Regional Stormwater Utility Workshop Announced

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) is excited to announce the Stormwater Utility Workshop taking place on March 25th, 2015 at the Radisson Hotel in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

The regional workshop will bring together practitioners in a variety of environmental and management fields to share their experiences and information regarding stormwater utility development and implementation in the New England states and New York. Workshop participants will include representatives from state, federal, and municipal governments; the private sector; academia; and water resources programs and organizations. For more information, please visit www.neiwpcc.org/stormwaterutilityworkshop.

The workshop will feature a keynote presentation from national stormwater utility expert, Keith Readling! Keith Readling, PE, Vice President & Director of Stormwater Management Consulting, Raftelis Financial Consultants

Mr. Readling has 29 years of experience in municipal stormwater management and civil engineering. As an executive and leader of the Raftelis Stormwater Management Consulting Division, he has broad responsibilities for service delivery to clients across the U.S., with a particular focus on program and financial planning, stormwater utility, and enterprise fund data and systems development for local governments and utilities. Mr. Readling has consulted with many of the largest and most complex stormwater utilities in the U.S. and is one of the foremost authorities in the country regarding stormwater management programs, data, systems, and business processes. He has assisted with the establishment of 41 stormwater utilities in 14 states, serving as the lead consultant for 19 of them.

Invasive Species Internship - June 15-Aug 14, 2015

June 15- Aug 14, 2015 (9 weeks)

Stipend provided ($2,500)

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) seeks a motivated, well-organized and physically strong intern to assist in organizing an effort to remove the invasive species Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) from the Mystic River. This is part of the Water Chestnut Removal Project.

Responsibilities include organizing and leading water chestnut removal events with corporations, community groups and the general public and directing and managing teams of volunteers in canoes.  The intern will also use a small powerboat to remove plants from the river.  Event planning and organization begins in June; removal efforts will begin in late June with the majority of events occurring during the month of July and first week of August. This is a mostly outdoor, physically demanding internship that requires moving canoes and other gear and getting wet and dirty while remaining enthusiastic at events.

Interns will work both in and out of the office, and must be able to work independently and as a
member of a team. This is a full-time internship position with a stipend provided which requires a commitment of June 15 through August 14, 2015.  This is a great opportunity to be involved with a small non-profit doing work on behalf of the community and environment.  For more information about the Water Chestnut, visit our webpage here.

Qualifications:

Ability to navigate a canoe

Ability to lift 40 lbs.

Must be able to swim

Experience in public speaking

Organized and detail-oriented 

Excellent interpersonal skills and great attitude

Applicants must be able to occasionally work evenings, early mornings, and weekends

Reliable transportation required (mileage reimbursed)

Candidates must be 18 years of age or older

Additional desirable skills: First aid and CPR certified, life guard certification, experience driving a 15 foot motor boat, familiarity with the Mystic River and experience in event planning.

The Mystic River Watershed Association is an equal opportunity employer.
Deadline to apply is March 1, 2015. Applications reviewed as received.

If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to WQInternship@MysticRiver.org with Invasive Species Internship in the subject line. No phone calls please.

Spring 2015: Paid Internship with the Mystic River Watershed Association

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) seeks a motivated intern to assist in corporate and volunteer recruitment for the  Water Chestnut Removal Program and the Herring Monitoring Program.

The intern will work in the office with staff on both programs as the Water Chestnut Removal Coordinator and the Herring Monitoring Program Coordinator. Primary duties for the water chestnut removal program include researching and recruiting area businesses, coordinating and scheduling volunteer groups, and developing outreach materials as needed.  Primary duties for herring monitoring include development of outreach materials, coordinating and interacting with more than 70 volunteer monitors, and conducting public outreach and data entry.

Qualifications:

• Strong organizational skills

• Experience in public speaking

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite

• Experience recruiting and managing volunteers is a plus

• Experience working with businesses is an asset

The intern will work both in and out of the office, and must be able to work independently and as a team.
The intern is expected to invest 15-20 hours per work week from Feb. 2nd – May 29th. An interest in science, environmental education, development and advocacy is encouraged.

