CRWA in the News

Spring brings families to the Charles

By Steve Capoccia, Hometown Weekly Correspondent

Needham Hometown Weekly, Thursday, April 16, 2009

With the exciting combination of spring and the Boston Marathon, local roads are dotted with a surge of runners, some of whom are veterans of the 26-mile race that starts in Hopkinton and finishes in Copley Square.

There is another 'marathon' route that also begins in Hopkinton and winds through other communities, but ends just a little further east in the Boston Harbor.

Called "Quinobequin" by Native Americans, a name that means meandering, the
Charles River rambles some 80 miles to its finish line, and along the way it offers a boatload of family recreational opportunities.

As the generally slow-moving river passes through Medfield, Sherborn, Dover, and Needham, there are several easily accessed locations where families can launch a canoe, or kayak.

Like any recreational outdoor sport involving boating, families need to prepare for the outing ahead of time.

"You want to wear layered clothing, as it can be chillier than it is on land in the early spring," said Rebecca Scibek Wickham, Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator for the Charles River Watershed Association located in Weston. "Everyone, should have flotation devices, and children under 12 need to wear them," said Wickham.

She also suggested bringing mosquito repellent, water and snacks.

Inexperienced paddlers should start their journey against the flow of the river, "that way when you get tired you can return to where you started more easily by following the current," explained Wickham.

In the spring, with the winter snow melt and April showers, the river can run a little faster than its characteristically slow pace.

"Paddlers need to be aware that around and under bridges, the river can run pretty fast and make for a challenging paddle," Wickham said.

With spring rains comes run-off and it can cause heightened bacteria levels in the river that reminds sports and music fans alike of the 1960's song, "Dirty Water", with its short verse that runs, "Down by the River...down by the banks of the River CharlesÉThat's where you'll find meÉ I love that dirty water. Oh oh, Boston, you're my home."

The Charles River Watershed Association, however, has worked for many years to improve the water quality of the river.

"The EPA rates river water quality and gives the Charles a 100 for boating out of a possible 100 percent, as compared to 1995 when it was rated at 39," said Wickham.

Known for its tea color, which is caused by plant vegetation that steeps in the slow moving water, the river is generally from five to eight feet deep between Medfield and Dover, and it increases to five to nine feet through Needham, and finally attains a depth of about 25 feet in Boston.

For families that have access to a canoe and paddles there are a number of public launch areas to choose from. Causeway Street on the Medfield-Millis line, is one, another is on the Medfield and Sherborn border by the Route 27 bridge and a third is next to the Farm Road bridge on the Sherborn, Dover line. Elm Bank at the Mass Horticultural site in Natick, and the Charles River Peninsula near Fisher Street, off Central Street in Needham are other good locations.

Canoe rentals are available from Charles River Canoe and Kayak near the Marriot Hotel in Newton and on the Medfield-Millis line by Upriver Outfitters.

For families with a competitive streak, The Charles River Watershed Association sponsors an annual 24-mile canoe and kayak race that starts on the Needham, Dedham line and ends in Brighton called the Run of the Charles. This year's race date is April 26th and a river clean-up day is held on April 25th with additional volunteers being sought by the organization that can be found on the Web at www.crwa.org. The canoe race is the largest in the US and attracts some 1500 paddlers of all age groups and expertise.