Summer 2002 Streamer Newsletter, Charles River Watershed Association

8/9/2019 Summer 2002 Streamer Newsletter, Charles River Watershed Association

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A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E C H A R L E S R I V E R W A T E R S H E D A S S O C I A T I O N

. Protecting the health, beauty and accessibility of the Charles River .

VOL. 33, NO. 2

SUMMER 2002

Contents

SmartStorm continued . . . . . . . 2

Presidents Message . . . . . . . . 3

Watch for the Flags . . . . . . . . . . 3

Run of the River . . . . . . . . . . . 45Forecasting the Rivers Health . 6

On the Charles in the 1920s . . . 7

Summer 2002 Calendar . . . . . 89

Charles River Report Card . . . 10

Tracking Tributaries . . . . . . . 11

20th AnniversaryRun of the Charles . . . . . . . . . 12

Charles River Earth DayClean Up 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Watchdog for the River . . . . . 14

The Future of Water: SmartStormTM

For several years you haveread stories about rain,stormwater, and the Charles in the Streamer.

You know that the Charles suffers from lowflows, particularly in the summer. You know

greater Boston is at the front end of water

shortages due to increasing demands and

increased impervious land surfaces which deny

rain the chance to filter into the aquifers that we

and the river need. You know CRWA has been

studying the relationships between rainwater,

surfaces impervious to rain, groundwater, waterquality, and sustainability since 1994. You know

our work has transformed CRWA as an organi-

zation and resulted in a complete refocusing of

our efforts.

We are focused on new approaches to how

cities are designed which will make them more

environmentally friendly and sustainable, to make

them behave more like urban forests than asphaltjungles. We have developed and continue to

refine community planning tools like environ-

mental zoning. We are working on better use of

regulation to promote environmental health and

sustainability. We are exploring uses of

economies of scale and market forces to reduce

costs to communities facing sizeable water/wastewater infrastructure expenses, including

the possibility of using the amount of flow in the

river as a medium of trade between dischargers

to the river and other sources of pollution (more

on that in the fall). We have also spent a great

deal of time since 1996 examining soft solu-

tions for dealing with rainwater as it accumu-

lates in communities. Soft solutions are thoseapproaches that capture and slow rainfall

before it gets polluted on pavement, and before

it enters stormdrains and combined sewer

systems where the impact and treatment are

very expensive.

Part of the work to capture and slow rainfall

while it is still clean has led us to the creation of

SmartStorm, a cistern/drywell system in the veryearly stages of introduction and testing in the

metropolitan region. SmartStorm is not, however,

your garden variety rain barrel. Rain barrels

continued on page 2

by Bob Zimmerman


2/15

STREAMER 2

typically hold from 40 to 110 gallons of roof runoff. SmartStorm,

in what we expect will be a typical application, can provide 1400

gallons of storage and as much as 2000 gallons of recharge to the

ground through a high-tech drywell system. A drywell is conven-

tionally a hole in the ground at least 10 feet from a foundation and

filled with gravel and then covered with soil and grass into which

roof runoff is piped. The SmartStorm drywell is the same hole, but

filled with a plastic grid system allowing for 94 percent of the hole

to remain open and empty, so that it can store more water and

therefore recharge more water into the ground.

SmartStorm is designed to store and recharge 1.26 inch/24 hour

rainstorm from a 2000 square foot roof, yielding approximately2500 gallons of water. In a year when eastern Massachusetts

receives normal precipitation, SmartStorm is designed to store

and recharge about 90 percent of the roof runoff approximately

50,000 gallons of water.

The benefits of SmartStorm are potentially enormous. As you

drive around the city and the suburbs, observe the roof down-

spouts. Most dump on driveways, where the runoff is collected

in street drains and lost through stormdrains. Others go into theground where they connect to the sanitary wastewater system

and increase the activation of combined sewer overflows, where

sanitary sewage and rainwater are mixed. Since the sewer pipes

lack the capacity to handle all the water, the excess runs through

overflow pipes and flows directly into the Charles or Boston

Harbor. SmartStorm would eliminate much of that excess.

