Love that Cleaner Water

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 Bill Weld (R-MA) for cleaning up the Charles River after years of indifference shown by Governor Mike Dukakis (D-MA).

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.

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?

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 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...