Press Release  New Public Dock and Boat Launch Coming to Herter Park in Brighton

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Harvard University today announced an agreement to promote water access through the construction of a new public dock at DCR’s Herter Park in Brighton. As a condition of its permits to make improvements to the long-standing Weld and Newell boathouses, Harvard will design, permit, construct and pay to maintain a roughly 200-foot-long floating dock that will be accessible to the public and support high school rowing teams in the Boston area.

“Everyone has a right to access and enjoy the waterfront,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “This boat launch will be an excellent public resource and a living example of how our nation-leading Public Waterfront Act increases the quality of life for all who live in and visit Massachusetts.”

“Access to our waterfront is critical for the well-being of our residents and families in our urban communities like Boston,” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “This new dock that Harvard will build as part of this agreement will connect the public and high school kids to the Charles River, providing them with opportunities for recreation including boating, kayaking and rowing.”

“We applaud Harvard and MassDEP for this terrific outcome,” said Emily Norton, Executive Director, Charles River Watershed Association. “The public gets enhanced access to the Charles River, which is protected under Massachusetts’ Public Waterfront Act, and collegiate rowers and recreational boaters alike will be able to use and enjoy the river — a win-win.”

The Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act (known as Chapter 91) requires access to the waterfront for the public to “fish, fowl and navigate.” The Charles River and its banks are a DCR Reservation in which the lawful rights of the public to access the shoreline are reserved. In balancing the rights of the public, the need to protect private property and the health and safety of its student rowers, Harvard has agreed to provide a new public access point to the river at nearby Herter Park, which will benefit those looking to boat, kayak, or row on the Charles River.

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

DCR manages state parks and oversees more than 450,000 acres throughout Massachusetts. It protects, promotes, and enhances the state’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources. The health and happiness of people across Massachusetts depends on the accessibility and quality of our natural resources, recreational facilities, and great historic landscapes. DCR continues to improve the vital connection between people and the environment.

CRWA works to protect, restore, and enhance the Charles River and its watershed using science, advocacy, and the law by developing science-based strategies to increase resilience, protect public health, and promote environmental equity as we face a changing climate, together.

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