Candidates must be 18 years of age or older. Exact dates can be flexible depending on the candidate.
This position will pay a $2,000 stipend.

If interested, please send your letter of interest and resume to internopps@mysticriver.org. No phone calls please. The Mystic River Watershed Association is an equal opportunity employer.

Deadline for application: January 18, 2015.

MYSTIC RIVER RECEIVES "D" GRADE FOR 2013 WATER QUALITY

The Mystic River Watershed water quality earned a report card grade of “D” for calendar year 2013. The grade is based on bacterial contamination found in analyzed samples that were collected by MyRWA volunteers in 2013 at 15 monitoring sites throughout the entire watershed.

While water quality in the main stem of the Mystic River from Medford to Boston Harbor has been consistently good, a majority of the data collected in the tributary streams that feed the Mystic River indicate that water quality in those areas has remained poor. During 2013, the Mystic River Watershed met state water quality standards for boating 83% of the time, while swimming standards were met only 49% of the time.

“The U.S. EPA grade reflects the fact that environmental conditions in the Mystic River fall short of the expectations of the Clean Water Act. While the Mystic River is safe for boating more than 90 percent of the time, important tributaries of the watershed – Alewife Brook, the Aberjona and Malden Rivers and others – are severely impaired and contribute a significant amount of pollution into these waters. Our organization is asking U.S. EPA and MassDEP for their help in developing a clear plan and pathway to improved conditions within a reasonable time horizon. The Charles River and Boston Harbor have celebrated extraordinary improvements in water quality. We look forward to when we can include the Mystic River in this environmental success story,” said EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association.

Mystic River Watershed Association Selected as Root Cause Social Innovator!

Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum has named the Mystic River Watershed Association as one of seven nonprofit organizations in Greater Boston to receive more than $135,000 in cash and capacity-building services from Root Cause and its partners. The Association was chosen to join the team of 2015 “Social Innovators” for the Urban Sustainability: Greener and More Resilient Cities social issue track, sponsored by the Schrafft Charitable Trust. The Social Innovation Forum will accelerate the performance of these innovative, results-oriented nonprofit organizations by providing financial and capacity building support along with access to a network of funders, business leaders, and social issue experts.

Evaluation and interview committees made up of more than 60 social issue experts from the business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors reviewed upwards of 100 applications to select the 2015 Social Innovators – all of which are at an exciting inflection point and have compelling missions, strong leadership and vision, a desire to improve, and significant growth potential.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the Association to reflect, grow and launch ourselves into the next chapter of our work with the extraordinary support and guidance of Root Cause,” said EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association.

MyRWA was selected for its in-depth work to document water quality conditions, to engage thousands of volunteers each year through its various environmental restoration programs, to promote local environmental advocacy and to advance successful climate change adaptation strategies in the 22 community watershed.

Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum provides a unique opportunity for forward looking nonprofit organizations and social enterprises to gain visibility, expand their networks, and build capacity. Through this 24-month long project, Association staff will receive extensive professional consulting, executive coaching, and other in-kind services. MyRWA will also have the opportunity to participate in various networking events and become part of the Social Innovation Forum’s growing circle of nonprofit, business, government, and foundation leaders. The Social Innovators will present their work to leaders from the local public, private and nonprofit sectors at Root Cause’s 12th Annual Social Innovator Showcase on May 6, 2015.

Since 2003, Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum has been working to create a social impact market that distributes resources to organizations based on performance in order to most efficiently and effectively solve social problems in Greater Boston. Since its founding the Social Innovation Forum has worked with over 70 organizations to help them scale and sustain their work, increasing their ability to address our most pressing social issues. For more information about Root Cause see www.rootcause.org.

The Mystic River Watershed Association joins Catie’s Closet; Company One Theatre; Courageous Parents Network; Massachusetts Public Health Association; Press Pass TV; and Waypoint Adventure as Root Cause’s selected Social Innovators for 2015.

MyRWA couldn't be happier about this exciting partnership for 2015. Thank you to the Schrafft Charitable Trust and Root Cause for the privilege to work together!

