CHARLES RIVER MUNICIPAL PHOSPHORUS REDUCTION PROGRAM


	Cyanobacteria bloom in the Lower Charles River

Background

Phosphorus has been identified as a primary pollutant of concern in the Charles River. Excessive phosphorus levels currently contribute to eutrophic conditions throughout the watershed, explosive growth of aquatic weeds, widespread blooms of floating and benthic algae, and potentially toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Phosphorus pollution in the Charles is a serious environmental and public health problem, contributing to water quality problems, loss of habitat, ecosystem alterations, negative impacts on recreation, and public health threats from toxic cyanobacteria (commonly called blue green algae) blooms. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Lower Charles River Basin, approved in 2007, demonstrated the need to reduce phosphorus loading to the River by 52% in order to meet water quality standards.

Project Goals

CRWA hopes to work with watershed municipalities to accomplish the following:

Work toward the TMDL reduction goal by changing existing fertilizer use and application methods to reduce phosphorus pollution in the Charles River and its tributaries
Change landscape maintenance practices, especially for municipal playing fields, to reduce phosphorus in stormwater runoff
Change operation and maintenance practices at Department of Public Works (DPW) facilities to reduce phosphorus pollution, and
Strengthen Conservation Commission’s Orders of Conditions for phosphorus control measures on private projects in their jurisdiction

Workshops

CRWA hosted two workshops for watershed municipal officials on strategies and methods for reducing the amount of phosphorus that enters the River through stormwater runoff. Workshop presentations focused on a variety of phosphorus reduction strategies including no phosphorous fertilizers, street sweeping, municipal vegetation management programs, and stormwater “Good Housekeeping” for municipalities.

For more information on the workshops, click on the links below:

Trainings

CRWA and our project partner StormWater Compliance, LLC. are conducting in-depth trainings for the Town of Wrentham and the City of Newton. These trainings are intended to provide additional detail on phosphorus reduction techniques for municipal staff in the Parks and Recreation and the Public Works Departments. Click here for more information about these in-depth trainings.

Future Work

CRWA will work with Conservation Commissions to discuss methods of strengthening Orders of Conditions for projects in the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (and applicable local by-laws) and reduce phosphorus pollution from projects they review. .

For more information

Please contact Pallavi Mande if you would like more information about this project.

Support for this project provided by:

Updated September 2011