The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given the lower Charles River a B+ Grade for 2014, indicating that the portion of the river that runs through the heart of Boston and Cambridge met standards for almost most all boating and some swimming last year.

The "B+" is a marked improvement on the "D" that the Charles received when EPA issued its first Charles River Report Card twenty years ago. The Charles River's continuing comeback is the result of ongoing, collaborative efforts between EPA, state and local government, private organizations and environmental advocates.

“This year’s B+ Grade marks two decades of water quality improvement efforts on the Charles River, said EPA Regional Administrator Curt Spalding. “This tremendous cross sector partnership continues to use science as the backbone for decision making to maintain good water quality in the River. I am so excited to say that EPA taking the science one step further by providing live water quality data to the public.”

Visit the EPA website for more information about the EPA's Charles River Report Card and the EPA's new program to stream real-time Charles River water quality data.