About the Charles

How clean is the Charles?

In 2011 the EPA rated the Charles River a B+. More information is available here.

Organizations involved in cleaning the Charles River

The continuing improvement of the Charles River relies on the efforts of numerous federal, state and local agencies as well as strong participation from citizens, nonprofit groups and private institutions. These entities include:

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Environmental Protection Agency
Charles River Watershed Association
Conservation Law Foundation
Charles River Conservancy
Massachusetts Oyster Project

Clean-up Efforts

The EPA web site provides a comprehensive history of the Charles River and the ongoing effort to turn it from a polluted river to a swimmable and fishable body of water.  The  Charles River Watershed Association is the lead private organization in studying and improving the Charles River.