The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Stewardship Council awarded $43,188 in Community Grants in 2024! The following projects received funding:

Concord Land Conservation Trust for "Water Chestnut Control in the Sudbury River (Concord)" ($15,000) - Chemical treatment of approximately 11 acres of water chestnut in the Sudbury River, from the Sudbury Road bridge downstream to just past the Route 2 bridge in summer 2025.

Concord Museum for "The Benjamin Lincoln Smith Collection Inventory Project" ($6,350) - Supporting two interns for the Musketaquid Archaeological Internship during the summer of 2025 to inventory, rehouse, and digitize approximately 7,000 historic Indigenous artifacts from the Benjamin Lincoln Smith collection, enhancing insights into Indigenous life.

Massachusetts Rivers Alliance for "Dam Busters 201 Webinar Series" ($11,838) - Expand on the highly successful and popular year-long webinar series "Dam Busters 101." 201 will equip municipal and NGO project managers with the knowledge to initiate and accelerate dam removal projects, enhance public safety, improve environmental health, and create economic benefits across the state.

Town of Westborough Conservation Department for "Invasive Species Management Westborough Pilot Program" ($10,000) - Eliminate Japanese knotweed and Phragmites in target areas while generating useable byproducts from the generated biomass and set the stage for habitat restoration to follow.

The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Stewardship Council announces the availability of the 2024-2025 SuAsCo Wild and Scenic River Community Grants to support projects that protect and/or enhance the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers and their outstandingly remarkable values. The grants program aims to engage municipalities and local organizations in protecting the rivers’ resources and building strong local stewardship of the rivers. For more information on how to apply, see the below Request for Proposals and Application form. 

The application deadline is October 8, 2024.

2024-2025 Community Grant Request for Proposals

2024-2025 Community Grant Application

For more information about the Community Grant Program and to see a list of past funded projects, visit Working Together in Our Watershed.

The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Stewardship Council awarded $42,567 in Community Grants in 2023! The following projects received funding:

Assabet Co-op for "Assabet Co-op Riverside Restoration" ($5,200) - Restore the riverside habitat behind its newly opened store front at 86 Powder Mill Road by planting native shrubs, trees, and native seed mixes; reduce the abundance of invasive plants, including Japanese knotweed, and add interpretive signage to the viewing deck.

Concord Museum for "Digging Into the Past: Native History in Musketaquid through Archaeology" ($4,770) -  Replicate artifacts from their Teaching Collection that will help students understand life along the rivers in Musketaquid.

Farrington Nature Linc for "Farrington Nature Linc Teen Leadership Program: Building Relationships with Local Rivers" ($6,980) - Teen leaders will deepen their relationships with the Sudbury River and its watershed by participating in a kayaking trip, scaffolded by education and arts projects related to native species, invasive species, and water pollution.

Mass Audubon for "Brewster's Woods Canoe/Kayak Landing" ($8,000) - Addition of a kayak/canoe put-in location on the banks of the Concord River at Brewster's Woods, where river paddlers will be able to pull ashore to enjoy a walk on the new all-persons trail.

Mass River Alliance for "Dam Busters 101 Webinar Series" ($8,667) - Develop the Dam Busters 101 monthly webinar series, jointly identifying topics, speakers, format, and evaluation tools with Mass DER and the Charles River Watershed Association.

Ma’yan Tikvah for "Judaism Outdoors!" ($6,450) - Host aimed at young adults in their 20s and 30s in the Metrowest area and will provide unique and enticing outdoor programming with a Jewish foundation.

Wayland Conservation Department for "Heard Farm Field Edge Invasive Removal" ($2,500) - Clear invasive vegetation at the field edges of Heard Farm to increase the scenic value of the river by increasing its visibility from the Heard Farm fields.

The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Stewardship Council is please to introduce their 2023 River Ambassador. Throughout the year, Lead River Ambassador, Elissa Brown, will provide a presence on and around the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic Rivers, and promote stewardship and understanding of local riverine resources. Ellie Sablak will serve as the Assistant River Ambassador throughout the summer of 2023. The River Ambassadors will administer projects and activities related to Wild & Scenic River designation, engage with the river users at popular access sites and on the water, and help monitor conditions on the rivers. The 2023 team is excited to embark on this second year of the River Ambassadors Program!

Welcome to the fourth edition of Wild and Scenic River Currents, an annual newsletter designed to recognize the accomplishments of the National Park Service wild and scenic river (WSR) community. This edition features a collection of articles that highlight the accomplishments of our community during 2021. From exciting new citizen science to valuable land protection successes, there is much to celebrate and appreciate. We hope you enjoy reading this edition, seeing our collective impact, and looking back at the highlights of the past year. Thank you for all you do to keep our rivers clean, healthy, and free-flowing!

The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers are highlighted in the April issue of NPS's Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Newsletter! Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers communities protect outstanding rivers and river-related resources through a collaborative approach. In many of these communities, enjoying the outdoors and being on the river is one way to connect to these special places and learn more about protecting them. 

Did you know that the original conservation plan, drafted as a guiding document for collaborating on river conservation work, is now over 20 years old?

Drafted in 1995, this document has served the Wild and Scenic River well for over 20 years. Now, the Council is working to update it.

An update to the River Conservation Plan is now available! Thank you to everyone who participated in the planning and comment process for this document. Multiple municipalities, organizations and agencies were involved.  The intent of this Plan is to reflect the needs and priorities of the communities and agencies involved in river protection, and its priorities will drive projects and funding of the River Stewardship Council in the coming years. Please take a moment now to review the final plan!

Over $1,000,000 brought to the region...

12 municipalities and 45 partner groups benefitting from funding...

2,401 acres conserved in part with Wild and Scenic support...

1000+ acres of land stewarded...

Over 15,000 experiences for youth along the rivers...

These are some of the successes that have resulted from Wild and Scenic designation. So much has been accomplished to protect and enhance community resources.  Next year, in 2019, the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Wild and Scenic River will celebrate 20 years as being designated by Congress. Did you know that the work to designate the river began 12 years before designation? 

Take a look at our new report: 20 Years of Impact and celebrate all that you and others have been a part of! 

If you're looking for a printed copy of these materials, please email .