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Recreation

DCR's Charles River Reservation is a linear park stretching from Boston Harbor up the river for 20 miles. The lower half of the reservation, from downtown Boston to the Watertown Dam, is the Charles River Basin, which includes the Esplanade on the Boston side. The basin abuts the campuses of MIT, Boston University and Harvard. The Upper Charles River section of the Reservation begins at Watertown Square and meanders to Riverdale Park in West Roxbury.

The Reservation has many recreational opportunities for urban dwellers. Whether your interest is walking or birdwatching, canoeing or in-line skating, the Charles River is a wonderful resource. more…

Charles River Dam
The Charles River Dam maintains the water level in the river basin at a fixed elevation. Completed in 1978, it replaced the original dam built in 1910. It houses six pumps that drain the river into the harbor when rain or melting snow would otherwise overflow the river’s banks. The dam’s three locks permits recreational craft to travel from the river to the harbor year round; a fish ladder allows for passage of anadromous fish (alewife, blueback herring, rainbow smelt and shad) during the migration season in late spring. Regularly scheduled tours are available. Call 617-727-1188 x445 for information.