Historical Publications of the Charles River Basin

As part of the due diligence for this project, we have collected various charts, maps, and reports that have been generated for areas in the Lower Charles River Basin in the past. Below are various lists in approximate chronological order.

Historical Charts of the Charles River

  1. A Plan of Boston in New England with its environs, Henry Pelham, 1777
  2. Chart of Boston Harbour, Alexander S. Wadsworth, 1819
  3. Plan of the Harbour of Boston (Charles River), Massachusetts Harbor Commissioners, 1839
  4. Plan of Charles River to the head of tide waters, Massachusetts Harbor Commissioners, 1846
  5. Boston Harbor, U.S. Coast Survey, 1857
  6. Comparative Map of Boston Harbor, U.S. Coast Survey, 1860
  7. Boston Harbor, U.S. Coast Survey, 1863
  8. Boston Harbor, U.S. Coast Survey, 1867
  9. Compiled Plan, Showing Millers Creek and a Portion of Charles River, E.F. Bowker, 1873
  10. Boston Harbor, U.S. Coast Survey, 1878
  11. Charles River, West Boston Bridge to Navy Yard, Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners of Massachusetts, 1882
  12. Sketch of Charles River, U.S. Corp of Army Engineers, 1884
  13. Charles River, North Beacon Street to Brookline Street Bridge, U.S. Harbor Line Board, 1888
  14. Charles River, Brookline Street Bridge to Boston Harbor, U.S. Harbor Line Board, 1888
  15. Charles River, Brookline Street Bridge to Charles River Bridge, Massachusetts Harbor and Land Commissioners, 1888
  16. Boston Harbor, Mass. Map of Charles River: From Brookline Street Bridge to Charles River Bridge, U.S. Harbor Line Board, 1889
  17. Boston Harbor, Mass. Map of Charles River: From Brookline Street Bridge to its mouth, U.S. Harbor Line Board, 1890
  18. Charles River, Brookline Street Bridge to its Mouth, U.S. Harbor Line Board of 1888, 1890
  19. Plan of the Charles River from the Waltham line to Boston Harbor, Metropolitan Park Commission and the State Board of Health, 1894
  20. Boston Inner Harbor, US Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1897
  21. Charles River Basin Contour Map of Upper Basin, Watertown Dam to nearly Arsenal Street, Committee on the Charles River Dam, 1902
  22. Charles River Basin Contour Map of Lower Basin, Arsenal Street to River Street, Committee on the Charles River Dam, 1902
  23. Charles River Basin Contour Map of Lower Basin, River Street to the Craigie Bridge, Committee on the Charles River Dam, 1902
  24. Lechmere Canal, Committee on the Charles River Dam, 1902
  25. Broad Canal, Committee on the Charles River Dam, 1902
  26. Boston Inner Harbor, US Coast and Survey, 1903
  27. Proposed New Channel near Longfellow Bridge, Cambridge Bridge Commission, 1903
  28. Proposed Dam and Lock, Charles River Basin Commission, 1905
  29. Charles River, Bridges of the Boston and Maine Railroad, U.S. Engineer Office, Boston, Mass., 1906
  30. Proposed Dredging between North Beacon St and Galen St, Metropolitan Park Commission, 1913
  31. Proposed Fill in Charles River, Metropolitan District Commission, 1928
  32. Cottage Farm Bridge to Dam, Location and Profile of Borings [Sheet 1] [Sheet 2] [Sheet 3], Metropolitan District Commission, 1930
  33. Dredging near Charlesgate East [Sheet 1] [Sheet 2], Metropolitan District Commission, 1946
  34. Constructions Plans of the Eliot Bridge, Burns and Kenerson, Inc., 1949
  35. Charles River Dam and Adjacent Estuary [Sheet 1] [Sheet 2], Metropolitan District Commission, 1958
  36. Plan for Dredging Charles River Fanueil Valley Brook Outlet, Metropolitan District Commission, 1965
  37. New Charles River Dam, General Plan, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, 1973
  38. New Charles River Dam, Final River Grading, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, 1973
  39. Charles River Cross-sections [Sheet 1] [Sheet 2] [Sheet 3] [Sheet 4] [Sheet 5], Metropolitan District Commission, 1976
  40. Charles River & Fanueil Brook, Metropolitan District Commission, 1976
  41. Charles River & Fanueil Brook Cross-sections [Sheet 1] [Sheet 2] [Sheet 3] [Sheet 4] [Sheet 5], Metropolitan District Commission, 1976
  42. Charles River Lower Basin, Charles River Destratification Plan, Metropolitan District Commission, 1976
  43. Water depths, thickness of post-1908 sediment, and sediment sampling locations, lower Charles River (PDF [15 MB], JPG [52 MB]) from USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 2000-4180, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, 2000
  44. Depth Chart, Old Charles River Dam to Harbor, Democratic National Convention, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, 2004
  45. Charles River Soundings near BWSC Outfall 032 [? Fanueil Brook outlet], Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2011
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USGS Reports

