A fixture in the Charles River is going into hibernation for the winter.
On Tuesday, the floating wetland downriver of the Longfellow Bridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was towed to the MIT Sailing Pavilion, where it will live until mid-March to protect its roots from freezing.
The Charles River Conservancy installed the 730-square-foot floating wetland in 2020 following years of research and development. Thus far, it has proven effective in improving water quality and restoring biodiversity.
“What the island is, is effectively a hydroponic growing mat or dock. It floats, and we’ve planted it with over 3,000 native wetland species,” said Laura Jasinski, executive director of the Charles River Conservancy. “It really is a viable tool for helping to make our river healthier.”
Under the surface, the floating wetland serves as a feeding ground for zooplankton, which help keep toxic algae blooms under control. Over the summer, the Charles River experienced one of the longest cyanobacteria blooms it’s had in years.
The 2025 Head of the Charles Regatta can go forward as planned as a water quality alert for the Charles River was lifted.
The cleanliness of the Charles River has been a controversial topic this fall. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority recently faced backlash over a new proposal that would allow sewage to be released into the river for years to come. The Charles River Watershed Association called the proposal unacceptable.
“The problem is that they’ve just decided they don’t want to keep up with climate change,” said Julie Wood, climate resilience director of the CRWA. “Climate change is already making combined sewer overflows worse — and of course, that will continue — and what the MWRA is saying with this plan is, ‘Well we’re just going to give up.'”
The MWRA board was supposed to vote on the proposal at its meeting on Wednesday, but it’s been tabled.
“In order to address questions and comments that have been received from MWRA Board Members and the public, this item has not been included on the November 19th Board Agenda,” said MWRA Spokesperson Sean Navin in a statement. “Instead, it will be considered at a future Board Meeting after further information is gathered.”
As for the floating wetland project, the Charles River Conservancy hopes to expand the use of wetlands in the future to the tune of 10,000 square feet.
“What’s really important is that this is about layering on climate resilience tools that are mimicking nature,” Jasinski added. “There’s not going to be one silver bullet.”
She says they’ve even thought about creating an “Adopt a Wetland” program so supporters can help move the project forward with long-term care.
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