Know Your Watershed . Do research , and read others' work . Look at maps of pollution . Volunteer to monitor water quality. Water Quantity Flow determines how much pollution enters the river and settles in the riverbed, and how much erosion happens on riverbanks.
Floods happen when water flow is greater than carrying capacity.
Alewife Creek and the Mystic River need citizen water monitors if you want to volunteer . Read the Know Your Watershed guide . Water Quality Water is polluted by industrial discharges, urban runoff, and destruction of historical filters, like wetlands. This means they are not fishable or swimmable. For more information, read the EPA's TMDL FAQ .