RIVER CURRENT
Your source for the latest news, updates, & events.
Boston rivers are cleaner. But sewage, climate change threaten progress. —WBUR
“School’s out, and grades are in for Boston’s three major rivers,” writes WBUR Environmental Reporting Fellow Vivian La on this year’s Charles River Water Quality Report Card Grades. Read the full article
Charles River Watershed Association and Indigenous Peoples Day Newton to Host Quinobequin Intertribal Paddle (Press Release)
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) Newton are co-hosting the third annual Quinobequin Intertribal Paddle on Saturday, June 28 on the Auburndale section of the Charles River.
Mitigating Flooding in Needham Using Stormwater Solutions
An exciting flood mitigation project is coming to Needham! Thank you, Needham Channel News, for amplifying this story and featuring Community Organizer Arrianna Proia.
“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.”
Charles River Watershed Association Announces New Appointments To Board Of Directors (Press Release)
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) elected three new members to its Board of Directors at its 59th annual meeting last week: Susie Klein, Claire White, and Jane Wiseman.
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
Charles River Watershed Association Elects Paul Levy As New Board President (Press Release)
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) elected Paul Levy as the president of the nonprofit’s board of directors at its 59th annual meeting on Wednesday, March 27, 2025.
A swimmable Charles River? Yes we can! — Letter to the Editor
Forty years after the cleanup of the Charles River began, we still cannot safely swim in its waters. Thank you, Natick Report, for including our letter to make the Charles River swimmable in today’s issue.
MWRA Introduces Proposal to Eliminate CSOs in the Charles River— Read More in the Beacon Hill Times
Check it out! CRWA was featured in the Beacon Hill Times after MWRA introduced several alternative project concepts to eliminate combined sewer overflows in the Charles River.
EPA Acts to Cut Stormwater Pollution — Coverage in WBUR, WGBH, and The Boston Globe
EPA Acts to Cut Stormwater Pollution — Coverage in WBUR, WGBH, and The Boston Globe.
Charles River cleanup an ongoing mission - Needham Observer
A new Needham Observer article focuses on the ongoing Charles River cleanup. “It’s important to celebrate the progress we’ve made, but not declare mission accomplished.”
Indigenous-led Paddle on the Quinobequin
On June 29 we partnered with Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) Newton for the second annual Quinobequin Intertribal Paddle, bringing together Indigenous community members, river enthusiasts, and environmental advocates to celebrate our shared commitment to protecting the Charles River and its natural flow.
“Root for wetlands, natural turf, mature trees, and neighbors” CRWA mentioned in Jamaica Plain Gazette
A new article by the Jamaica Plain Gazette highlights the importance of preserving Canterbury Brook, a largely buried tributary of Stony Brook, which flows to the Charles River: “The Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has examined the project’s potential impact on the fragile wetlands at 550. The wetlands there are fed by the nearby Canterbury Brook which discharges via a culvert into the Stonybrook, then discharges into the Charles River. CRWA Associate Attorney Zeus Smith submitted comments to the DEP in February, which DEP and Brooke and everyone involved should take seriously.”
“We must combat climate doom.”
May is Mental Health Awareness month. This recent article in The Provider co-authored by Representative Steve Owens and CRWA Advocacy Director Cabell Eames touches upon the importance of combatting this climate doom.
“Why I Kayaked the Entire Charles River”
“After hundreds of years, dams along the Charles River could come down to let the currents run wild and free—and help the environment. To get a closer look, our intrepid river rat set out to become the second person ever to kayak the iconic waterway's complete length.”
Spring opens the floodgates in Boston - West Roxbury, Roslindale Bulletin
April showers bring May flowers… and flood events. The West Roxbury and Roslindale Bulletin spoke with CRWA Senior Climate Resilience Associate Dira Johanif to discuss CRWA’s regional Charles River Flood Model.
“Eternal dam-nation: Greater Boston is drowning and groups are pushing back”
The CRWA joins the Metropolitan Area Planning Committee and the Conservative Law Committee in its view that the government is unprepared for climate change. There is a shortage of research on inland flooding that is becoming increasingly dangerous as Massachusetts storms worsen.
CRWA Comments on the Climate Implications of Allston Multimodal Project in Daily Free Press
Earlier this month, Massachusetts was granted $335.4 in federal funding for the Allston Multimodal I-90 Project from the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program. What does this mean for the Charles River?
Charles River in a Changing Climate: CRWA featured in WaterLoop Color of Water series!
CRWA Senior Climate Resilience Associate Dira Johanif, GIP, sat down WaterLoop and the Water Hub as a part of the Color of Water interview series to discuss the Charles River in a changing Climate.
I-90 Project gets federal funding; CRWA says “Let’s build it right” in Boston.com Article
On March 11, 2024, Massachusetts was granted $335.4 in federal funding for the Allston Multimodal I-90 Project from the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program. CRWA Executive Director Emily Norton was quoted in a Boston.com article, “Let’s build this project, but let’s build it right, with a 2024 mindset, not a 1950s highway mindset.”