Head to EPA Region 1 offices on Monday, February 23rd for the Mystic River Watershed Initiative Science Forum. The forum will include presentations and discussions on local water quality and related topics. The meeting will be held at 5 Post Office Square, Boston and begins at 8:30 a.m. More details forthcoming.
2015 Water Chestnut Strategy
Join MyRWA’s Patrick Herron for a presentation on the Association’s popular Water Chestnut Removal Program. Patrick will provide an overview of the program which began in 2010 and detail MyRWA’s approach to tackling this invasive plant for 2015.
Patrick’s presentation will be followed by the Policy and Clean Water Campaign meetings at 8:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.
Join us on Tuesday, February 17th, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center, Rabb Room. (The Lincoln Filene Center is within the Tisch College building) (Note: Date rescheduled to 2/17!)
Update on 2015-02-25 14:49 by MyRWA
RESCHEDULED due to weather and travel concerns!
This meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd at the same location and time. We hope you can join us!
MYSTIC WINTER BIRD OUTING with Paul Roberts
From the Friends of the Mystic River:
MYSTIC WINTER BIRD OUTING with Paul Roberts
Saturday, January 31, 2015
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Meet at 10 a.m. at the Mystic Lakes Dam. Park at the Medford Boat Club parking lot in Medford directly off the Mystic Valley Parkway. The parking lot is your first left about a half mile north of the Route 60 bridge crossing the Mystic.
Take a two-hour trip along the Mystic Lakes and the upper Mystic River to discover what birds can be found in the middle of winter, even an exceptionally cold one. Each year hundreds of birds winter on and around the Mystic River and Lakes as long as open water is available. We'll be looking for raptors, such as a possible Bald Eagle, Merlin or Red-tailed Hawk; waterfowl, including Common and Hooded Mergansers; and much more.
Dress appropriately for the weather. In very cold weather, this means in layers with hat or cap, gloves, water resistant boots with tread.
Canceled in persistent rain or icy conditions; will go in snow as long as parking is open at the Mystic Lakes. Bring a birding field guide and binoculars if possible; there will be car pooling and very limited walking from the cars.
Walk leader Paul Roberts, of Medford, conducts classes and field trips and is a frequent speaker on raptors. He is the founder of Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch, an organization whose mission is to promote the study and conservation of hawks locally and on a continental scale by monitoring migration in Massachusetts. He also is President of the Northeast Hawk Watch, and a director and former chair of the Hawk Migration Association of North America.
Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Mystic River and the Menotomy Bird Club.
For more info call Paul Roberts at 781-483-4263 or email phawk254[AT]comcast.net or mystic02155[AT]hotmail.com.
http://www.fomr.org
Mystic River Watershed Water Quality Commission Established By State Legislature
The Mystic River Watershed Association is inspired that the state legislature has acted to empanel a commission to investigate water quality conditions in the Mystic River Watershed and to determine the ways in which water quality can be improved to support a healthy ecosystem and recreational opportunities. The thirteen member commission will include one member appointed from the Mystic River Watershed Association, the US EPA, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Mass Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and members from the House and Senate, among others. The commission will submit a report, including its recommendations for legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect, by July 31, 2017. Read the Bill here.
The Association wants to thank the many members of the Mystic River legislative caucus and especially lead sponsors of the bill, Representative Denise Provost and Senator Pat Jehlen. Cosponsors of the legislation include local legislators Representative Paul Donato, Representative Sean Garballey, Representative Tim Toomey, Representative Dave Rogers, Representative Jon Hecht, and Representative Carlo Basile; and Senator Sal DiDomenico, Senator William Brownsberger, and Senator Jason Lewis.
The formation of this commission is timely as evidenced by the annual Mystic River Watershed Report Card grade recently issued by the US EPA. Unfortunately for the fourth year in a row Mystic River Watershed water quality earned a report card grade of “D” for calendar year 2013. This means that while the Mystic River Watershed met state water quality standards for boating 83 percent of the time, swimming standards were met only 49 percent of the time. Read the press release here.
“We are very encouraged that the legislature has through this initiative brought new focus and attention to water quality issues in the Mystic River Watershed,” stated EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association. “We look forward to working with the Commission to identify and implement the most effective ways to improve conditions in the Mystic River and its many tributaries.”
The Mystic River Watershed is a vital natural resource for the more than 500,000 people who live in 22 Mystic River communities. For more information about the Mystic River Watershed Association please see www.MysticRiver.org.
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.
