty Water of the past but again a beautiful, living river filled with wildlife, recreation opportunities, and activity. We celebrate this considerable success, but know the work is far from over. The Flagging Program shows that public health is still routinely compromised—by discharges of raw sewage directly into the Charles River, dangerous cyanobacteria blooms, and stormwater pollution—all of which will only worsen as climate change impacts our watershed. The Flagging Program is an important reminder that this vital natural resource that provides us with scenic beauty, recreation opportunities, and respite from our busy urban centers requires endless, loving vigilance to protect and preserve it for future generations.
“Our Flagging Program serves two purposes,” said Emily Norton, CRWA Executive Director. “It allows people to be informed on a day to day basis about the health risks of being out on the water, but it also reminds people that the work of cleaning up the Charles is not over. We are working toward the day when a Flagging program is unnecessary because every day is a blue flag day, but we’re not there yet.”
You can find Flagging Program updates through red flags flown at twelve participating boathouses, CRWA’s website, our Water Quality Alerts newsletter, and the Flagging Program Twitterbot. In addition, starting this year, Community Rowing boaters will be able to see live water quality results on the new digital monitor in the lobby.
Charles River Watershed Association’s mission is to protect, restore and enhance the Charles River and its watershed through science, advocacy, and the law. CRWA develops science-based strategies to increase resilience, protect public health, and promote environmental equity as we confront a changing climate.
Community Rowing Inc. (CRI) was founded in 1985 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the belief that the sport of rowing provides unique opportunities to promote personal and community growth through teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness. We invite individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, and experience to grow through rowing.
Contacts:
Julia Hopkins
Communications & Outreach Manager
Charles River Watershed Association
(617) 540-5650 x1071
Madison Wolters
Media and Communication Manager
Community Rowing Inc.
(857) 321-1878
