Charles River Watershed Association, Inc.

CRWA’s goals are to protect, restore, and enhance the health, beauty, and accessibility of the Charles River and its watershed communities through science, advocacy, and the law.

CRWA has developed several key, interconnected programs to explore, test, and implement change. Focused on seemingly diverse elements such as educating local elected officials on nature-based solutions to stormwater runoff, collaborating on a Charles River Flood Model, creating a Climate Resilience Toolkit for watershed municipalities, regularly monitoring water quality, and more, CRWA’s programs work together to create real change. CRWA builds on a long legacy of advocating for the river. For over fifty years CRWA has been a fierce advocate for laws, policies, regulations, and enforcement actions that protect and restore the Charles River. With the vital assistance of over 80 Volunteer Monthly Monitors, CRWA has established one of the most extensive water quality data sets of any river in the nation since 1995. The Charles River watershed is also rich in diversity, both ecological and human. We are committed to centering equity, inclusion, and justice in all that we do. When we invest in climate resilience and water quality improvements, we help all our residents but particularly those who are disproportionately harmed such as BIPOC, low-income, elderly, or disabled community members.

CRWA is marshaling expertise, experience, and knowledge gained from our long and documented history of improving environmental conditions to address our climate challenge. Many of the strategies we have employed for environmental restoration over the past five decades—such as strong community engagement, developing partnerships, and a focus on restoring nature—are the exact same tools that can help our watershed adapt to climate change.

CRWA has been measuring change in the Charles River since 1995, and our River Science program serves as a model for watershed science programs across the country. We are the only organization that maintains a robust, year-round sampling program spanning the full extent of the Charles River. Our program includes monitoring water chemistry, pollutant levels, cyanobacteria algal blooms, streamflows, invertebrate species, and invasive plants. The Environmental Protection Agency and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection rely on our sampling results to develop and enforce water quality standards.

CRWA scientists continuously analyze our robust dataset to identify spatial and temporal trends that allow us to better understand the river system as a whole, and to identify problem areas. Our River Science program goes one step further and puts observations into action through river restoration projects like dam removals, invasive plant removal, stream naturalization, and fish stocking.

Our River Science program engages watershed residents as volunteer community scientists who help collect samples and restoration volunteers who participate in on-the-ground projects. This training and hands-on experience gives volunteers of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn about watershed management challenges and solutions. Equipped with this experience and knowledge, our volunteers are some of the strongest advocates for the Charles River.

CRWA has over 50 years of progress protecting and preserving the Charles River. To read more about our projects, past, and present, please visit our website, www.crwa.org, or read through our Annual Reports at www.crwa.org/financial-information!