Welcome! Here's what's new at MyRWA...
The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) works to protect and improve environmental conditions for the more than one half million residents within the 22 community Mystic River Watershed. Read more here.
Sunday is the Herring Run and Paddle!
Please join us for the 16th Annual Mystic River Herring Run and Paddle on Sunday, May 20 at the DCR Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, 32 Shore Drive, Somerville. Events include a 5K road race, 3 paddling races, a bicycle tour, and a play by youth from Somerville's Wild Tales program. We'll be joined by the US EPA at 10AM for the Mystic River Report Card announcement. This event is fun for all ages and we have excellent prizes donated by local businesses. Online registration is closed - day of registration begins at 8AM. Park on the street or at the Somerville District Courthouse, 175 Fellsway West, and take the free shuttle bus from 8am-2pm.
Click here for more information about the Herring Run and Paddle.
Open House Sun. & Thurs. - Come See the Herring!
On April 1, 2012 MyRWA launched a new program to monitor river herring (Blueback and Alewife herring) in the Mystic River. Trained volunteers count herring at the newly renovated Upper Mystic Lake Dam in Medford for one 10-minute interval each hour from 7AM to 7PM every day. The data will be used to estimate herring run size. Both herring and American eel are now being counted at the Dam! Dam Open House: Sun. May 20, 12-3pm and Thurs. May 24, 3-7pm - stop by to learn about the herring migration!
Learn more about the Herring Monitoring Program here.
Natural Resource Damages Settlement Announced
Woburn MA Courtesy of EPAMyRWA is happy to report the following news received from Karen Pelto, Natural Resource Damages Coordinator for the Department of Environmental Protection. After many years of hard work by Federal and State environmental professionals and officials, the Department of Justice announced that Pharmacia Corporation and Bayer CropScience Inc. have agreed to pay $4.25 million to federal and state natural resource trustees to resolve claims for natural resource damages connected with the Industri-plex Superfund site located in Woburn, MA. Of this amount, $3,812,127 will be deployed in the Mystic River Watershed by the trustees to implement natural resource restoration projects designed to restore the wetland, river and lake habitat used by a variety of wildlife that was damaged by industrial activities between 1850-1960 and to compensate for injury caused by the hazardous substances disposed of at the site.
Please follow the link here for the full article.
MyRWA’s Patrick Herron Receives EPA Award
Karen McGuire (EPA), Patrick Herron, Curt Spalding (EPA Region 1 Administrator)Patrick Herron, MyRWA’s Water Quality Monitoring Director, received a 2012 Environmental Merit Award from the Environmental Protection Agency New England Region 1. Under Patrick’s guidance MyRWA put new attention on Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) as a major source of pollution in the watershed, launched the Herring Monitoring Program, and provided leadership on the water chestnut removal project to name a few accomplishments. Congratulations Patrick! Read the US EPA press release here.
Earth Day on the Mystic!
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Somerville Boy Scout Troop 3Earth Day events occured throughout the watershed on Saturday, April 21 and 28 as part of the Mystic Community Earth Day. In Somerville, MyRWA had over 50 volunteers remove trash from the banks of the Mystic River. A special thanks to Somerville's Boy Scout Troop #3 and MA Department of Conservation and Recreation. View MyRWA's photos here.
Read more about Mystic Community Earth Day events here.
Polar Plunge Kicks Off 40th Anniversary
Over 55 people attended the first-ever Mystic Polar Plunge, held at Constitution Beach in East Boston on Saturday, January 28th. 21 people braved the icy waters on the mild winter day to kickoff MyRWA's 40th Anniversary year - a year to celebrate and promote the recreational opportunities of the Mystic as well as the water quality testing and environmental policy efforts that MyRWA has led over its forty year history.
MyRWA Celebrates 40 years in 2012
2012 marks MyRWA's 40th Anniversary - a year to celebrate and promote the recreational opportunities of the Mystic as well as the water quality testing and environmental policy efforts that MyRWA has led over its forty year history. Throughout the year MyRWA is hosting Anniversary events, listed here. Thank you for your support and we hope to celebrate with you!
List of Supplemental Environmental Projects Now Available
Village Landing Park, EverettMyRWA is working to assemble a list of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) that may fulfill needs by corporations, institutions or community organizations required to or who wish to fund projects to restore environmental conditions in the Mystic River Watershed. These projects may serve as SEPs for State or Federal environmental regulations. Do you have a project that may not fit the criteria of many grants but is vital to the health and enjoyment of the watershed? This may be your chance to get it funded! Submit your project and learn more here.
Photo Contest Winners Announced
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Best Overall photo by George McLean.Over 200 photos were submitted by 53 photographers during the 2011 Photo Contest! Contest categories included Plants, Wildlife, Landscape, Recreation & Appreciation and Best Overall. Thanks to all who submitted and congratulations to the winning photographers! View the contest winners here.
Explore the Mystic with the new URBAN TRAIL MAP & ACTIVITY GUIDE
A canoe tour was held on July 28 to bring attention to the Map & Guide.MyRWA is happy to announce a new resource that underlines the beauty of the Mystic River: The Mystic River Watershed Urban Trail Map and Activity Guide. The map and guide is available in English and Spanish and can be purchased at MyRWA events and at local fairs and festivals. More information here including how to purchase the MAP.
US EPA ANNOUNCES MYSTIC RIVER REPORT CARD
Ken Moraff of the US EPAThe Mystic River Watershed received a grade of "D-" for water quality conditions for the calendar year 2010 as part of the US EPA's annual Mystic River Report Card. The grade is based on bacterial contamination, and the monitoring data is collected by MyRWA’s trained water quality monitors as part of the Baseline Monitoring Program. This grade indicates that water quality met swimming standards only 28 percent of the time, while boating standards were met 70 percent of the time. Read the full report here.
STUDENT-PRODUCED FILM: "THE MYSTIC UNSEEN"
Over the fall 2010 semester four students from Emerson College undertook a project to make a documentary film about the Mystic River Watershed as part of a Documentary for Social Action course. These students worked with MyRWA staff and volunteers to develop a beautiful and professional 10 minute film about Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) in the Mystic. MyRWA would like to thank Sarah Ginsburg, Julie Hook, Chris Bianrosa and Kelly Wessel for their hard work throughout this project. Enjoy the film!
DCR RELEASES MYSTIC RIVER MASTER PLAN
DCR Mystic River Master PlanThe DCR's 162 page Mystic River Master Plan provides steps for preserving and restoring the area surrounding the Mystic River. The comprehensive plan, which took years to complete, aims to promote recreational use of the land around the river, preserve wild habitats, develop additional pathways, link open spaces, and develop guidelines for future management of the park. View the DCR Mystic River Master Plan here.