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Love that Cleaner Water
By adamg on Tue, 07/14/2015 - 5:33pm
There were ropes and floats marking off the swimming area. Out in the river, a DCR patrol boat kept watch to make sure other craft stayed well away. Lifeguards on the dock and in kayaks stood and sat at the ready. And shortly after 3:30 p.m., the first band of swimmers, from kids to retirees, began jumping into the Charles River from a dock on the river side of the lagoon.
The Charles River Conservancy's first CitySplash let people sign up for time in the Charles River which, as we all know, used to be pretty dirty, but which has gotten cleaner over the years.
C'mon in, the water's fine!
About to make a splash:
DCR park ranger in a boat kept an eye on things:
Plenty of room on the dock for swimmers:
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
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Comments
Just amazing
When I was a kid in the 80s boating just around the bend from this swim you had to make sure you were up to date on your shots. I once had to throw away a pair of sneakers which got soaked during a near-turtling incident. Recreational swimming was simply out of the question. We should be proud of the improvements we've made to the river, and should be inspired to keep working at the clean-up!
Great job by Governor Weld for making it happen
Great job by Governor Bill Weld (R-MA) for cleaning up the Charles River after years of indifference shown by Governor Mike Dukakis (D-MA).
Really?
This wonderful thing, 50 years in the making, is happening and your only response is partisan posturing? That's a cramped little life you lead.
Oh, and: The Clean Water Act of 1972 did far more to clean up the Charles than any Massachusetts governor. Passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by a Republucan president. Those were the days, eh?
Um, Fishy Dude?
You do realize that Dukakis and Weld had the same DEP commissioner.
Right?
That cleanup was an ongoing process linked to the DCR being shitcanned and the MWRA being formed to end dumping into the rivers.
Right?
Of course you don't. That's science and environmental policy. You have shown us all exactly how any and all of it is way above your comprehension.
Any muskrat encounters?
I'm glad to see the water is so clean, but am wondering what critters might be found in the river.
I remember hearing a while
I remember hearing a while back that the water is pretty clean now, but the mud on the bottom is still pretty polluted. Does anybody know if that's changed? I'm guessing it has.
Yep
Conservancy people were saying that today - so swim all you like (as long as it hasn't been raining for a couple days beforehand), but don't eat any mud.
Um
Were they expecting many mud-eaters to attend?
Dumped in the river in the
Dumped in the river in the early 80s when sailing. Never had any ill effects, but it was deep there. I'd be more worried about touching the muck on the bottom, not to mention 150 years of industrial and personal detrius waiting to snag or slash someone's feet.
A dog walker friend
used to let the dogs in her care splash into the water on the Esplanade on hot days but stopped after they cut their feet multiple times--there is so much broken glass. So yeah--I'd be very wary of ever wading there, but I like the idea of an occasional cool plunge from a dock.
Great news
I remember reading a while back that they were thinking of installing a floating swimming pool, which would take advantage of the cleaner water while dealing with the possible nastiness on the bottom of the river. I cannot find a link, but it was something like the +Pool project in New York City. That would be great. In the short run, thick scandals while swimming?
The way it should be
I come from a place on a lake, so the idea that a major body of water is too polluted to even dangle your feet was a real shock. I visited Boston in 1980 with my buddies and it was a blistering day. We stupidly all were wearing jeans, so after waiting for the Ski Market on Comm Ave to open so we could buy some shorts, we asked people where we could go to swim (or at least dangle) in the river. People all laughed and told us what a bad idea that was.
Glad to see that things are finally almost back to where they should be.
'' Many people may be
'' Many people may be surprised to know that West Roxbury is home to what was once an outstanding swimming and boating facility known as Havey Beach. To see photos of this area from its heyday, you may think you are looking at a beach on the South Shore or Cape Cod. I have been working in the legislature for the past several years to revitalize this area for the purpose of having a first-class recreational area and boating program for our community on the Charles River.
It is not surprising that this area on the Charles was once cultivated for recreational purposes. In fact, much of the history of our community is directly related to West Roxbury’s proximity to the Charles River. From the settlers who originally left Roxbury to settle in West Roxbury, to John Elliot preaching to Native Americans on the Charles, from the Transcendentalist experiment at Brook Farm, to Civil War soldiers training for battle at Camp Andrew, these settlers used the area on the Charles River for their way of life and survival.
According to the Department of Conservation and Recreation Archives, the Metropolitan District Commission was authorized to study the issue of creating a bathing beach at Spring Street, West Roxbury District, in 1925. A year later, legislation was passed, and the MDC acquired the current site in 1927. ''
http://www.wickedlocal.com/article/20081002/NEWS/3...
No action since 2008
That's a great article, but it's from 2008. I'd love to see them use that area for recreation, but it seems like nothing has happened to move the project along since then. (I'm sure Mike Rush is still interested, but he doesn't seem to be getting much traction.)
It wasn't the first
It wasn't the first CitySplash. It was just the first one of 2015. They also had them last year and the year before.