The River Current

|| The River Current || April 8, 2005 || Issue XVII || 

The mostly monthly e-newsletter of the Charles River Watershed Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...

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In this issue:
1) ADVOCACY ALERT: Help our parks agency keep our river clean
2) SHOP THE DATE: On April 27th, CRWA Gets 5% of the Day's Sales from Nine Whole Foods Stores
3) CRWA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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Dear friends of the Charles River,

It seems slightly ironic that the state agency charged with protecting our parks and rivers is actually one of the major polluters of our state's waterways.  Lack of funding for the Department of Conservation and Recreation's stormwater management program has caused the DCR to fall out of compliance with Federal Clean Water Act and stormwater management regulations.  Stormwater is the number one polluter of the Charles River, and DCR owns more land in the watershed than any other single entity. 

Call or write to your state legislator today and tell them you want to see this program adequately funded.  We're not asking for a lot: simply enough to establish a work plan and take care of the most simple management practices that will have the most effect in the short-term.  Once the work plan has been established, the agency will have a better handle on exactly how much investment will be needed to improve this highly important management program.  Call your legislator today.

For a cleaner Charles,
Ariel Dekovic, Publications Manager

1) ADVOCACY ALERT: Lobby your legislator on behalf of the Charles and our Parks agency

The Massachusetts legislature presents its fiscal 2006 budget this week.  Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) have warned the legislature that their past funding for the agency has been inadequate, and that this lack of funding is the main contributor to DCR's "abysmal" compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's permit requirements for stormwater management.  In an effort to enable the agency to fulfill their mandate to protect public health and environmental resources, CRWA and CLF are urging the legislature to increase overall funding for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as earmark funds for their stormwater management program.  Join us in this campaign by calling or writing your state legislator and recommending that this significant, and neglected, program be funded appropriately.

For more information, including talking points, a sample letter and contact information for your state legislators, click here: http://www.charlesriver.org/alert/stormwatermanagementbudget06.html


2) SHOP THE DATE: Shop at Whole Foods Markets in the Charles River Watershed on April 27, and 5% of the sales goes to CRWA for the 6th Annual Earth Day Cleanup!

Whole Foods Market has just announced that on Wednesday, April 27, all nine Markets in the Charles River watershed will donate five percent of their daily profit to CRWA to support the Annual Earth Day Cleanup. Simply by doing your grocery shopping on April 27, you can contribute to the important work CRWA does in our watershed and beyond. Encourage your friends and neighbors to shop on April 27 as well, and thank Whole Foods Market for their support of CRWA!  The nine stores participating in the 5% day are:

Bellingham: Hartford Avenue/Route 126  
Boston: Westland Avenue
Brighton:  Washington Street
Cambridge: Prospect Street
Cambridge: River Street
Cambridge: Alewife Brook Parkway
Newton: Walnut Street
Newtonville: Washington Street
Wellesley: Washington Street

3) CRWA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

6th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup
Saturday, April 30, 2005 || 9am - 12pm
Please join us for our Annual Earth Day Cleanup when over 1,000 volunteers pick up trash at different cleanup locations along the entire length of the Charles River. To participate or for more information, please contact Anna Eleria of CRWA at (781) 788-0007 x 225 or aeleria@ crwa.org, or Sara Miller of Massachusetts Community Water Watch (MCWW) at (617) 879-7735 or massart@ waterwatchonline.org.  This event is organized by CRWA, MCWW, the Charles River Stream Team, Senator Steven Tolman's Office, the Charles River Conservancy, DCR, and the Esplanade Association.

Monthly Water Monitoring Program
Become a water sampling volunteer, and be a proactive part of the monitoring and restoration of the Charles! We have openings for volunteers at the Muddy River in Boston, and in Newton, Wellesley, Millis and Bellingham. Call Ariel Dekovic at CRWA, 781-788-0007 x200, or reply to this email for more information.

23rd Annual Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Race
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Join the 100 volunteers who help racers check-in, keep them going in the right direction while they carry their boats throughon the 6six portages, and cheer the racers on.  If you're interested in volunteering and we especially anneed experienced paddlers, youwho can help "sweep" the race from your boat on the river, following the racers to monitor progress.  Contact: (508) 698-6810 or rotc@crwa.org.  Look for on-line information and registration at www.charlesriver.org.