Storm Causes Large Sanitary Sewer Overflows

The Mystic River Watershed experienced significant Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) events this week – the first of its kind since March 2010. The overflows resulted from the estimated 4 inches of rain received Wednesday, December 10th, overwhelming infrastructure and forcing overflows of stormwater mixed with untreated sewage into our waterways. Storm events of this kind are expected to increase in the future, demonstrating the need to update our infrastructure to accommodate large storm events. MyRWA anticipates that a high volume of SSO water was released into the environment and will report the data once received.

Read more about Sanitary Sewer Overflows here.

Come Learn about the Mystic River Herring Run, 1/6/15

On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 please plan to attend the Mystic River Watershed Association’s monthly Committee Meeting to hear from Ben Gahagan, Diadromous Fish Biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For more than two years Ben Gahagan has worked for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, including analyzing the Mystic River herring run and others across the Commonwealth. Ben will provide an overview of the Mystic River herring run – data collected through volunteer efforts with the Herring Monitoring Program – as well as a comparison to other runs in the area. Come learn more about these fascinating fish that call the Mystic home each spring!

Ben’s presentation will be followed by the Policy and Clean Water Campaign meetings. This meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

Join us on January 6, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center, Rabb Room. (The Lincoln Filene Center is within the Tisch College building)

12/9/14: Stormwater Management; Finance Options

You're invited to this public presentation!

Arlington Engineering Division continues to host its Stormwater Awareness Series. The next presentation; "Stormwater Management; Finance Options” will be presented by Julie Conroy, AICP, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). She will present information prepared by MAPC and discuss financing mechanisms for Stormwater Management and provide details about a new toolkit available to Municipalities to consider while managing or preparing an effective stormwater management and maintenance program.

The presentation will be held on December 9th, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Selectmen's Hearing Room at the Arlington Town Hall. 2nd Floor, 730 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington MA. For additional information on the Arlington Stormwater Awareness series, including links to ACMi online archives of past sessions please visit arlingtonma.gov/engineering.

Environmental GIS Intern Opportunity

Spring Internship with MyRWA!

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) seeks a GIS Intern to assist in a project investigating relationships between water quality data from stormwater systems and features of stormwater infrastructure, land use, population, and other variables.  The GIS intern may be asked to assist in other data projects, if appropriate.

The GIS Intern will develop, edit, verify, and analyze spatial data related to drainage basins, municipal stormwater infrastructure, and water quality within the Mystic River Watershed.  Experience with ArcGIS software and fluency with Excel are required.     

Interns will learn about efforts that a watershed association undertakes to advocate for water quality improvements. The intern must be able to work independently and as a team. This is a part-time position that requires a commitment of two to three days a week during the Monday through Friday work week. Position begins in January and concludes mid-April - exact dates can be flexible depending on the candidate.

An interest in science, the environment and advocacy is encouraged. 
This is an unpaid position.

 Since 1972, MyRWA has played a unique role in the whole of the watershed by its science, advocacy, and outreach efforts. The Mystic River Watershed Association is based in Arlington, MA and is accessible via several bus routes. The Mystic River Watershed Association is an equal opportunity employer.

If interested, please send your resume to WQInternship@MysticRiver.org. No phone calls please.

Deadline for application: January 4, 2015.

Governor Signs Environmental Justice Executive Order

On November 25, 2014 Governor Deval Patrick signed into law an Executive Order on Environmental Justice that directs all state agencies to devote resources to protect the health, safety and environment for the most vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth. He was joined by the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Alliance (MA EJ Alliance), comprised of environmental and social justice organizing and grassroots groups from across the state.

Massachusetts became the eighth state in the country to pass an Executive Order on Environmental Justice. Environmental justice populations reside in 137 of the Commonwealth's 351 municipalities, including communities in the Mystic River Watershed such as Chelsea, East Boston, Malden and Everett. Residents in these communities, who are mostly low-income and people of color, live with substantially greater risk of exposure to environmental health hazards than the general population.

MyRWA applauds the Governor and the many environmental justice advocates for this great achievement! MyRWA will continue to advocate for policies that advance environmental protection, equity, and public health within the 22-community Mystic River Watershed.

Learn more about the event at our partners website, Alternatives of Community and Environment (ACE).