OARS 3 Rivers: Protecting Concord’s Historic Waterways

March 28, 2025

For the past 250 years, the Concord River has been a witness to American history. On its banks, the first battle of the American Revolution took place. Today, the river and its sister waterways, the Assabet and Sudbury, face another pivotal moment—one that will shape their future.

OARS 3 Rivers is the voice and steward of these historic waterways, working to protect, restore, and expand access to the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord (SuAsCo) rivers. Founded in 1986 to fight pollution, OARS has become a leader in science-driven conservation, restoration, and public engagement. Once polluted and overgrown with algae, these rivers are now healthier—swimmable in sections, teeming with wildlife, and welcoming to paddlers and anglers.

The Summer Issue is Here!

As our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this issue explores the people, ideas, and stories that continue to shape its legacy. Inside, Professor Robert A. Gross offers fresh perspective in “A Referendum on Independence,” while a special foldout guide, “Following in Thoreau’s Footsteps,” invites you to explore the landscapes that inspired him. Discover an unexpected connection in “A Tale of Two Authors,” revisit the moving story of “A Hawthorne Homecoming,” and enjoy summer events, arts, and ways to experience Concord firsthand.

A Referendum on Independence

The road to American independence took time to complete, and Massachusetts, despite its reputation as a vanguard state, was not always in the lead. In 1775, even after the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, most Patriot leaders were still seeking restoration of colonial rights within the British empire. Thomas Paine broke the logjam with the publication of Common Sense early the next year. The instant best-seller argued the case for separation by appealing to economic and political self-interest, emotional resentment of a brutal and oppressive king, and a utopian vision of America as “an asylum for mankind.”

A Hawthorne Homecoming

Two white horses pulled the hearse into Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, a top-hatted driver at the reins. A band of mourners followed on foot as they made their way toward Authors’ Ridge.Except for the bright sunshine, this scene wouldn’t seem out of place in a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. But it happened a mere twenty years ago, on June 26, 2006. That was the day Hawthorne and his wife and daughter were reunited after his death separated them 142 years earlier.