quick links
upcoming events

May 24
Mystic Lakes Dam Open House, 3-7pm
Upper Mystic Lake Dam, Medford

June 5
Committee Meeting, 7-9pm
Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center Rabb Room, Medford
*Guest presentation: Iron Horse Preservation Society, 7pm

 June 13
Water Quality Monitoring Training, 6-8pm
Mystic Learning Center, Somerville
Register today - space is limited.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A WATERSHED?

A watershed is a land area in which water flows from the highest point to the lowest point and contributes to a particular lake, river or other body of water. A watershed is defined by topography.

Courtesy of Conservation Ontario

 

WHAT IS THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED?

The Mystic River Watershed includes all the land area that drains into the Mystic River, and its tributaries, including the Aberjona River, Alewife Brook, Malden River, and Chelsea Creek. The watershed contains 76 square miles, 22 communities, and close to a half million people from all walks of life.  The Watershed is densely populated and has little open space.  The cities and towns in the Mystic River Watershed are:

  • Arlington
  • Belmont
  • Boston (Charlestown & East Boston)
  • Burlington
  • Cambridge
  • Chelsea
  • Everett
  • Lexington
  • Malden
  • Medford
  • Melrose
  • Reading
  • Revere
  • Somerville
  • Stoneham
  • Wakefield
  • Watertown
  • Wilmington
  • Winchester
  • Winthrop
  • Woburn

 

 

 




WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE ALONG THE WATERWAYS?

  • Swimming at Shannon Beach (Upper Mystic Lake, Winchester).
  • Boating at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, Somerville; Spot Pond, Stoneham; or Horn Pond, Woburn.
  • General  recreation, including biking, running, picnicing, birding.

 

WHAT WILDLIFE LIVES IN THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED?

The Mystic River Watershed encompasses numerous habitats including forest, meadow, field, wetland, rivers, lakes, and ponds, and is therefore home to a wide diversity of wildlife. 

  • Mammals such as fox, raccoon, beaver, muskrat, and opossum, and the occasional coyote or fisher.
  • Birds, including raptors such as redtailed hawks and eagles, songbirds, shorebirds, and wading birds.
  • Reptiles, such as garter snakes, painted turtles, and snapping turtles.
  • Amphibians, such as frogs, toads, and salamanders.
  • Fish, such as blueback herring and alewives that swim upstream from the ocean each year to spawn.

 

Blueback Herring

WHAT ISSUES THREATEN THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED?

The Mystic River Watershed faces various threats, including:

  • Poor water quality from stormwater runoff and sewage contamination along Alewife Brook
  • Contaminated sediments from a long industrial history (Aberjona River, Malden River)
  • Threats to the little remaining open space, throughout the Watershed
  • Localized flooding (particularly in Winchester and along Alewife Brook)
  • Poor public access to many of the rivers and brooks
  • Invasive species, such as water chestnut, impact water quality, species diversity, and habitat quality

 

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION (MyRWA)?

MyRWA is a community-based, private, nonprofit organization. MyRWA is an “umbrella group” that represents many of the groups that work on behalf of the Watershed and the people who live in it. 

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA ) was established in 1970 to protect and restore the Mystic River, its tributaries and watershed lands for the benefit of present and future generations and to celebrate the value, importance and great beauty of these natural resources.

 

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY?

