Volunteers Needed for River Herring Monitoring in the Charles River

MIT Sea Grant in collaboration with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will be coordinating a volunteer group to conduct river herring monitoring on the Charles River this year. The monitoring will consist of visual counts that will take place at the Watertown Dam between April 1, 2020 and June 1, 2020. There will be an information and training session in early March. The information collected through this effort will help provide a better understanding of the river herring populations that use the Charles River each year, and will contribute to the Massachusetts state-wide river herring monitoring and assessment program.

MIT Sea Grant are the same people that helped us develop the new depth chart of the river, so let's help them out.

More info can be found in their announcement

Potential Restoration of Bivalves in the Lower Charles Basin

Potential Restoration of Bivalves in the Lower Charles Basin

Can adding native bivalves to the Charles River ecosystem improve the water quality?    

Prior to the building of the dam at Science Park in 1910, the lower Charles River Basin was a tidal estuary with an abundant population of saltwater bivalves.  The abundance of these bivalves is evident in a 1902 photograph of the Cambridge Embankment and mud flats showing people clamming along the seawall. Today, the river is a very different environment, no longer tidal, largely freshwater although some saltwater comes in through the locks.  In the ensuing years, the river has experienced decades of pollution followed by environmental remediation. While the water quality continues to improve, the biggest threats today are remaining sources of e. Coli bacteria contamination, elevated levels of phosphorus and nitrogen from runoff, and annual blooms of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).  

Altering the environment of the Lower Charles Basin from a tidal estuary to a nominal freshwater lake led to a sharp decline in the bivalves typically found in saltwater estuaries.  However, freshwater bivalves have likely been present in the upper Charles River as well as many of the tributaries leading to the main stem of the river for centuries. While these bivalves may have established colonies in the main stem of the river and the Lower Charles Basin, increased levels of pollution in the 20th century undoubtedly killed them off.  Now that the river is cleaner, is it possible to reintroduce native bivalves to the river and can such a reintroduction lead to improvements in water quality?  

There have been many studies that indicate that bivalves are efficient filter feeders, each one processing as much as 10-20 gallons a day.  The bivalves improve the water quality by (1) controlling the algae population, (2) reducing turbidity, enhancing sunlight penetration which can promote beneficial aquatic vegetation and habitat, (3) reducing nitrogen in the water, and (4) reducing carbon dioxide levels in the water by fixating the carbon in their shells.  We are not alone in thinking that bivalves may be a solution to water quality in our river. The city of Philadelphia is spending more than $8M to build a mussel hatchery and re-establish a vibrant population of bivalves to improve the water quality of the Delaware River.

While our project is still in the embryonic stage, working with Carolina Bastidas of MIT Sea Grant, we have done some field survey work to find bivalves that may already be living in the river.  The good news is that there are bivalves in the river. There are native fingernail clams and invasive Asian clams in many places along the main stem of the river. Both of these species are small, less than an inch in diameter.  We've also observed some 4-6 inch mussels, although we're still working to identify the specific species.  

Looking forward, at some point, we'll need to apply for a research permit which would include a well-defined proposal that would identify the specific bivalve species that we would intend to introduce, the specific location that we would plant the bivalves, and proposed metrics and testing to monitor any changes in the water quality.  The permitting process is likely to take 6-12 months if successful. In parallel, we need to be looking for sources of funding to support the project, especially potential sources outside of CRAB.  

Carl ZImba

Survey on CRAB-MIT Sea Grant Depth Chart of Charles River

This spring, the National Sea Grant Program will be evaluating the projects and accomplishments of the MIT Sea Grant College Program over the past four years.  A critical part of the review is testimony from partners on the positive impact of Sea Grant projects, including the CRAB and MIT Sea Grant Chart Project. 

In preparation for this site review, I would like to solicit feedback from the Charles River community about the impact of the Chart Project.  This feedback should include responses from people that lead and manage boathouses and programs as well as individual users of the river.  Please distribute the link to this survey to members of the river community.  

