A new proposal by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to change the Charles River's water-quality classification is sparking controversy, with advocates saying that sewage dumping could undo decades of cleanup.

The plan announced at a meeting on Wednesday would declassify the Charles River as swimmable and allow sewage to flow into the water.

Advocates were shocked to hear the news.

"There could be more sewage, more trash, more debris, more odors," she said. "We could be going back to what we worked so hard to improve," said Laura Jasinski, executive director of the Charles River Conservancy.

The Charles River is now one of the cleanest urban rivers in the country, according to the MWRA. Jasinski says that the state of the river has come a long way.

"There

See Full Page