The stored water is suitable for outdoor use such as irriga-

tion, and washing cars or home siding. A pump is provided withSmartStorm to allow homeowners to use the stored water in

exactly the same way they use municipal water, with hoses and

sprinklers. Consequently, demand on potable (drinkable) water

supplies would be greatly reduced in the spring, summer, and fall,

continued from page 1SmartStormleaving more water in underground aquifers to promote a more

healthy environment. Furthermore, the drywell system will

enhance those underground aquifers year-round, increasing their

sustainability and restoring flow in the river and its tributaries.

We believe SmartStorm will become an important new tool

in municipal design and planning to restore the environment and

protect and sustain our potable water supplies. We also believe

it will offer municipalities a cheaper alternative to traditional

solutions for overflow from combined sewers and polluted

stormwater runoff.

Our first pilot project is underway in the town of Bellingham,

and we will be monitoring the systems there closely over thenext year to determine their effectiveness. Limited quantities of

SmartStorm will be commercially available this summer, and we

expect the system to be on the market by spring 2003. For more

information and to view photographs of a recent installation,

visit www.charlesriver.org. Stay tuned. This is a new and exciting

project for CRWA.

Ken Dews, CRWA staff, at recent

SmartStorm installation.


3/15

STREAMER 3

SmartStormTM: A solution for river

problems, a new role for CRWAWith SmartStorm, our new cistern system, CRWA again

redefines its role as an advocate for the Charles River.

For 37 years, we have fought to make the Charles

clean, healthy and beautiful. Until ten years ago, with a

small staff that was smart and hard working but lacked

technical expertise, that usually meant urging public agen-

cies to address problems along the river and building pub-

lic support or pressure for action.We matured through the 1990s. We built scientific, engineering, and computer

modeling capabilities that enabled CRWA not only to better understand what really

are the rivers problems, but also to define and pursue specific policies to solve

them. We earned the respect and credibility that enabled us to join in setting the

public agenda for water management on the river.

But we were still dependent on implementation of policies by public agencies,

from local Boards of Appeal to the EPA.

SmartStorm, which CRWA has developed and is rolling out in several demon-

stration sites this summer, takes CRWA even further. SmartStorm not only saves

money for homeowners who install the system, but helps address serious public prob-

lems including aquifer recharge, water supply, river pollution, and CSO capacity.

Most solutions to the rivers problems will always require implementation by

public agencies and urban water departments will be SmartStorms biggest cus-

tomers. But by developing and marketing the product ourselves, CRWA puts itself

squarely in the business of implementing solutions.

CRWA is the largest watershed association in the country, and for years has set

a national standard for creativity and effectiveness in addressing our rivers prob-lems. We hope SmartStorm will continue that tradition.

Thank You!

Presidents messageKelly McClintock Watch

for the flagsin the CharlesRiver Lower Basin!

CRWAs flagging program

kicked off its fifth season on

July 1st and we will continue

to provide daily water quality

updates through October2002.

Blue flags signal suitable

boating conditions while red

flags are posted on days

when water quality exceeds

the acceptable boating stan-dards.

B L U E

R E D


4/15

STREAMER 4

Run of the RiverBy Dudley Bonsal and Anna Eleria

Recommendations to MinimizeImpacts of DevelopmentA 290-unit apartment complex in five buildings with 537

parking spaces is planned in the Town of Bellingham.

The project would impact 17.3-acres that overlies criti-

cal water supply recharge areas with well-drained soils.

CRWA recommends that the developers study alterna-

tives to surface parking such as underground or

other structured parking and to the filling of the two

isolated wetlands, and they should offer comprehensive

landscaping and stormwater management plans that

promote water conservation, infiltration of stormwater

and mitigation of stormwater pollution.

Redevelopment in HollistonDevelopers of the Hopping Brook Park, a research and

development office complex in Holliston, are proposing

to build out the 281 acre site and an adjacent 85 acre

site. Although the Notice of Project Change prepared by

the developers identified several modifications to the

project, including net reduction of land alteration and

impervious area, the Secretary is requiring that the

project proponents prepare and file a Supplemental

Environmental Impact Report because the area providesimportant spotted turtle habitat, and regulatory require-

ments have changed significantly in the 20 years since

this project was reviewed under MEPA.

Additional Water WithdrawalCRWA recently reviewed a draft water withdrawal

permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of

Environmental Protection (DEP) for the Town of Holliston.

CRWA is concerned about the potential adverse impactsthat increased water withdrawals may have on wetlands

and streamflow in Dopping Brook. CRWA offered strong

recommendations for monitoring the water levels and

the wetlands, and for conserving outdoor water use,

which were adapted by DEP in the final permit.

