Resiliency

Building Resilience in the Charles Through Floating Wetlands

On Demand

AIA Credits: 1.5 AIA LUs/HSW
HSW Credits: 1.5 AIA LUs/HSW

Speaker(s)

Laura Jasinski

Executive Director
Charles River Conservancy
Cambridge, MA
Max Rome

PhD Candidate
Northeastern University, Department of Environmental Engineering
Boston, MA
SS

Scott Skuncik, P.E.

Senior Client Manager – Ports and Harbors
Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC
Jennifer Lawrence

Sustainability Planner
Cambridge Community Development Department
Cambridge, MA
Tao Zhang, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP-ND, SITES AP

Principal & Chair of Design Culture
Sasaki
Boston, Massachusetts

The Charles River Conservancy believes that returning swimming to the Charles is the ultimate sign of a restored river. In the last 25 years, significant investment has brought this vision within reach, but challenges remain. Harmful algal blooms have emerged as the biggest barrier to regular river swimming and are only projected to increase, fueled by climate change’s rising temperatures and increased rainfall.

To address this growing issue, the CRC is partnering with Northeastern and Foth to pilot a floating wetland, the first of its kind on the Charles. Research will offer data that is needed to understand algal blooms, quantify the scale at which water quality could be improved, engage the public in a conversation about the relationship between ecology and water quality, and offer a model that can be used to strengthen other rivers’ ecologies, making them more resilient to the pressures of urban development and climate change.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize the current condition and complexities of Charles River water quality.
Describe possible permitting paths for innovative resiliency pilot projects.
Demonstrate the ecological value of wetlands for urban adaptation.
Explore opportunities for building environmental literacy through partnerships.