Cheers to 60 Years! Sunset Soirée | | |
On September 16, we celebrated CRWA's 60th birthday by cruising Boston Harbor with many of the friends and supporters who make our work possible. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the incredible volunteers, advocates, and donors who work alongside us to protect, restore, and enhance the Charles. We have made great strides since CRWA was founded in 1965, and while the work is not done, the story of the cleanup of the Charles is a reminder that we humans can do extraordinary things when we put our minds to it.
Watch our 60th Anniversary Video:
| | CRWA Named Official Charity of the 130th Boston Marathon | | |
We are excited to announce that CRWA has been named an Official Charity Partner of the 130th Boston Marathon®, presented by Bank of America. CRWA’s Team Charles River will include four marathoners, and all funds raised by the team will support CRWA’s efforts in developing science-based strategies to enhance climate resilience, safeguard public health, protect the Charles River, and promote environmental equity.
To apply and learn more about who is eligible to join Team Charles River, visit crwa.org/boston-marathon.
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CRWA in the News:
Fed up, groups demand solution to sewage overflows (SHNS)
| | Since launching our Cut The Crap campaign in April, we have been collaborating with fellow watershed organizations to raise public awareness and advocate for the elimination of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Eliminating CSOs would not only improve water quality and public health, but would fulfill the promise of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Clean Charles Initiative of 2005. Thank you to the State House News Service for this article highlighting our efforts. | | | CRWA and Milford Secure $600K Grant to Restore Godfrey Brook | | |
We’re thrilled to announce that, in partnership with the Town of Milford, we’ve secured nearly $600,000 in funding through the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant Program to lead flood mitigation and climate resilience work in the Town’s Godfrey Brook subwatershed. This will fund a multi-year effort to study and address flooding and water quality challenges along Godfrey Brook and its tributaries, Hospital and O’Brien Brooks. As part of the project team, CRWA will assess existing brook conditions and propose and design nature-based solutions, such as wetland restoration, floodplain reconnection, and stream daylighting. This project will yield permit-ready designs for priority projects that will safeguard residents, businesses, and infrastructure from worsening climate-driven storms, while also enhancing the ecological health of the Charles River.
| | Charles River Watershed Reenters Significant Drought | | We're seeing low water levels across the watershed, and earlier this month, the Commonwealth declared a Level 2 Significant Drought for parts of the Charles River watershed and a Level 1 Mild Drought for the remaining watershed area. When we look at precipitation, we see that rainfall isn't far off the year-to-date average; in fact, statewide, 2025 has been rainier than average. In Boston, we are about 3 inches behind the cumulative average for this time of the year, but why are these typical variations from the average leaving us with completely dry riverbeds? Read our blog post to find out. | | | |
Earlier this month, we hosted a “BioBlitz” biological survey at Cheesecake Brook in Newton. Participants logged 257 observations of 74 different species, including both native species, like American Asters (Symphyotrichum), and many that are characteristic of altered urban environments (Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella).
Later, CRWA’s Max Rome and Alfredo Con joined the Native Fish Coalition (NFC) on a “fishing trip” at Cheesecake after discovering that fish from the Charles River were finding their way into the stream, despite a large cement slab that blocks most fish passage. Together, NFC and CRWA were excited to confirm that the brook can sustain aquatic life! We fully expect that biodiversity in the brook will only improve as the restoration project there is constructed.
| | Indigenous Peoples Day Newton Looking for Volunteers | | |
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) Newton on October 13! Our partners at IPD Newton are looking for volunteers for their free, outdoor, family-friendly event. Whether you help with event set up, photography, vendor support, or more, your participation will help to celebrate and uplift Indigenous peoples and voices.
Visit ipdnewton.org to learn more about the event and sign up to volunteer.
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Rowan Compton joins as GIS Restoration Intern. Rowan is a Geographic Information Science Master's student at Clark University in Worcester. Originally from Michigan, Rowan has lived in Alaska, Oregon, Portugal, and Brazil before finding himself in Massachusetts. He says he’s excited to work with an energized and passionate group at CRWA!
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Audrey Peel joins as Community Engagement and Advocacy Intern. Audrey is a junior at Tufts University, double-majoring in biology and international relations. In her free time, she loves to run and bake, and she’s involved in the newspaper at Tufts as a Deputy Editor for Features.
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Ilsiia Shakirova joins as Climate Resilience Community Engagement Intern. Ilsiia is a senior at Tufts University studying environmental studies and studio art. In this position, she will develop programming materials, represent CRWA at community events, and engage with residents to help CRWA gain a deeper understanding of the needs and ideas of Charles River watershed communities
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Meet Your Watershed Event Series
2025 marks the 60th Anniversary of CRWA! Thanks to you, the Charles is much cleaner and healthier than it was in 1965. Throughout 2025, we invite you to join us in celebrating 60 years of progress with events across the watershed.
| | 📸: Fall Colors, Sam Kauffman | | | |
CRWA is proud to hold a 4-star rating— the highest score possible — from Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator. This rating signifies that donors can “give with confidence” to our nonprofit organization! | |
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