Route 128 Construction ChangesThe Massachusetts Highway Department has submitted a

Notice of Project Change for its Route 128 Transportation

Improvement Project. MassHighway proposes to make

design changes to several bridges, including the con-

struction of additional lanes where Route 128 crosses

over Route 135 at the Charles River, and the widening

of the clearance at Great Plain Avenue Bridge. CRWA

called for a Supplemental EIR to discuss constructionimpacts, water quality issues and wetlands and

stormwater impacts.

National Trails DayOn June 1st, the Metropolitan District Commission

sponsored and organized a volunteer trail work-day

on the Upper Charles Greenway Loop, a trail that runs

through Cutler Park and Brook Farm on both sides ofthe Charles River. Approximately 40 volunteers assisted

with the construction of a small footbridge over a

wetland and the rerouting of a trail section in Dedham.

Upper Watershed

Middle Watershed


5/15

STREAMER 5

Muddy River EnvironmentalConcerns AddressedBoston and Brookline are preparing the Final

Environmental Impact Report for the Muddy River

Project. At the same time, the Executive Office of

Environmental Affairs (EOEA) has given the go-ahead

for the Charlesgate portion of the project to proceed

in permitting. The Charlesgate area connects the Back

Bay Fens to the Charles River Basin. The Charlesgaterestoration involves the removal of stop logs that

form a weir under Ipswich Street, dredging of 3,300

cubic yards of sediment and debris, and landscape

rehabilitation.

CRWA supports the overall project, but has a num-

ber of concerns. A large portion of the budget is slated

for the creation of in-stream sedimentation basins, to

capture pollutants after they have entered the MuddyRiver. CRWA believes the stormwater management

should place greater emphasis on practices that control

stormwater pollution close to its source rather than

after it has entered the river. CRWA also wants a strong

management and maintenance structure for the project,

as well as a clear commitment from the Metropolitan

District Commission to maintain the parkland and

parkways under its jurisdiction.

Rebuilding a Community SchoolThe Lincoln Park Community School in Somerville pro-

poses to build a new school within the limits of LincolnPark, demolish its existing structure, and redevelop the

area as athletic fields. The park property requires the

conversion of Article 97 land, public parkland held

in trust for natural resource purposes. CRWA does not

per se oppose the relocation of the school but strongly

believes that a thorough alternatives analysis should be

conducted to consider renovation or redevelopment at

the existing school site, and other locations not involv-ing Article 97 land. CRWA also sees the redevelopment

as an opportunity to improve the quality and reduce the

quantity of stormwater runoff.

Permanent MaterialsHandling FacilityThe Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC)

plans to replace a temporary materials handling facilitywith a permanent facility, located on the UMass/Boston

campus, approximately 1,000 feet away from its current

location. Although the facility is located outside of the

Charles River watershed, it would benefit the Charles

River by receiving solids from the watershed. Because

of potential noise and odor impacts, CRWA recommends

that BWSC include more soundproofing in building

construction and an odor control system at the proposedfacility.

continuedRun of the River

Lower Watershed


6/15

STREAMER 6

Exciting Changes toCRWA Flagging ProgramFor the fifth year in a row, CRWA is sponsoring water quality

flags in the Charles River Basin, the 9-mile stretch of river from

Watertown Dam to the New Charles River Dam in Boston, to

signal the rivers health to rowers and boaters. With funding from

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CRWA will rely on fore-

casting models (developed by CRWA staff scientist Anna Elena) to

predict daily water quality conditions at four sites. These mathe-matical forecasting models are based on the relationship of rain-

fall at Watertown Dam and the previous days fecal coliform bac-

teria concentration. Rainfall data collected by the United States

Geological Survey at Watertown Dam in the previous 24 to 168

hours will be used daily to forecast the probability of the river

exceeding the State boating standard for fecal coliform bacteria,

1,000 colony forming units per 100 milliliters.

If available, the previous days bacteria concentration at each site

will also be used in the models to make predictions and verify the

accuracy of the forecasting models. In the past, CRWA based

daily flag colors on the previous days bacteria concentration,

rainfall conditions and combined sewer overflow activation,

however, there was no formal, quantitative mechanism to predict

daily water quality conditions.

