Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has recently received two $1 million gifts from anonymous donors to support the organization’s work in the region building resilience to flooding and drought and restoring the Charles River. These leadership gifts will help establish a more secure financial future for CRWA and its innovative work.
CRWA’s research into the ecosystem and hydrology of the Charles River has led to transformative approaches to managing polluted stormwater runoff in urban and suburban areas. CRWA has also pioneered new approaches to wastewater, capturing water, energy and heat that is otherwise lost in sewers, and turning it into a significant renewable energy source. CRWA’s groundbreaking work to restore natural systems in cities will build resilience to droughts and floods, and support a healthy Charles for decades to come.
These leadership gifts support CRWA’s on-going research, advocacy and urban design work as well as collaborative projects with other environmental organizations and governmental agencies. A portion of the gifts will be used as a challenge grant to inspire other leadership gifts to CRWA.
Since its founding in 1965, CRWA has become the leading environmental research and legal advocacy organization protecting the Charles River and its watershed. Achievements include scientific research that resulted in the elimination of sewage discharges to the Charles; advocacy that led to better regulation around water use, not just on the Charles but throughout Massachusetts; a refined understanding of the remaining challenges to fully restoring the Charles; and a commitment to addressing the risks of climate change through this century.