RIVER CURRENT
Your source for the latest news, updates, & events.
Op-Ed: “A Swimmable Charles River? It’s possible.” (Boston Globe)
“In just the past two years, more than 100 million gallons of sewage flowed into the river from 63 storm events. Swimming is prohibited except by special permit, and even rowers, paddlers, and sailors are warned to stay out of the water for 48 hours after a sewage discharge.” Read more in the Boston Globe.
“Is MassDOT ready to admit that Allston needs more trains and fewer lanes?” CRWA Featured in Streetsblog Mass
We are thankful to Christian MilNeil for including CRWA in his Streetsblog Mass article, “The Path Forward for Allston’s Highway Megaproject Is Getting Narrower.”
Federal Budget Cuts Impact on Massachusetts' Climate Efforts—Read More in the Boston Globe
On April 1, 2025, CRWA Executive Director Emily Norton spoke before fellow environmental leaders and state Senator Cynthia Creem at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming. Read more in the Boston Globe
Oil Spill In The Muddy River — Read more from WCVB Channel 5 Boston, WGBH, and more
CRWA Senior Restoration Program Manager Lisa Kumpf spoke with WCVB Channel 5 Boston and WGBH about the Muddy River oil spill and what it means for the water quality of the Charles River tributary.
Critical Drought in Charles River Watershed — CRWA In the News
This month the Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) declared a Level 3-Critical Drought in Massachusetts' Central and Northeast regions, including the entirety of the Charles River watershed. Read more in Universal Hub and the Revere Journal.
Zillow added climate risk data to its for-sale listings. Not everyone in the real estate game is happy. – CRWA in The Boston Globe
Check out what CRWA Executive Director Emily Norton had to say about Zillow’s new climate risk assessment in this Boston Globe story.
Muddy River in the News — Read more in The Boston Guardian and the Fenway News!
Following two successful webinars discussing the current conditions, ongoing work, and future plans for the Muddy, we were happy to be featured in The Boston Guardian and the Fenway News!
Charles River Experiences First Toxic Algae Bloom in Years – Read More in WBZ, WBUR, MassLive, 7 News Boston, and others
Read more about the current cyanobacteria bloom in Boston.com, WBUR, CBS News, 7 News Boston, Boston 25 News, WBZ News, Universal Hub, The Patch, WCVB, and MassLive.
Harvard and MassDEP to Build a Public Dock and Boat Launch on the Charles – Read More in Boston Globe
Mass DEP announced this month that Harvard recently agreed to build a roughly 200-foot-long floating dock at DCR’s Herter Park in Brighton to promote public water access along the Charles River.
Helping Owners and Developers Adapt to Climate Change - CRWA in the New England Real Estate Journal
The Grades Are In–Read More in Boston Globe, WBUR, NBC Boston
Earlier this month, we joined with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England Region 1 Water Division Director Ken Moraff, Mashpee Wampanoag environmental advocate Hartman Deetz, Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Mystic River Watershed Association, Neponset River Watershed Association, state and local leaders, and community partners to announce the 2023 Report Card Grades. Read more in The Boston Globe, WBUR, and NBC Boston.
Passing tropical storm Debby brings reminders of storm preparedness - Bay State Banner
Due to climate change, flooding is likely to get worse. To help prepare, check out the Charles River Flood Model and read this Bay State Banner article featuring CRWA about weather preparedness.
The River Seine is open to Olympic swimmers. Could that work in the Charles? - The Boston Globe
The cleanup of the River Seine has been a significant story in the media coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics. How does our beloved Charles River compare?
There's more to do for Boston's water quality, say watershed advocates - WGBH
On Wednesday, July 24th, CRWA Executive Director Emily Norton and MyRWA Executive Director Patrick Herron spoke on Boston Public Radio about the importance of eliminating combined sewer overflows (CSOs) for water quality and public health.
Charles River Apparel Sustains Its Namesake - ASI Central
A new article by ASI highlights the generosity of Charles River Apparel, who participated in our 2024 Earth Day Clean Up and donated 100 shirts to CRWA for our 2024 Run of the Charles paddling race.
Ending Sewer Overflows - Read More in WBUR, WGBH, WBZ
This summer, intense rainfall led to record-breaking amounts of sewage being released into our rivers, threatening both public health and ecosystem health.
As the climate changes, obsolete dams put Mass. at risk for flooding similar to Vermont - WGBH
Thank you GBH News for the important feature on hazardous dams that are at risk of failure with climate change.
New Designs for Medway Schools Will Help Reduce Stormwater Pollution in the Charles River
Charles River Watershed Association and Town of Medway have completed designs for green stormwater infrastructure at Medway High School and Middle School to restore river health and make Medway more resilient to climate change.
Making Urban Rivers Swimmable - New York Times
Thank you New York Times for including our call with Mystic River Watershed Association + Neponset River Watershed Association to Make Urban Rivers Swimmable in today's issue.
Supreme Court Slashes Clean Water Act Protections
In today’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the court radically redefined which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act, leaving nearly 51% of wetlands and 18% of streams without protections nationwide.