While our field work has been completed for the current version of the depth chart, we are actively exploring how the river has changed over time.  To that end, we have developed an archive of documents, reports, maps, and charts to provide a historical perspective on how the Charles River, Boston Harbor, and Boston, in general, has changed since 1630.  This archive can be found in the sidebar at http://www.CharlesRiverAllianceofBoaters.org/chart.  

Carl Zimba

Project Coordinator

CRAB and MIT Sea Grant Chart Project

www.CharlesRiverAllianceofBoaters.org/chart

Cambridge Boat Club Craft Fair

 All, 

It is cold on the River but warm in the clubs!  Please see attached and share with your members, family and friends, a flyer for the 

Cambridge Boat Club Arts & Craft Holiday Fair, 

Sunday, December 9th from 10AM to 2PM 

Cambridge Boat Club, 2 Gerry's Landing Road in Cambridge.

Local and boat club based artists will offer a variety of items for sale including artwork, ceramics, wearable items, hand painted cards and so much more.  

 

Check out the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

October 14 HEADS UP, particularly for power boaters.

PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIPS, ESPECIALLY NEWTON AND WATERTOWN YACHT CLUBS.

Race Course:  Eliot Bridge (near BB&N School) to North Beacon St. Bridge.

Race time:  Noon to roughly 1pm.  Might be faster, might be slower, depending on how young and/or inexperienced some of the rowers are.

the Head of the Quinnobequinn is a youth (kids 18 and under, and as young as 10 years old), in singles.  This means that they are alone in the boat, steering a tricky course with obstacles to avoid, and having to execute their race strategy with no motivation or help from other rowers or a cox'n.  These boats are also very tippy and require skill and concentration.  All that said, this is a fantastic race with some really quality rowing and it provides great experience for these kids.  We put many coaching launches on the course to keep an eye on everything and to lend a hand to kids that need it.  Our goal is to give these kids the best racing experience possible.

Because of this, we ask that powerboaters (all boaters, too) avoid the race course for the duration of the race.  So please plan to be below Eliot bridge PRIOR to Noon, or wait well above North Beacon St. until the last rower crosses the finish line (and they may be well back from the pack, so please be patient).  We know that really impacts Watertown and Newton Yacht Clubs, and powerboaters wishing to use the powerboat ramp and we really appreciate your help and cooperation.  Please adjust your plans accordingly.

We also understand that this, in some years, impacts the canoe and kayal rental, and we appreciate your willingness to work around the event.    Hopefully this year, with a later date, is less of a burden on you.

Thanks everyone!  It is a truly wonderful event and it could not happen without the support of the entire river community!

 

 

 

 

Check out the CRAB website at www.charlesriverallianceofboaters.org

Fw: (CRAB) This Weekend on the Charles!!

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "CRAB" <lyns@mindspring.com>

To: "CRAB@groupspaces.com" <CRAB@groupspaces.com>

Cc:

Sent: Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 10:07 PM

Subject: (CRAB) This Weekend on the Charles!!

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CRAB Saturday 9:30am - 12pm CBC Invitational Stake Race. Relay style out to stake, around and back, including eights, quads, and doubles.  Slightly upstream of Eliot Bridge to RBC and back.  Launches on course, power boat breaks. Sunday  8-9pm Light Painting with Art Boats.  Free! Light Paintings on the Charles and in the park at Magazine Beach. Participants can drive remote controlled boats, control the color of lights on the boats and on land, or take long exposure phots to make collaborative light graffiti that explores how art can help communities claim public spaces. Contact lperovich@gmail.com for more info.

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Fw: (CRAB) This Weekend on the Charles!!

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "CRAB" <lyns@mindspring.com>

To: "CRAB@groupspaces.com" <CRAB@groupspaces.com>

Cc:

Sent: Thu, May 24, 2018 at 10:13 PM

Subject: (CRAB) This Weekend on the Charles!!

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CRAB Friday 5pm Informal Sailing Races Community Boating between Longfellow and Mass Ave Bridges Saturday and Sunday  Nothing scheduled  - Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!! FYI    Next Sat June 1 is the Charles River Swim 7 - 9am

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