Monthly e-news from Charles River Watershed Association, an internationally-recognized leader in sustainable river management. Learn more at
www.charlesriver.org
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Toxic Blue-Green Algae in the Charles: Advisory Lifted
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On July 24 we issued a public health advisory for toxic algae found in the Charles River between the BU Bridge and the Museum of Science. We are happy to report the public health advisory has been rescinded.
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Investigating Recent Fish Kill
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You may have seen the
news
of a fish kill by the Charles River Dam locks. We believe, based on readings from the EPA water gauge, that the fish kill was worsened by low oxygen levels in the water, a result of algae bloom organic matter and extreme heat. “People don’t think of temperature as a pollutant, but temperature drives so much in a native environment,” CRWA Deputy Director Julie Wood said in
an interview
on the subject with
The
Boston Globe
. “Our summers are longer, hotter, and dryer—none of that is good for healthy river environments.”
These events are expected to increase with climate change impacts, but there are preemptive solutions we can put in place to lessen effects.
Green infrastructure
is the most impactful solution, as it keeps phosphorus (a nutrient cyanobacteria thrives on) from running off roadways and into the river.
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In July, the Senate and House passed a budget for FY20 that increases funds for three of our top river-related budget priorities! This is the second year of significant increases for top funding priorities.
See this summary from our friends at Mass Rivers
for more details. Also, special thanks to Newton State Senator Cynthia Creem and Newton State Representative Kay Khan for securing $350,000 to fund removal of invasive plants in the Charles River.
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Attending CRWA's
Champions of the Charles
Gala
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Our 7th Annual
Champions of the Charles
Gala is coming soon! Please join us for a magical night to advance our mission of protecting and restoring the Charles River on Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 pm under the Washburn Pavilion tent at the Museum of Science.
We look forward to honoring Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu for her tireless advocacy to make Boston a leader on climate change and WBUR for their dedication to sound environmental reporting. View
sponsorship opportunities
or
purchase tickets
now.
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Touring the I-90/Allston Intermodal Project Site
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CRWA and other members of the
Allston Multimodal Task Force
participated in a site walk of the I-90/Allston Intermodal Project led by MassDOT on Tuesday, July 30. While we support the final design that was chosen for replacing the Mass Pike viaduct
—
elevating Soldiers Field Road over the westbound Pike
—
we now want to ensure that the project yields maximum benefits to the Charles River and its parklands. This includes restoring aquatic and riparian habitat, reducing or fully eliminating stormwater runoff that currently discharges to the River, planning for precipitation-based inland flooding that is anticipated based on current and expected climate change impacts, and
more
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Implementing Stormwater Solutions
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Our Rita Barron Fellow, Delilah Bethel, led a stormwater walking tour at Magazine Beach with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program of Cambridge, a group founded to provide young people ages 14+ with job experience and exposure to the workforce. She demonstrated how stormwater currently pulls pollution into the Charles, discussed how green infrastructure can reduce runoff and improve river health, and touched on the various projects CRWA has had a hand in over the years. The outing ended with a bingo game, created by our watershed science intern James Fernandes, where the group walked along Magazine Beach and crossed off items that were incorporated into the tour.
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Free Fun Friday on the Charles River
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CRWA’s 2nd Annual Free Fun Friday on the Charles River was a huge success! We had 1,200 participants this year, up from 900 last year. Families enjoyed free canoeing and kayaking with Paddle Boston, fishing lessons with MassWildlife, storytime with Raising a Reader, hands-on demonstrations at CRWA Scientist for a Day stations, and more! We look forward to hosting similar events in the future to advance our mission of accessibility to the Charles River for all communities.
Many thanks to Highland Street Foundation & Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation for their support.
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Charles River Party (On the Docks)
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A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Charles River Party (On the Docks)! We had a beautiful evening of delicious food, refreshing drinks, and great tunes. Together, we raised $16,720, which will fund our work to improve water quality, reduce stormwater runoff, remove invasive plants, and more. A special thank you to our Charles River Party gold sponsor, M&T Bank, and sponsors Aperol Spritz, Citizen Cider, Espolòn Tequila, KEEL Vodka, Samuel Adams, and Sasaki, for their support of a Clean Charles, and our photographer Edwin Laporte.
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Parks and Rec Trivia Night
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COVEN for Good hosted a
Parks and Rec
trivia night at
Wit’s End
to benefit the Charles River Watershed Association last week. (We boast that our Executive Director, Emily Norton, is a real-life Leslie Knope, which may be why our team won.) Thanks to COVEN, we were able to raise over $1,000! Proceeds will help support CRWA’s science and advocacy to protect and preserve the Charles River and its watershed.
For more charity trivia nights, follow
@COVENforgood
on social media.
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It’s that time of year again where we have to say farewell to the watershed science interns who have helped CRWA run smoothly! We’re sad to see them go, but wish them all the best in their future pursuits and hope to see them again soon.
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“Through this internship, I have been able to work on real-world issues that impact my life, like the I-90 project.”
During her time at CRWA,
Rose Determan
worked closely with our Director of Watershed Resilience, Pallavi Mande, on Building Blue projects like creating a framework resource and assisting with the
I-90/Allston Intermodal Project
, as well as stepping in to help with water quality and algae bloom sampling.
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“I most enjoyed the field work; being able to see what you are working for is important, so you can connect the spreadsheets and data with the actual river that we are pulling these numbers from.”
James Fernandes
championed water quality issues at CRWA this summer, performing sampling for our Water Quality Notification Program and recording cyanobacteria blooms. Summer is a busy time of recreation, and his assistance in these programs provides safety and further education about the challenges facing the Charles River.
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CRWA is excited to have
Glauco Cavina
continue his work here in an extended internship. He has been busy at work with our Milford Project, which will install green infrastructure in the town to treat stormwater runoff.
Want to be a CRWA Intern or know an exceptional candidate? Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Learn more
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Annual Green Concert | Wednesday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Boston Landmarks Orchestra and the New England Aquarium present a moving and thought-provoking orchestral program paired with videos of the environmental impacts of climate change. Come swing by CRWA's table before the concert! Rain date August 15.
Learn more.
Volunteer with CRC | Saturday, August 24 from 9:00 - 12:00 p.m.
"Plogging" Cleanup along the Charles | Saturday, August 24 at 9:30 a.m.
Join Waltham Land Trust for a trash pick up along the Charles River, in coordination with the Waltham Trail Runners, where we will take a crack at “
plogging
," the Swedish fitness craze combining jogging and picking up litter. We'll walk and/or jog down to the river via Moody street and remove trash along the road and river trail. You can go at your own pace and cover up to 2 miles. Gloves and bags provided. Please dress to be outside and bring water if you need it. The event will last 1-2 hours depending on how much trash we encounter. Please
email Natalie
if you plan to come so we have enough supplies.
Learn more
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Guided Bird Walk on the Esplanade | Wednesday, August 28 at 8:00 a.m.
The Esplanade Association, in partnership with
Feminist Bird Club
, will be leading a leisurely guided bird walk along the park. This event will be great for beginners and experts alike! We will walk around 1 mile, identifying birds and learning how to use binoculars and field guides. No prior birding experience is necessary and everyone is welcome; jumpstart your day with some birding!
Click here for more information.
Champions of the Charles
Gala | Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Please join us for a magical night under the Washburn Pavilion tent at the Museum of Science to advance our mission of protecting and restoring the Charles River. We look forward to honoring
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu
for her tireless advocacy to make Boston a leader on climate change, and
WBUR
for their dedication to sound environmental reporting.
Learn more.
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Charles River Watershed Association
| www.crwa.org
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