Blue flags fly on the days when the probability of the river

exceeding boating standards is less than 50 percent, meaning

bacteria levels in the river are safe for boating. Red flags signalthat the probability of the river being unsafe for boating is above

average to high (50% or greater). The presence of fecal bacteria

in water suggests contamination with sewage or feces, which in

turn, could mean that disease-causing bacteria or viruses are

present. Eight boating centers hoist the color-coded flags in the

Basin; Newton Yacht Club, Community Rowing, Inc., Northeastern

University Crew (Henderson Boathouse), Charles River Canoe and

Kayak at Herter Park, Harvard University Crew (Weld Boathouse),

Riverside Boat Club, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(MIT) Crew (H.W. Pierce Boathouse), and MIT Sailing. Water

quality conditions are also reported daily on CRWAs website,

www.charlesriver.org and on our phone hotline (617) 965-5975

ext. 301. The information is also disseminated during the week

in the Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, Cambridge and

Allston-Brighton TAB newspapers and the Cambridge Chronicle

and Beacon Hill Times. Finally, the Boston Globe prints our website address on its weather page to inform readers of where to

find information on the river conditions and the Boston.comweb-

site provides a direct link to our up-to-date water quality pages.

Forecasting the Rivers Health


7/15

STREAMER 7

glowworms while the dark came down, surrounding the

bandsmen, not by the waters of the Charles so much

as by a rising and falling and swaying sea of canoes.Afficionados or sager suitors had little metal

hoops covered with cretonne or plaid gingham to span

over the forward section of their canoes, for all the

world like be-ruffled pram bonnets, to keep the sun off,

or the rain or the world out. A very cozy and comfort-

able arrangement, to loll on the matching mattress with

canoes to either side and before and aft with everyone

listening to the reeds and strings of the band sound over thewater. My mother used to cluck in disapproval when a misty

Sunday sunrise disclosed here and there among the friendly rush-

es at the foot of the cemetery two or three canoes, nodding their

bonneted and be-frilled canopies, that had not bothered to find

their ways home at all the night before. We two girls werent sup-

posed to guess at what made my mother disapprove. For that mat-

ter, I dont think my mother thought my brothers guessed either,

for she certainly had no hesitation about sewing my elder brotherHart a canopy out of discarded curtains for his canoe when he

asked her to.

But for them it must have been peaceful and one was as

close to the nature of water as can be sleeping overnight bed-

ded within the slim ribs of a canoe. I suspect more comfortable,

too, and ones view of the night sky and stars, and of the doubled

darkness of trees above and trees mirrored below at the edges

of the Charles must have been a very special and unforgettabledelight.

On the Charlesin the 1920s

Part three by Barbara Winslow

I just missed the hey-day of the canoe. I think I can

remember one of the last regattas or perhaps it was

just told to me by a vivid describer - when the river

would be almost solidly bridged by canoes, with just

enough of a channel left for the canoeist racing hell-bent

for election with jutting chins and flailing arms driving the pad-dles deep into the water and thrusting it behind them. There

would be short sprints and longer endurance matches that ended

far downstream at Nuttings Boathouse and Ballroom. I am sure

I remember the big white police boat moving with the throaty

gurgle of its engine downstream, keeping pace in case of an

upset. There were single paddlers and double paddlers and

occasionally a big Indian war canoe would come down from

Norumbega, manned by stern and silent paddlers, to join in a raceor just show off. People clapped and shouted and paddles were

held straight up in the air in encouragement and salute.

When the races were over, some canoes would head for

their various boathouse wharves, others would paddle leisurely

upstream to assemble around Fox Island for the evening band

concert. There was then a little wooden-railed and floored and

roofed bandstand on Fox Island. Someone would row the chesty

uniformed members of the band over to it, and there they wouldbeat and blow out Sousa marches, Strauss waltzes and glittering

Part III. Races and Concerts


8/15

8

8 9 107

21 22 23 24

28 29 30

14 15 16 1711 12 13

25 26 27

18 19 20

1 2 3

4 5 6

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

6 75

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

1 2 3 4

AUG

31

MDC Mounted UnitDemonstration

12 p.m.

Hatch MemorialShell Tour

Call (617) 727-9650x 445 for reservations

Discover theLost Half-Mile

Meeting Location:In front of the

main entranceto the Museum of Science

Exploring

Urban TrailsMeeting Location:Galen Street Bridge,Watertown Square.

