The
River Current ~ July 13, 2010 ~ Issue 117
The e-newsletter of the
Charles River Watershed
Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...
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In this issue
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Dear Friend of the Charles,
We hope you are finding many opportunities to enjoy the Charles during the warm, sunny days of July! Whether you canoe, kayak, bike, walk or run the Charles offers a multitude of recreational opportunities. While warm, dry days might be good for fun in the sun, they can put pressure on the river as many watershed communities continue to pump groundwater for drinking water supplies and little is replenished by rainfall. Please consider conserving water by using a rain barrel, which stores rainwater runoff for later outdoor use, to reduce your summer water demand. CRWA is currently offering rain barrels at a discounted rate!
Those of you who don't need a rain barrel or composter can still make a positive difference for the river by taking action on the two alerts below.
Take care,
Julie Wood
CRWA River Current editor
1) CRWA Offers Discount Rain Barrels and Composters
CRWA is offering discounted rain barrels and tumbling composters. The rain barrels retail for $119.95, but are available for the bulk discount price of $79.95. The Bio-Orb® composters, found in online stores for $130 - $170, are available through this program for only $94.95, CRWA has teamed up with The New England Rain Barrel Company to help residents conserve water, reduce pollution from stormwater runoff and commercial fertilizers, and cut down on the waste that ends up in landfills. New England Rain Barrel will make a $5 donation to CRWA for each rain barrel and composter purchased. This offer is open to all residents of Massachusetts.
Orders will be accepted through July 26, 2010. Items will be available for pick up on July 28th, 4-7pm at CRWA, 190 Park Road, Weston, MA. Click here for more information. To order click here or call 877-977-3135.
2) CRWA Kicks-off 13th Season of our Water Quality Notification Program
CRWA's Water Quality Notification Program presents daily flag colors which forecast the river's health in the Lower Charles River Basin. Flag colors are based on bacteria levels and blue-green algae counts and let boaters know when the river is safe for boating. CRWA uses simple predictive models to forecast daily water quality conditions, similar to the manner in which weather is forecasted. These models are based on the relationship of E. coli bacteria to a variety of environmental factors, including rainfall, river flow, temperature and wind. The model predicts the probability of the river exceeding the State boating standard for E. coli bacteria. CRWA also collects weekly bacteria samples to verify the accuracy of the model. To read more about the program, including what each flag color means visit our website.
Click here to sign up for daily water quality notifications by e-mail. You can also find the daily flag colors on our website, by calling (781) 788-0007 ext. 301, and by following us on Twitter @cleancharles.
3) Action Alert! There is still time to submit comment on EPA's draft stormwater regulations, the comment deadline has been extended to September 30, 2010
In April, the New England Regional Office of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally announced the beginning of a new effort to clean up polluted stormwater in the Charles. Stormwater – or runoff from rainfall and snowmelt – is the largest source of water pollution to the Commonwealth’s rivers, lakes and harbors. EPA has issued a draft of a new permit that will cover certain land owners, including large commercial, industrial and high-density residential properties, whose sites have two or more acres of impervious surface (areas such as parking lots, roads and rooftops where water cannot be absorbed into the ground). Properties in Franklin, Bellingham, and Milford that fall under the new permit will need to control the polluted stormwater that drains off their site.
EPA recently extended the deadline for written comments on the draft permit and new regulations until September 30, 2010. Please submit comments to show your support for cleaning up stormwater pollution to the Charles River! Click here to view a PDF with guidelines on how to write a comment letter, and some suggested talking points.
Click here for FAQs about the new regulations or click here to go to CRWA’s website to get more information.
4) ACTION ALERT! Support the Community Preservation Act
The Community Preservation Coalition (CPC) is working to pass SB 90 - An Act to Sustain Community Preservation - which will stabilize and strengthen the Community Preservation Act (CPA). In the past CPA funds have been used by communities across the Commonwealth to protect open space; including protection of river front areas, removal of invasive aquatic species from waterbodies, and building canoe launches. The CPC is asking for help to pass SB 90 before the end of the state's legislative session on July 31st. To support the bill, please contact your state representative and senator via phone, fax, mail or email and ask them to support passage of this bill. Click here for more information including talking points on SB 90. (Note: You should contact your own senator or representative, not Robert DeLeo as indicated on the web page, and comments will be accepted through the end of the month).
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River Current is published twice monthly (or as needed) by the Charles River Watershed Association and
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