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Charles River Watershed Association

François Delavy edited this page Mar 4, 2020 · 1 revision

The Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that "strives to protect, restore and enhance the Charles River and its watershed through science, advocacy, and law." In 2020, the Safe Water Project is collaborating with the CRWA to provide on expertise in addressing some of their challenges related to data collection, data visualization, and other data-related tasks.

Background

As a small nonprofit, CRWA is constrained on the amount that it would love to be able to do. A lot of those tasks relate to data, which is where we come in.

Tasks

1. Flag Program

Background: A major part of what the CRWA does is provide information to the public on whether it is safe to boat or swim in the Charles River. The model that they use to classify whether the water is safe or not isn't something we need to review, but the indicator that is hosted on their website, called the "flag program," does not work due to a recent website migration.

Objective: We would like to fix and then reassure that the flag is working as intended.

Needs: The Water Project team does not have someone who specializes in this, but someone else through Code for Boston may be able to fix it.

Timeline: We'd like this done before April 2020, which is when boating season begins.

Progress: Not started (as of Jan 7, 2020).

2. Data Cleaning Process

Background: Every month, volunteers for the CRWA collect water samples early in the morning at certain locations on the Charles River. Those water samples are then sent to a lab and then they get the results back from the samples.

Objective:

Needs:

Timeline:

Progress:

3. Climate Compact Research

Background: The Charles River Climate Compact is a group that CRWA organizes alongside other parties such as stormwater committees and conservation agents. The Climate Compact is interested in questions related to adaptation in the face of climate change.

Objective: How will climate change impact the future of the Charles River? What will the future look like for the Charles River in regard to: water temperature, precipitation, land use, impervious cover, water depth, flooding, and other observable characteristics?

Needs: This is mostly a research assignment. A lot of the challenge here is just about finding projections that others have already done (e.g. IPCC climate projections).

Timeline: ?

Progress: Not started (as of Jan 7, 2020).

4. Charles River Dashboard

Background: The CRWA website is a useful resource for understanding the state of the Charles River; there are various blurbs and visualizations related to the Charles River on their website.

Objective: Improve/modernize the visualizations and information provided on their website.

Needs: We need someone who can set up a web dashboard that can be easily and seamlessly updated with their data.

Timeline: ?

Progress: Not started (as of Jan 7, 2020).

5. EPA Report Card

Background: Starting in 1995, the EPA has been grading the Charles River based on a letter grade.

Objective: Make the CRWA's report card similar to the Mystic River Watershed Association's report card. See here for the MRWA.

Needs: ?

Timeline: ?

Progress: Not started (as of Jan 7, 2020).