Volunteer Monthly Water Quality Monitoring Project

Once a month, more than seventy volunteers gather at thirty-five sites along the river to collect water samples, measure depth and temperature, and record river conditions. The water quality monitoring program is now in its 17th year, and is one of the oldest and largest volunteer sampling programs in the country. The data collected is used to identify problems in the river and trends in water quality, and to track the progress of efforts to clean up the Charles. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to use our data to award a grade for the annual Charles River report card. Our data and analyses also assist municipalities and environmental agencies and organizations who are working to minimize stormwater impacts and reduce sewage contamination in the river.

Click here to donate to this program.

About the project

• Background
• How to interpret the data
• Explanation of testing parameters
• Overview of water quality in the Charles
  • Read the 2011 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2010 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2009 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2008 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2007 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2006 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2005 year-end report (PDF)
  • Read the 2004 year-end report (PDF)

Information for Volunteers

Monthly water monitoring volunteers are responsible for taking a water sample at an assigned site once a month at 6am; volunteers are trained by CRWA staff and equipment is provided. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Lauren Ballou ( Click here for contact information) for more information or fill out a volunteer application form here.

• Online Refresher Training for Monthly Monitoring Volunteers
• Schedule: 2012 Sampling Dates, 2013 Sampling Dates
• Download additional blank field data sheets: PDF or MS Word
• View a list of sampling sites and check for volunteer opportunities in your area