Charles RiverBasin Walk

Meeting Location:In front of the

main entranceto the Museum of Science

Charles RiverDam Tour

Meeting Location:Paul Revere Park,

Charlestown

Charles RiverDam Tour

Meeting Location:Paul Revere Park,

Charlestown

Hatch MemorialShell Tour

Call (617) 727-9650x 445 for reservations

CRCKMoonlight Tours

of the Charles:For more information

call CRCK at 617-965-5110

CRCKMoonlight Tours

of the Charles:For more information


CRCKRedbones Tours

For more information


CRCK

Redbones Tours

Walking Tour:

Elm Bank:Past, Present, and Future10:0011:30 a.m.

www.masshort.org

CRCKIntroduction to

Kayaking

For more informationcontact:

www.ski-paddle.com

CRCKIntroduction to

KayakingFor more information

contact:www.ski-paddle.com

CRCK

Introduction toKayakingFor more information


CRCK

Introduction toKayakingFor more information


CRCKIntroduction to



CRCKIntroduction to



CRCKIntroduction to



Aug. 22 CRCKIntroduction to



Race to StopGlobal Warming

in Newton, for moreinformation contact:

www.racetostopglobalwarming.org

Aug. 10Grand Circle Swimfor Boston Harbor,

for more information:www.savetheharbor.org

Broadmoor WildlifeSanctuary Evening CanoeTrip on the Charles, moreinformation: 508-655-2296

Broadmoor Wildlife SanctuaryCharles River Eplorationsfor students entering grades 6, 7, and 8

Session 3: August 516, 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. dailyFor more information call: 508-655-2296

Summer 2002 CalendarEvents organized by environmental and recreation groups, neighborhood associations and the MDC


9/15

STREAMER 10

For the third consecutive year . . .the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) announced a

report card grade of B for the Charles River this spring. After sixyears of dramatic improvements in water quality, data collected

by CRWA volunteers have indicated that improvements in the

Charles have leveled off. EPA Regional Administrator Bob Varney

announced that in 2001, bacteria levels in the river were low

enough for boating 82 percent of the time and met states swim-

ming standard 54 percent of the time.

While the river has seen tremendous gains since 1995 when

EPA gave the Charles a grade of D for meeting bacteria boatingstandards, we are approaching the home-stretch of the 10-year

effort to make the Charles River clean enough for swimming and

fishing by Earth Day 2005. EPA and CRWA agree that the level

grade of B means that a stronger emphasis on individual

responsibility is needed to reduce stormwater pollution. "We've

been highly successful closing off the pipes and eliminating illegal

connections that were responsible for much of the river's pollu-

tion," Varney said. "Now it is time to focus our attention to thechallenge of getting every homeowner, every car owner, every

dog owner and every small business owner to play an individual

role in reducing the flow of contaminants into the river." CRWA is

doing its part to reduce impacts of polluted stormwater runoff by

piloting an alternative stormwater technology, called SmartStorm,

beginning with homes in Bellingham this summer. "Our SmartStorm

product can dramatically improve stormwater runoff problems

by capturing stormwater before it becomes polluted so that it can

be used for irrigation and recharging groundwater," said CRWA

Executive Director Bob Zimmerman. A typical SmartStorm system

includes two 400-gallon storage tanks and dry wells with capacity

to recharge 50,000 gallons of water a year.

Funding

for the Fish

Charles River Report Card Stays at B

CRWA was thrilled to learn it will receive a grant

from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust to

help study fisheries in the Charles. CRWA will work

with the Massachusetts Division of Fish and

Wildlife to inventory species residing in the river

and to develop a list of the species of fish that are

expected in the Charles but are missing. This is a

tremendous opportunity for CRWA to learn from

experienced state biologists! The project will kick

off this summer.

Several CRWA staff members with SmartStorm tank

By Kathy Baskin


10/15

STREAMER 11

CRWA is leading a nutrient . . .Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) project to quantify the pollutantloads impacting the Upper Charles River (from Hopkinton to

Dover). In wet weather, stormwater runoff contributes most of the

pollutants to the river while in dry weather or drought-like condi-

tions the contaminants likely originate from wastewater treatment

facilities. The major goal of the TMDL project is to be able to

model and predict what these pollutant loads in the Upper Charles

River will be at any given time. Armed with this information the

state will be able to assist sewage treatment facilities in develop-

ing discharge plans based on the flow in the Charles.

