Mission

The Muddy Water Initiative is a grassroots environmental advocacy and action group committed to building community partnerships and serving as a clearinghouse for best practices to clean up the Muddy River.

The City of Boston Open Space & Recreation Plan 2015–2021 talks about the Muddy River:

“One hundred years ago, Frederick Law Olmsted believed that nature could restore the human mind and spirit. He conceived the unique urban landscape called the Emerald Necklace to bring a natural regenerative experience to city dwellers. Like their 19th-century predecessors, today’s civic leaders and citizens must commit to stewardship for future generations and sustain a legacy worthy of Olmsted and his peers. 

The vision for this project is far-reaching: rehabilitation of the Muddy River will protect the health, safety, and welfare of citizens, re-establish the Olmsted scenery to approach its former glory, and reinvigorate the overall park experience” (page 386).

Our projects go beneath the surface of these words and of the water itself, to try to heal some of the damage we have wrought by treating our beloved urban blueways carelessly and cavalierly. Protecting our waterways and managing storm water contaminants, improving ecosystem health and the quality of our open spaces: the MWI’s WATERGOAT  and Biochar Boom projects will make a positive impact on the health of our river and show our communities that we can indeed make a positive difference in our world today when we work together.