Amherst resident Pearson’s appeal for support of volunteer work of watershed conservation groups jogged my memory [“Two rivers, one overlooked problem,” Recorder, July 27].
Generations ago many Massachusetts rivers were dangerously polluted with industrial waste and community sewage. Passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 led to a gradual and ultimately triumphant improvement in accessibility of our recreational waters — things got a lot better.
So why, in 2026, must Pearson still scrounge for grant money to keep our waters clean? Of the many contributing causes, intensified rainstorms that lead to bacterial and chemical runoff is one that we can do something about.
The American Meteorological Society and the National Academy of Sciences agree that global warming is already causing these more intense rainfalls here. And as warming continues, they are likely to become worse.
So as Pearson implies, part of the long-term solution will be to curb warming — best accomplished by transitioning away from fossil fuels. We need to keep reminding our political leaders of this fact.
William Beckett
Watertown