WATER QUALITY

A Cleaner Charles River Campaign 

Update: January 2006

Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with CRWA and Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) in 2005, DCR has made significant improvements to their stormwater management program, though funding remains a significant challenge.  In addition to completing an inventory of their system, increasing street sweeping and catch basin cleaning, and undertaking several significant repair and upgrade projects, DCR has implemented several pilot Low Impact Development (LID) pilot projects throughout the state.  Visit DCR's website for more information.

Campaign: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - Friday, April 29, 2005
Budget debate begins next week, so please call your legislator this week!

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which manages over 675,000 acres of land in Massachusetts, is violating the Clean Water Act by being out of compliance with federal permit regulations regarding stormwater management. Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is calling for the legislature to adopt Amendment #1216 for the FY06 budget that would give the DCR funding to create a comprehensive stormwater plan, as well as reduce the amount of polluted stormwater they are currently discharging by taking care of some of the most basic "house-keeping" practices on DCR land. 

We urge you to call your state representative and ask them to both support Amendment #1216 in the FY06 budget, as well as ask them to encourage the Speaker of the House, Sal DiMasi, to take up the Amendment.

You can also call the Speaker yourself and ask him to take up the Amendment with the House. Salvatore (Sal) DiMasi: 617-722-2500. You can ask for the staff person who works on environmental issues, Judy Lester, or just leave a message for the Speaker.

Some talking points for your call:

Why DCR needs funding for stormwater management in particular:
Stormwater management really matters. Think of Storrow Drive after a heavy rain, as cars drive through huge puddles and throw sheets of polluted water up onto the park, which eventually drains to the Charles; or the Jamaicaway, where collapsed curbs funnel torrents of water into the Emerald Necklace, eroding the park and filling the Muddy River with silt. Imagine the parking lot for your favorite state park, its dirty stormwater flowing right into the pond where you will swim this summer.

Because stormwater runoff causes so much pollution, it is regulated by the EPA. Like many cities and towns across Massachusetts, DCR is required to manage its stormwater so that it doesn't violate water quality standards. Unfortunately, DCR is not up to the task. The agency hasn't met even the most basic requirements of EPA's stormwater permitting program. Street sweeping is done rarely, if at all; catch basins are allowed to fill up completely with sediment, causing streets to flood and parklands and river banks to erode; DCR hasn't even completed a map of its storm drains, which is essential to understanding the problem and the most basic of the stormwater management tasks required by EPA.

Why focus on the Department of Conservation and Recreation?
DCR controls a significant amount of land in the state. Their 675,000 acres are 150 times the size of the city of Cambridge. We cannot allow this amount of land holdings to be unaccountable for stormwater discharges. DCR's mission is "to protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well being of all." How ironic then, that the underfunding of the agency has led to DCR's stormwater runoff actually degrading the environment it seeks to protect. 

Call your state representative and the Speaker of the House and ask them to support Amendment #1216 today!