  1. Muddy River Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project, 2013
  2. A multi-metric assessment of environmental contaminant exposure and effects in an urbanized reach of the Charles River near Watertown, Massachusetts
    Open-File Report 2012-1195, 2012
  3. Simulated Effects of Year 2030 Water-Use and Land-Use Changes on Streamflow near the Interstate-495 Corridor, Assabet and Upper Charles River Basins, Eastern Massachusetts
    Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5132, 2008
  4. The Charles River, Eastern Massachusetts: Scientific Information in Support of Environmental Restoration
    General Information Product 47, 2007
  5. Water resources and the urban environment, lower Charles River watershed, Massachusetts, 1630-2005
    Circular 1280, 2007
  6. Comparison of methods for determining streamflow requirements for aquatic habitat protection at selected sites on the Assabet and Charles Rivers, Eastern Massachusetts, 2000-02
    Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5092, 2004
  7. Evaluation of Strategies for Balancing Water Use and Streamflow Reductions in the Upper Charles River Basin, Eastern Massachusetts
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2003-4330, 2003
  8. Testing ground-water-management alternatives in the Upper Charles River basin, eastern Massachusetts
    Fact Sheet 042-03, 2003
  9. Simulation of ground-water flow and evaluation of water-management alternatives in the upper Charles River basin, eastern Massachusetts
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2002-4234, 2002
  10. Potential effects of structural controls and street sweeping on stormwater loads to the lower Charles River, Massachusetts
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2002-4220, 2002
  11. Streamflow, Water Quality, and Contaminant Loads in the Lower Charles River Watershed, Massachusetts, 1999–2000
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2002-4137, 2002
  12. Measured and simulated runoff to the lower Charles River, Massachusetts, October 1999-September 2000
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2002-4129, 2002
  13. Preliminary assessment of streamflow requirements for habitat protection for selected sites on the Assabet and Charles rivers, eastern Massachusetts
    Open-File Report 2002-340, 2002
  14. Spatial distribution, temporal variability, and chemistry of the salt wedge in the lower Charles River, Massachusetts, June 1998 to July 1999
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2000-4124, 2000
  15. Distribution and potential for adverse biological effects of inorganic elements and organic compounds in bottom sediment, lower Charles River, Massachusetts
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 2000-4180, 2000
  16. Water resources and aquifer yields in the Charles River basin, Massachusetts
    Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4173, 1988
  17. Aerial profiling of terrain system (APTS) applications test report; Charles River Project
    Open-File Report 85-302, 1985
  18. Hydrology and water resources of the Charles River basin, Massachusetts
    Hydrologic Atlas 554, 1975
  19. Hydrology and water resources of the Charles River basin, Massachusetts
    Open-File Report 74-241, 1974
  20. Ground-water management, Charles River basin, Massachusetts
    Open-File Report 73-77, 1973
  21. Flood of March 1968 on the Charles River, Massachusetts
    Hydrologic Atlas 419, 1971

EPA Reports

  1. Sustainable Stormwater Funding Evaluation for the Upper Charles River Communities of Bellingham, Franklin, and Milford, MA, Appendix A, 2011
  2. Stormwater Funding for the Upper Charles River Communities, 2011
  3. Draft Residual Designation Permit, 2010
  4. Optimal Stormwater Management Plan Alternatives: A Demonstration Project in Three Upper Charles River Communities, 2009
  5. Preliminary Residual Designation for Charles River, 2008
  6. Lower Charles River Basin Nutrient (Phosphorus) TMDL, 2007
  7. 10 Year Report on the Clean Charles 2005 Initiative, 2005
  8. Results of Color and Clarity Monitoring in the Charles River During Spring and Summer of 2000, 2003
  9. Charles River Fish Contaminant Survey, 2001
  10. Charles River Water Quality Survey, 1998
  11. Charles River Sediment/Water Quality Analysis Project Report, 1997
  12. Water Quality Reports on the Lower Charles River

MIT Reports

  1. Lower Charles River Bathymetry: 108 Years of Fresh Water, Senior Undergraduate Thesis, Madonna K. Yoder, MIT, 2017
    Appendix 1, Appendix 2
  2. The Use of Turbulent Jets to Destratify the Charles River Basin, Masters Degree Thesis, Jeffrey H. Church, MIT, 2012
  3. Remote Depth Survey of the Charles River Basin, Senior Undergraduate Thesis, Evan A. Karlik, MIT, 2007

Other Reports

  1. MMOC Muddy River Restoration Project
  2. Evolution Over the Life Span of Complex Systems, from "Global Product Development: Proceedings of the 20th CIRP Design Conference", 2011.
    The report discusses water quality in "the tidal basin before 1910 and the construction of the first dam, the original Charles River Dam, the new Charles River Dam as it was originally intended, and the current state of the basin without a functioning bubbler system."
  3. Excerpt from Users of the Water Sheet, Bathymetry and Aquatic Vegetation in the Charles River Basin, Findings, Figures, Cortell Associates for MDC, 1997
  4. Charles River Lower Basin Study US Environmental Protection Agency, 1976
  5. Charles River Destratification Report, Metropolitan District Commission, 1981
  6. Annual Reports of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, via Hathitrust, 1903-07
  7. Annual Reports of the Charles River Basin Commission, 6th, 7th, Final, via Hathitrust, 1908-10
  8. Final Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1910
  9. Seventh Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1909
  10. Sixth Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1908
  11. Fifth Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1907
  12. Fourth Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1906
  13. Third Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1905
  14. Second Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1904
  15. First Annual Report of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1903
  16. Report of the Committee on Charles River Dam, 1903
  17. Evidence and Arguments Before the Committee on the Charles River Dam, 1903
  18. The Improvement of the Charles River Basin, 1901

Related Books

  1. Remaking Boston: An Environmental History of the City and Its Surroundings edited by Anthony N. Penna and Conrad Edick Wright, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009
  2. Boston's Back Bay, The Story of America's Greatest Nineteen-Century Landfill Project by William A. Newman and Wilfred E. Holton, Northestern University Press, 2006
  3. Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston by Nancy Seasholes, The MIT Press, 2003
  4. Inventing the Charles River, Karl Haglund, The MIT Press, 2002
  5. Mapping Boston by Alex Krieger and David Cobb, The MIT Press, 1999