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The Charles River is a small, relatively short River in Massachusetts , USA , that separates Boston from Cambridge and Charlestown . It is fed by about 80 brooks and streams and several major aquifers as it flows snakelike for 80 miles (129 km), starting at Echo Lake () in Hopkinton , through 58 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts before emptying into Boston Harbor . Its watershed contains 33 lakes and ponds. Despite the river's length and relatively large drainage area (308 square miles; 798 km&2), its source is only 26 miles (42 km) from its mouth, and the river drops only 350 feet (107 m) from source to sea. It is the most densely populated river basin in New England . Harvard University , Boston University , Brandeis University , and the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology are all located along the Charles River; at Boston proper it opens out into a broad basin and is lined by parks such as the Charles River Esplanade (in which stands the Hatch Shell , where concerts are given in summer evenings) especially known for its Independence Day celebration. The river is well known for its Rowing , Sculling , and Sailing , both recreational and competitive. The Head Of The Charles Regatta is held annually, in October. EARLY HISTORY The river's name, preceding the English version, was once thought to be ''Quinobequin'' (meandering), though that attribution has been discredited by, among others, the Harvard University Librarian in 1850. The river was used by Native Americans for local transportation and fishing, and as part of the passage from southeastern Massachusetts to northern New England. Captain John Smith gave the river its current English name in honor of Charles I Of England , the reigning monarch. Subsequent European settlers harnessed the river for industrialization, and by 1640 entrepreneurs on the Neponset River had diverted its water to power their mills. Waltham was the site of the first factory in America, built by Francis Cabot Lowell in 1814 , and by the 19th century, the Charles River was one of the most industrialized areas in the United States. Its Hydropower soon fueled many mills and factories. By the century's end, 20 dams had been built across the river, mostly to generate power for industry. An 1875 government report listed 43 mills along the 9.5-mile (15 km) tidal estuary from Watertown Dam to Boston Harbor. In portions of its length, the Charles drops slowly in elevation and has relatively little current. Despite this, early settlers in Dedham, Massachusetts , found a way to use the Charles to power mills. In 1639, the town dug a canal from the Charles to a nearby brook that drained to the Neponset River . By this action, a portion of the Charles's flow was diverted, providing enough current for several mills. The new canal and the brook together are now called Mother Brook . The canal is regarded as the first industrial canal in North America. Today it remains in use for flood control. DESIGN Today's Charles River basin between Boston and Cambridge is almost entirely a work of human design. Its design was the work of noted Landscape Architect s Charles Eliot and Arthur Shurcliff , both of whom had apprenticed with Frederick Law Olmsted , and by the architect and landscape architect Guy Lowell . This designed landscape now includes over 20 parks and natural areas along 19 miles (31 km) of shoreline, from the New Dam at the Charlestown Bridge to the dam near Watertown Square . Eliot first envisioned today's river design in the 1890s, but major construction began only after his death with the damming of the river's mouth at today's ) was built along the edge of the Esplanade to connect Charles Circle with Soldiers Field Road, and the Esplanade was enlarged on the water side of the new highway. POLLUTION AND REMEDIATION EFFORTS Despite its famous Water Pollution , making the Charles "Swimmable by 2005" became an important EPA goal 1 . While this promise was not reached in time, swimming and fishing are progressively re-emerging as about 90% of the length of the river is now considered safe for swimming 2 . Health risks remain, however, particularly after rainstorms and when walking in certain riverbeds stirs up toxic sediment. During the period September 2004 to September 2006, the City of Cambridge and the state's Department Of Conservation And Recreation introduced vegetation at Magazine Beach just west of the BU Bridge on the Cambridge side of the river. This introduced vegetation had significant trouble living there because it was not Native to the Charles River. The vegetation installed created a wall preventing the reintroduction of swimming at Magazine Beach. ATHLETIC MILE MARKERS The Charles is a popular running and biking path, and several runners including the MIT Women's Track Team gauge their distance and speed by keeping track of the mileage between the bridges that run from the Museum of Science past the Harvard campus through map/charts such as this one: {Link without Title} . IN POPULAR CULTURE
Down by the River... Down by the banks of the River Charles ::''(Oh, that's what's happenin' baby)'' That's where you'll find me Along with lovers, muggers, and thieves. ::''(Ahh, but they're cool people)'' CROSSINGS Bridge]] See Also: List of crossings of the Charles River SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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