• Annual Meeting: Postponed, date to be determined.
• Charles River Cleanup: Postponed until Fall 2020.
• Run of the Charles: Cancelled.
• Education and outreach visits: Suspended until May 4.
• Office: Closed, our staff is working from home until further notice.

• The Trump Administration has proposed drastic rollbacks to one of the country’s most important environmental laws, the National Environmental Policy Act, commonly known as NEPA. CRWA joined over 300 advocacy groups from across the U.S. in opposing these changes. We also submitted our own comments explaining how NEPA has played, and continues to play, a critical role in projects with the Charles River watershed, including the I-90 Allston Interchange project.

• MassDEP released its proposed drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals. Surface waters, groundwater, and drinking water are integrally connected, and PFAS pose significant threats to ecological and human health in our watershed communities. We are glad MassDEP is taking action on this important public health concern and we urged the agency to consider setting additional limits on PFAS levels in surface waters in addition to drinking water.

• CRWA Aquatic Scientist, Lisa Kumpf, presented at the Local Environmental Action conference in early March on climate resilience and what actions can be taken at a local level to build a resilient future for plants, animals, and people alike.

• As one of our last in-person meetings, we attended Norfolk Climate Planning workshop last Wednesday to assist with the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program. Now, 33 of the 35 watershed cities and towns have begun the grant process!

• CRWA recently began a project with the Town of Medway to identify infiltration opportunities on town-owned land, and will complete preliminary designs for green infrastructure to replenish the Town’s groundwater resources.

• CRWA met with State Representatives Mike Moran and Alice Peisch in March to discuss our legislative priorities, which include public notification of sewer overflows, climate adaptation, statewide drought management, and the Public Lands Preservation Act. We also discussed our concerns with the I-90 Allston multimodal project and the proposed transfer of several parkways, including Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road, from DCR to MassDOT.

• Study after study shows that spending time in nature can improve physical and psychological well-being. We hope you are spending some of your social distancing time outdoors on the many trails (and waterways) the Charles River has to offer!

• While we’re all escaping to nature for some fresh air during these trying times, it’s a good idea to review fish consumption advisories—it is still not safe to eat fish from the Charles, but catch and release fishing is a safe way to spend time social distancing.

• “In these times when we’re confronting a major health crisis, the addition of health hazards created by clogged pipes and blocked sewers are situations we don’t need and that are quite avoidable.” Boston Water and Sewer Commission reminds us—don’t flush anything other than toilet paper!

• Take the Blue Sky Over MA challenge to advocate for clean water and net zero carbon emissions! Fight the climate crisis with pollution-free lawns, town by town. Learn more.

• Neponset River Watershed Association is partnering with Greater Boston Trout Unlimited to track the health of the Neponset River’s cold-water streams and the trout who call them home—but they’re in need of volunteers! Get involved.

• CRWA’s MS4 Permit Workshop, originally scheduled for April 1, has been postponed. We plan to conduct these later in the year in-person or virtually.

• Most events have been cancelled through April. We hope you and your family stay safe and healthy during these times!