The grades are in–see how water quality fared in your favorite section of the Charles River!
DID YOUR FAVORITE SECTION OF THE CHARLES MAKE THE GRADE?
In August, we joined with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator David Cash, U.S. Senator Ed Markey, 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.
Since 1995, U.S. EPA issues the annual Charles River Report Card to report the recreational health of the Charles RIver. The 2022 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!
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 and middle watershed, B’s in the headwaters 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. Drought and heat also negatively impact water quality––resulting in more concentrated pollution and more intense, frequent cyanobacteria blooms.
SO 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.
“People keep asking us, ‘Paris is making the Seine swimmable in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics…why can’t we swim in the Charles?’ And that’s a reasonable question! The Clean Water Act called for fishable, swimmable rivers by 1983. EPA announced in 1995 that we’d have a swimmable Charles by 2005. Yet here we are,” says Executive Director Emily Norton. “Climate change is bringing summers of 95, 100 degrees… but Boston region, where the bulk of the population lives, is not safe to swim, up to half the time. That’s just unacceptable.”
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
“The job is not done until our urban residents can cool off on a hot summer day by jumping or wading into the refreshing waters of a clean river,” says Executive Director Emily Norton.
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 + towns to keep pollution out of the river and build climate resilience.
Green Infrastructure are urban design solutions that mimic the natural water cycle to stop runoff from polluting rivers and flooding homes, as well as make neighborhoods more resilient to climate change, create wildlife habitat, cool our neighborhoods, and beautify public spaces. Green infrastructure comes in many forms—rain gardens, permeable pavement, infiltration chambers, and tree trenches.
