CRWA in the NewsWeeding the CharlesArmed with laundry baskets, canoes and determination, local residents of Newton and Waltham will take to the Charles River tomorrow morning to do their part in ridding the waters of invasive weeds. Rick Scales, who lives along the river in Waltham, will be one of several neighbors who will pull water chestnuts out of the shallow areas of the river by hand. "People want to go out and enjoy the river," Scales said. "They (the water chestnuts) prohibit going into these beautiful coves and enjoying them." The large mechanical harvesting machines commissioned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation cannot pick up all of the water chestnuts in the river, especially those in shallow areas. To finish the job local residents are invited to pitch in. The Charles River Watershed Association is teaming up with Charles River Canoe & Kayak to provide free boats, gathering baskets, and maps of the Charles to volunteers. The group will meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Charles River Canoe & Kayak, 2401 Commonwealth Ave., Newton. The combination of state-funded mechanical harvesting and volunteer hand pulling is expected to restart a yearly clean up program to prevent the water chestnuts from harming the river. The weed pulling party will end with a pot luck celebration later in the day at a resident's home. If the invasive plants do not get harvested in the next few weeks, seeds will mature and drop to the bottom of the river. One plant can produce up to 120 seeds; seeds already in the river can last up to 12 years, according to statistics from the association. "This Saturday, the Charles River Watershed Association hopes to get the majority of weeds pulled, but additional hand pulling will continue the next few weeks and for many years to come," said Bob Zimmerman, the association's executive director. Larry Smith lives along the river in Newton. As president of Charles River Canoe & Kayak, he uses the river for business and recreation, on a regular basis. He will be helping volunteers sign out canoes tomorrow for the pulling. "It's important that we are doing the harvesting this year since the water chestnut grows exponentially," said Smith, adding that in the past the weeds have closed off portions of the river, causing safety issues. "It can prevent you from getting back to shore." For more information about tomorrow's event, visit www.charlesriver.org. Nicole Haley can be reached at nhaley@cnc.com or 781-398-8004.
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