Since pollutant loads in the river are highly correlated with

flow, monitoring stream flow is crucial to quantifying pollutant

loads. There are three flow monitoring stations on the Upper

Charles River, however the Upper

Charles receives water from several

major tributaries which are potential

sources of polluted stormwater. Inorder to better quantify the contri-

bution of pollutant loads from the

tributaries, CRWA has expanded

the flow monitoring network to

include nine additional tributary

sites. These tributaries include

Bogastow Brook, Chicken Brook,

Fuller Brook, Hopping Brook, MillRiver, Mine Brook, Stop River, Trout

Brook, and Waban Brook.

At each tributary site, a rela-

tionship between flow and

water level, called the rating

curve, needs to be estab-

lished. The rating curve is

determined by a series of five

to ten measurements of both

water level and flow under

different stream conditions

(i.e. after rainy or dry peri-

ods). Water level is measured

on a staff gauge and discharge is measured using a velocity meter.

Once the rating curve has been established, flow can be continu-

ously estimated by monitoring water level with a depthlogger.

The flow monitoring effort has progressed favorably during

the winter and early spring because of the mild temperatures and

low flow conditions. Tributary sites were identified and permis-sion to install the gauges was obtained from the relevant town

officials and conservation commissions. Each site now has a

staff gauge, which is a graduated metal ruler mounted in the

water to a nearby fixed object like a bridge support. CRWA has

also begun to install depthloggers, which are battery-operated

devices that use an immersed pressure transducer to continu-

ously record water depth.

Once the depthloggers are in, tracking the flow in tributarieswill truly begin. For more information, contact Nigel Pickering

at [email protected] John Carney [email protected].

Tracking TributariesBy Nigel Pickering and John Carney


11/15

STREAMER 12

Cold, raw winds and up to 3/4-inch of constant rain

did not dampen the spirits of nearly 1600 paddlers

who entered the 20th Anniversary Run of theCharles Canoe and Kayak Race on April 28,

2002.

The Run of the Charles competitors were

cheered on by thousands of soggy specta-

tors watching the six race divisions that

traveled the winding Charles River through

Dedham, Needham, Newton, Wellesley,

Waltham, and Watertown, to end at theFinish Line Festival at MDC Herter Park on

Soldiers Field Road in Allston.

Serge Corbin of St. Boniface, Quebec,

Canada, and Jeff Kolka of Grayling, MI,

repeated as champions in the 26.2-mile

$16,650 Professional Flatwater Marathon,

sponsored by Boston Duck Tours. Corbin has

now won the Pro Marathon all seven years the

Pro race has been held at the Run of the Charles.

An increased prize purse for the Womens

division in the Pro Marathon brought more womens

teams to the race which was won by Gloria Wesley,

Pittsfield, MA and Sue Slowick, Westhampton, MA, with a finish-

time of 4:06:43.

The 24-Mile Relay Race brought the tightest competition of

the day. The Powwow Paddlers team, captained by 2000 Run of

the Charles Relay Champions Michael and Steven Dylingowski ofAmesbury, MA, finished a mere ten seconds ahead of the 2001

Champion Relay Team Quinobequin Canoe Club.

In the 19-Mile Races, the fastest boat was a racing

kayak, again paddled by Connecticuts Mark R.

Jacobson, who finished in 2:40:23. ElizabethOConnor of Bohemia, NY won the 9-Mile race,

paddling a recreational kayak for Team LIKRR

in 1:27:48. The Manuiwa Outrigger Mens team

won the 7-Mile Outrigger canoe race, finish-

ing the course in 1:10:27. Gordon Chamberlin,

of Otisfield, ME, was the fastest in the

6-Mile race, crossing the finish line in

his recreational kayak after only 48:17.While the Run of the Charles draws

many of North Americas best paddlers, it

also brings out the best volunteers. CRWAs

Stream Team volunteers, Parrot Head Club

members, individuals, and a corps of Newton

Serves Community Service Day volunteers

kept the Run of the Charles organized, fun, safe,

and rewarding for everyone who participated.

