Release: Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $100K to Restore Rivers and Wetlands Across Greater Boston
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2026
BOSTON, MA – Charles River Watershed Association and Neponset River Watershed Association will receive a $101,305 grant to establish the Metro Boston Partnership and advance watershed-scale ecological restoration and climate resilience projects across the 428-sq-mi Charles and Neponset River watersheds.
These funds will support regional capacity to identify, prioritize, and advance high-impact restoration projects by supporting strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and regional coordination, while building a robust pipeline of restoration projects and accelerating implementation through shared expertise, collaboration, and long-term restoration capacity.
This award is one of six funded by the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) Partnerships Program. This program aims to support partnerships that help Commonwealth communities restore rivers and wetlands, reduce flooding, improve water quality, and strengthen climate resilience.
“As we all know, water is impartial to both geographic and organizational boundaries, and our work must follow suit,” says CRWA’s Senior Restoration Manager, Amber Siegel. “We are so grateful to DER for supporting the Metro Boston partnership, which will allow our organizations to collaborate around and accelerate our collective projects, including culvert replacements, dam removals, and stream and wetland restorations. We look forward to seeing the ways in which this partnership benefits our shared residents and habitats and can't wait to get started.”
“The Neponset Watershed and greater Metro Boston region have experienced massive landscape changes over the last 400 years due to industrialization and, later, suburban sprawl. As a result, our cities and towns are burdened with defunct and degrading dams, undersized culverts, and damaged wetlands. These not only have negative ecological impacts on fish and wildlife, but also put thousands at risk from flooding and infrastructure failures. We’re thrilled to work with the Charles River Watershed Association and DER to identify and advance restoration projects,” said Sean McCanty, River Restoration Director at the Neponset River Watershed Association.
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Charles River Watershed Association’s mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the Charles River and its watershed through science, advocacy, and the law. CRWA develops science-based strategies to increase resilience, protect public health, and promote environmental equity as we confront a changing climate.
Neponset River Watershed Association’s mission is to advance the long-term ecological well-being of the entire Neponset River Watershed, including the River and the communities within it. NepRWA engages people to protect, restore, and experience their river and surrounding lands as vital community assets.