  • Water Quality MonitoringA small organization, MyRWA accomplishes its mission by forging links with citizens’ groups, colleges and universities, businesses and government agencies.  These alliances permit MyRWA to work throughout the Watershed to document current conditions and advocate for sound resource management and protection.  MyRWA connects, but does not direct, the efforts of many smaller groups working in each Watershed community.  This collaborative approach has created a stronger Watershed voice and is helping to attract much-needed public and private resources to the Mystic River Watershed.
  • Since 2000, MyRWA volunteers have collected water samples throughout the watershed for analysis of bacteria and nutrients. MyRWA boasts three distinct water quality monitoring programs. These include the Baseline Monitoring Program, where volunteers sample at the same 15 locations each month; and our Hot-Spot Monitoring Program, where volunteers sample each month intensively along a river or stream. Lastly, the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program monitors cyanobacteria levels, which is used to alert authorities of this potentially harmful bacteria. MyRWA is able to track changes in water quality over time, provide valuable data to the EPA and communities within the Watershed, and identify pollution sources. In 2008 MyRWA added three sites to our Baseline Monitoring Program.
  • A fall 2009 intern from Tufts University, Sarah Shivers, developed a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) program working to identify SSO locations using volunteer monitors. The program also includes community based advocacy and education surrounding SSO’s and their public health risks.  
    If you are interested in interning with MyRWA please email beth@mysticriver.org.
  • Data from MyRWA’s water quality monitoring efforts are compiled into reports (available here) to inform the EPA, state agencies, municipalities, and the public about their local waterbodies. These reports influence development, policies and permits.
  • Education and Awareness of water quality issues:

    • MyRWA hosts Water Quality Workshops for youth from partnering community organizations to provide environmental education surrounding water quality issues and testing methods, as well as enhance their awareness and knowledge of the local ecology.
    • MyRWA provides Citizen Scientist Training Workshops for local citizens to become trained in water quality monitoring methods. Participants may then join MyRWA’s various water quality monitoring programs, which rely primarily on volunteer efforts. If you are interested in attending the next Workshop please email beth@mysticriver.org.

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    WHAT HAS MyRWA ACCOMPLISHED?

    For a more extensive list of MyRWA’s accomplishments please click the history-misson link here.

    • The Mystic River received an improved water quality grade of C-, up from D in previous years, from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating that our waterways are cleaner for swimming, fishing and boating. Click here to read the report. (2009)
    • Recent meetings convened by the EPA illustrate renewed focus and commitment at the national level to improve water quality and environmental conditions in the Mystic River Watershed. MyRWA participated in Mystic River Watershed Steering Committee and Science meetings to help guide the strategic direction of collaborative efforts in the Watershed. (2009)
    • MyRWA, together with local activists, was influential in steering an Exxon Mobil settlement of $5.7 million from a national fund to being designated with ‘high preference’ for projects in the Mystic River Watershed. For more information click here. (2009)
    • Hosted a conference on stormwater Best Management Practices entitled “Mystic Stormwater 2008: A BMP Primer for Municipal Officials”. (2008)
    • Assisted the EPA in planning and presenting for their Mystic River Summit and developed a webpage to host background materials for conference participants. (2008)
    • Added three additional sites in the Lower Mystic to our monthly Baseline Monitoring program in order to track trends in water quality in the Island End River, Chelsea River, and Mill Creek. (2008)
    • Conducted a survey of Chlorophyll a in 27 lakes and streams to assess the extent of algae blooms in the watershed. (2007)

     

    HOW CAN I BECOME INVOLVED WITH MyRWA?

    Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Mystic River Watershed Association.  For the first 27 years of its existence, all programs were volunteer-run.  The addition of staff members has enhanced MyRWA’s ability to support citizens’ interests and efforts while maintaining the institutional memory of the organization.  Opportunities for participation include serving on one of MyRWA’s committees (Policy, Water Quality, Outreach); volunteering as a water quality monitor; organizing spring clean-ups; helping to plan events; assisting in office work; providing website assistance, etc.  MyRWA is a membership-run organization. Please support our work by joining as a member today. Membership begins at $35 and is a tax-deductible donation. Membership benefits include:Volunteers practice water quality monitoring.

    • A year’s subscription to our newsletter, the Mystic Messenger, with the information on what is happening in the Mystic River Watershed.
    • Invitations to special events and notices of activities in the Watershed.
    • Voting authority for the Board of Directors at MyRWA’s Annual Meeting.
    • A great feeling of knowing your donation is going toward efforts to save the water that connect our community.

     

    Become a member by clicking the link here.

    For more information and to volunteer contact:  beth@mysticriver.org or 781-316-3438. 

     

     

    Download a brochure about the Mystic River Watershed here.

     

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