CRWA thanks the following for their support:

Boston Duck Tours, Community Newspaper

Company, Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Outback

Kayak, Nantucket Nectars, Patagonia, S.R. Weiner/WS

Development, Polynesian Racing Craft Inc., Natick Outdoor Store,

the Charles River Boat Company, Eastern Mountain Sports,

Metropolitan District Commission, Paratore Hartshorn, American

Red Cross, Honorary Race Chairman Hal Gill of the Boston Bruins,

and the Amateur Radio Club.For a complete list of results, please visit www.charlesriver.org.

The Run of the Charles returns April 27, 2003.

20th Anniversary Run of the CharlesBy Janice Halpern

Photo: Tony DeCosta


12/15

STREAMER 13

Thank you to over1,200 volunteers

who participatedin the 3rd AnnualCharles River EarthDay Cleanup.On Saturday, April 20th,

over 60 organizations

spanned out over the

length of the river at 40

sites from Milford toBoston to remove

trash from the river and

its banks. Over 2,000

trash bags were

filled with common

items such as

cups, plastic bags and candy wrappers and some unusu-

al items such as toilet seats and a dead octopus. Several

volunteers used kayaks, canoes and whitewater rafts to

gather floating debris from the river. This was the sixth

year in a row that Senator Steven Tolmans office has

recruited residents of Brighton, Watertown and

Waltham to volunteer along the banks of the Charles.

Another group, the Box Pond Association, has been

organizing a clean up of Box Pond in Bellingham for

close to twenty years. For the first time this year, clean

up efforts were broadcast live from Herter Park inBrighton by WUMB Radio. After the clean up, volunteers

enjoyed a post-cleanup celebration at Herter Park where

they were treated to lunch and live folk music from the

Pahud Kissinger Band.

We are very excited that this event continues to attract

widespread support from so many diverse constituencies con-

nected by the Charles River and that each year the event has

drawn more volunteers than the previous, remarked Bob

Zimmerman, Executive Director of CRWA.

The event was organized by CRWA, Massachusetts

Community Water Watch, Senator Steven Tolmans office, and the

Charles River Stream Team, with support from the Clean Charles

Coalition and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC). All vol-

unteers received t-shirts designed by a MassCollege of Art student. The following

groups provided generous financial

and in-kind support for the event:

MDC, Home Depot, Stop and

Shop Supermarkets, Co.,

DiAngelos Submarine

Shops, Harvard University,

Bread and Circus,Massachusetts Institute

of Technology, Boston

University, Newton

Marriott Hotel, Royal

Sonesta Hotel,

Triumvirate

Environmental, ESS

Group, Genzyme, Ionics,Pfizer and Senator

Tolmans office.

Charles River Earth Day Clean Up 2002By Anna Elena


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STREAMER 14

CRWA asks its members to renew in the springand donate to our Annual Appeal in the fall.Membership renewals have been coming intoCRWA steadily since late March. Whats particu-larly noteworthy is the number of members whohave increased their donations from a year ago.These increments help us continue to be an effec-tive organization as we forge ahead with our vitalwork protecting the river. If you havent done soalready, please renew your membership. You can

renew your membership on line by going to ourwebsite: www.charlesriver.org, clicking onSupport CRWA, and then Join. Also, if you wouldlike to be reminded to renew, give to the annualappeal, or receive the Streamer via email, justemail [email protected] with your request.

Since the beginning of March over $112,000 hasbeen raised in member renewals. CRWA receivedan extremely generous donation from Larry andCarol Strasburger and also from the Kahn

Charitable Foundation. One anonymous dona-tion was made to our Headwaters Society ($1,000or more), as well as those from Beacon HillGarden Club, James C. Beck, Mr. and Mrs.Rodrigo Botero, Elisabeth Harper and DavidPersampieri, and Anne and Jim Davis.

Crossroads Community Foundation, in collab-oration with American National Power, gave$130,000 for SmartStormTM related pilot proj-ects. Earth Share donated $2372, and numer-

ous in-kind donations were received for our 20thAnnual Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Raceincluding the T-Shirt design by Paratore HartshornDesign, Inc. Thanks to everyone for your commit-ment to a clean Charles and sustainable waterresources. We are most grateful.

