Closing the Clean Water Gap: Tackling the Biggest Threat to a Clean Charles River.

PositionCONSERVATION

TAKE A STROLL ALONG THE CHARLES RIVER ON A NICE WEEKEND, AND YOU'LL SEE WHY IT'S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BUSIEST WATERSHEDS IN THE COUNTRY. Even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, joggers and walkers still threaded its shoreline paths; canoes, kayaks, and sculls plied its waters; and sailboats drifted along its currents.

But this scene is not as idyllic as it seems. Far too often these days, beautiful afternoons by the water are marred by toxic blue-green algae outbreaks. Those outbreaks don't just smell and look bad--they can harm our health and that of our children, pets, and the fish, plants, and other aquatic life that call the Charles home.

It wasn't so long ago that the Charles was one of the dirtiest rivers in the country. Today, thanks to CLF, the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), and other advocates, the Bay State's iconic river is on the mend. But despite these decades-long clean-up efforts, we still have far to go before we can declare the Charles truly healthy.

The biggest issue facing the river today--and the underlying cause of those toxic algae outbreaks--is phosphorus pollution from stormwater runoff.

Along the river's 80-mile course from Hopkinton to Boston Harbor are thousands of acres of strip malls, office parks, and other commercial development, along with their flat roofs and huge parking lots. "We continue to develop along the Charles and not require these developments to manage their stormwater pollution on site," says Heather Miller, general counsel and policy director for CRWA. "As a result, blue-green algae, which occur naturally, are growing into harmful blooms and, along with invasive species, have become unmanageable."

Back when the Charles flowed through a largely natural landscape, rainwater was absorbed by the ground. The ground acted as a natural filter for pollutants before the water eventually drained into the river. Today, stormwater gushes off those acres of roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs, picking up trash, chemicals, gasoline, fertilizer, and other harmful pollutants along the way. The result: a contaminated soup of dirty water draining into the Charles, Boston Harbor, and other rivers, lakes, and streams across New England.

A major ingredient in that soup is phosphorus, which feeds blue-green algae and causes the harmful outbreaks. Excess phosphorus also fertilizes harmful invasive species such as water chestnut and milfoil, which crowd out native plants and damage the...

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