River Run

River Run

by Sophy Tuttle with the Charles River Watershed Association

River Run is a 3-piece public artwork that was temporarily installed along the Charles River at Watertown Dam during CRWA’s Herring Festival in May 2026. The work features three fish, including an Alewife Herring, Blueback Herring, and American Shad, cut from plywood and hand painted by Sophy Tuttle. The Charles River, which is rendered in plexiglass, flows through the forms, including breaks where dams are currently located. 

The work was heavily inspired by the words of Hartman Deetz, Mashpee Wompanoag and CRWA’s Indigenous advisor. As Deetz said, “Rivers are like the arteries of the Earth. They are like the blood flow. If you dam a river, it’s like clogging an artery. When you see a blockage, that is not how rivers are meant to be.” The work embodies this message, showcasing the fragmented river, and the fish whose habitat has been interrupted. If the dams were to be removed, many of the harms inflicted would be reversed, including better aquatic habitat, re-connected riverway and fish passage, and improved water quality. 

The installation of the artwork was well timed, given the potential removal of Watertown Dam. The Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR), who own the dam, have completed a comprehensive assessment of removal feasibility and are in the process of making a final decision. In recent years, CRWA staff has spent ample time supporting the ongoing assessment, while building community support for potential removal. As the decision whether to remove approaches, it is incredibly important that the community remains engaged about what such a removal would mean for our ecosystem, local communities and Indigenous populations. 

The Charles River Watershed Association plans to show the artwork at future events, including Massachusetts's River Alliances upcoming Dam Buster’s Conference at Regis College, Weston, MA, on September 18th, 2026.