CRWA Secures $39,000 State Grant To Advance Drought Resiliency Planning Amid Ongoing Drought (Press Release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 19, 2026
Contact: Carly Sherman, Communications Manager 
Email: csherman@crwa.org

BOSTON, MA – Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) was awarded $39,000 from the Drought Resiliency and Water Efficiency (DRWE) Grant Program to help watershed communities reduce outdoor water use on municipal property to effectively prepare for future drought conditions.

Funds will be used to develop a Drought-Resilience Landscape Design Guide featuring a recommended plant list,  project design templates, and suggestions for how to design municipal sites, like schools and libraries, to be resilient in periods of drought. By creating a standardized, ready-to-use toolkit, these funds will increase climate resilience across the watershed by reducing the need for outdoor watering during droughts. 

Additionally, the project will reduce the burden on cities and towns to create their own criteria, streamlining drought-management practices and serving as a model for communities across the Commonwealth to implement native, drought-tolerant plantings.

This news comes as the Charles River watershed finds itself in a Level 3-Critical drought, according to the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. 

“We're seeing longer, more frequent droughts in Massachusetts, and our landscaping practices need to catch up. This grant allows us to build a shared resource so communities across our watershed, and beyond, can take real, lasting steps toward solutions that benefit both people and the environment.” – Dira Johanif, Senior Climate Resilience Manager at Charles River Watershed Association

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