ThankYouTown Project

Bellingham Expanded Environmental Notification Form for Jefferson

at Bellingham Apartment Community

Boston Environmental Notification for Boston Water and Sewer

Commission Materials Handling Facility

Boston Draft Environmental Impact Report for Museum of Fine Arts

Boston Draft Environmental Impact Report for Phase I Muddy River

Restoration ProjectCambridge Draft Environmental Impact Report for North Point Project

Cambridge Draft Environmental Impact Report for Charles E. Smith

Residential

Franklin Environmental Notification Form for Grove Street

Business Center

Holliston Draft Water Withdrawal Permit for Holliston Well #7

Holliston Environmental Notification Form for Holliston Transfer

Station Daily Tonnage IncreaseHolliston Notice of Project Change for Hopping Brook Park

Hopkinton Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan for

the Town of Hopkinton

Somerville Environmental Notification Form for Lincoln Park

Community School

Regional Notice of Project Change for I-95/I-93 (Route 128)

Transportation Improvement Project

Statewide Draft Guide to Integrated Water ResourcesManagement Planning

Statewide Amendments to the Perennial Versus Intermittent

Provisions of the Massachusetts Wetland Regulations

Watchdog for the River

Below is a list of the projects on which CRWA commented to the state, town,

or developer between March 16 and June 15, 2002. Copies of comment letters

are available at CRWA.


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The StreamerCharles River Watershed Association

2391 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA 02466

Phone: (617) 965-5975, Fax: (617) 332-7465

Email: [email protected], Web:www.charlesriver.org

CRWA is a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation established

in 1965 to protect and enhance the health, beauty and

enjoyment of the Charles River and its tributaries.

CRWA is a member of Earth Share and the

Massachusetts Environmental Collaborative.

Board of Directors

Kelly McClintock PresidentPhillip L. Hillman Vice President/Environment

Jane Sender Clerk

William Tedoldi Treasurer

Edward E. Watts, III Assistant Treasurer

Ralph W. Abele Past President

Lee Breckinridge

Stephen H. Burrington

Lucy Caldwell-StairJohn P. DeVillars

Elizabeth C. Gilmore

Richard G. Gnci

James Healy

Jonathan D. Katz

Virginia M. Lawrence

Elizabeth Levin

Charles D. McCrea

Brian ODonovan

John G. Palfrey, Jr.

William D. Rieders

Staff

Robert Zimmerman, Jr. Executive Director

Margaret VanDeusen Deputy Director, General Counsel

Kathleen Baskin Project Manager

Dudley Bonsal Environmental Scientist

Kate Bowditch Senior Environmental Scientist

John Carney Environmental Scientist

Kenneth Dews Finance Administrator

Anna Eleria Environmental Scientist

James Fitzgerald Laboratory Manager

Meg Gray Office and Publications Manager

Nigel Pickering Senior Engineer

Peggy Savage Environmental Scientist

Louise Taylor Membership Manager

Interns: Marc Gilmore, Jennifer Morin,

Karen Fung, Shengnen Su

Streamer logo: Lou Mucci

Streamer design: Richard Gnci

Ken Shemchuk

Calendar Photos: Eric Endlich

New Staff Changes at CRWACRWA welcomes two familiar faces to our staff this summer. Kate Bowditch previ-ously worked for CRWA as the Coordinator for Advocacy and Policy from 1994 until1997, and as Senior Hydrologist until 2000. She has a wide range of experience inher work on the Charles including field work, volunteer training, research and policyanalysis. She has worked closely with individuals, citizen groups, other nonprofitorganizations, local, state and federal governments, and CRWA's own talented staff

to understand and improve conditions in the watershed. She returns to CRWA,in the role of Senior Environmental Scientist, after living abroad with her family.

John Carney joins the staff after serving as a water quality monitoring volunteerand intern on various projects with CRWA since October of 2000. He is bringinghis resources to our TMDL project and will be responsible for measuring flowat CRWA installed staff gages amongst other duties.


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NON PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

NATICK, MAPERMIT NO. 61

STREAMER

Charles River Watershed Association

2391 Commonwealth Avenue

Auburndale, MA 02466

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

The StreamerTakes to the

Super Highway!Starting with the Summer 2002 edi-

tion of the Streamer, readers willhave the opportunity to receive the

newsletter via email in PDF format.

If you are interested in receiving the

email version of the Streamervs. a

mailed hard copy, please email

[email protected] with your

name and preferred email address

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Summer 2002 Streamer Newsletter, Charles River Watershed Association

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