CRWA was one of the first watershed organizations in the country, founded in 1965 out of public concern for the declining condition of the Charles. The River at that time regularly ran in "toxic color," degraded by raw sewage discharged from outmoded wastewater treatment plants along its course through 23 towns, from Hopkinton to Boston.

Today we have dramatic improvement: the river meets the swimming standard in dry weather for 70 of its 80 miles. How do we know? Because CRWA's 80 trained volunteers collect water samples monthly at 37 sites along the river's length. CRWA's research and computer modeling help decisionmakers at every level of government and in the private sector. A daily monitoring program in the Lower Basin, the most heavily used part of the Charles, enables CRWA to fly warning flags on days when pollution levels pose a health risk to boaters

CRWA also promotes new approaches to water management, to address long-term regional needs for public water sources and wastewater disposal. It has the expertise to advise communities about state-of-the-art sustainable solutions, but it needs your support to share that expertise in the 35 towns within the watershed. Many of you will benefit.