Federation Blog

If you missed the MPT special last night  - click here to see the on-line video.   

From CAFOs (concentrated animal factory operations), small farmers, private lawns, to wastewater treatment plants and septic systems, to power plants - they are all sources of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  This program highlights recent efforts by Kathy Phillips, the Assateague Coastkeeper and Michael Helfrich, the Lower Susquahanna Riverkeeper; two of thirteen Chesapeake Waterkeepers fighting for our right to clean water.

If you want to better understand terms like 'stormwater runoff', manure management systems, TMDLs, and CAFOs, be sure to take a look.

This program was partially funded by The Campbell Foundation. South River Federation provided video footage.

 

 

 

Ok; over the past two days several people have pulled up next to Remedy (Riverkeeper boat) and asked me "where the He## are the Blue Crab?"

Upon analyzing our water quality data this week and consulting with my source at DNR; the South River water quality is now not the best for our Blue Crabs.  The current water temperature is hovering around 85°F at the bottom, the dissolved oxygen is now around 2-3mg/l, and the salinity is 10 (salinity is a unitless number).  Therefore the Blue crabs are in search of better dissolved oxygen and cooler water.  Sorry All, I do love my Blue Crabs too!-- Diana

Tonight is the first of four public hearings on DNR's public regulatory hearings which is part of the implementation of Governor Martin O'Malley's Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Plan. Governor O'Malley and DNR submitted the proposed regulations in May after months of public discussion, DNR open houses and robust input from thousands of citizens following the Governor's announcement of the plan in December 2009.

These public events will feature an overview of the proposed regulations by DNR staff followed by opportunities for individual comments. Comments may also be submitted online at fisheriespubliccomment@dnr.state.md.us or by mail to:

MD-DNR Fisheries Service
Oyster Recovery
Tawes State Office Bldg
580 Taylor Ave. B-2
Annapolis, MD 21401

DNR staff will be available from 5-6pm to answer questions. All hearings will begin promptly at 6pm.

Tonight's meeting is at Anne Arundel Community College, Pascal Center for the Performing Arts, 101 College Parkway, Arnold, MD 21012

Click here to read complete article and for additional hearing dates.

Six hardworking volunteers joined Diana and I today to collect and plant more than 25 bushels of oysters from the Marylanders Grow Oysters program.  Oysters from Warehouse, Almshouse, Beards and Pocahontas Creeks, and Limehouse Cove were collected from cages and transported to a sanctuary reef in the river.  Most of the oysters showed significant growth!!  Good news for our River! Thanks to Matthew Costa, Vicki and Matthew Magnolia, Noel Gasparin, Kevin Green and Lloyd Lewis - for your hours of hard work today!!

Also thanks to Dale Legal and Matt Schmit for their help coordinating the collection in Pocahontas Creek and to Lynn Hoot for her help in Warehouse Creek! 

Volunteers have always been and continue to be the lifeblood of the Federation's efforts!!

More news on oyster restoration efforts yet to come.  Now it's time for a bath and rest!  Thanks again everyone!!!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Harbor Hills community beach for our annual Kayak Sojourn, Picnic and Wade-In.  Erik and Rob lead the group on a wonderful paddle up Flat Creek then up towards the headwaters.  Temps were a little high, but a good time was had by all.  17" was depth for the wade-in, which was surprising considering all the boat activity that day.

Thanks to everyone who made it such a success: Harbor Hills Community, Whole Foods, the Lower Western Shore Tributary Team, SeaWatch International, Annapolis Canoe and Kayak and all the volunteers who helped.

We recognized several volunteers who have demostrated a special commitment this year:  Bridget Gallagher, Beverly MacWilliams, Andrew Muller and Lloyd Lewis.  Thanks for all you do to help the Federation!

Last Thursday, Diana and I, with the help from John and Lori Orme, and four other dedicated volunteers:  Kevin Green, James Cunningham, Doug and Regan Karr - collected about 200 cages from our Marylanders Grow Oysters program and planted them on the sanctuary reef in Glebe Bay.   We got an early start, but the heat of the day and the threat of thunderstorms, caused us to finish before they were all collected.  Never fear, we'll be back out there soon to collect the rest.  Most of the oysters collected looked really good - showing growth of 1 1/4" to 2".   

Diana (South RIVERKEEPER) and her daughter Arianna are going to run for the South River - South River Federation.  I have entered the ZOOMA 1/2 marathon and Arianna is going to run the 10K.  This race is right here in Anne Arundel County, Annapolis, MD - please join us in our effort to raise funds for the South River .  Please donate!!!

I have never run a 1/2 marathon, but I have been training for over 6 months now, and if I have to crawl across that finish line for our River I will!

---Diana 

This past Saturday, over 40 volunteers helped to plant the Hillsmere Bioretention and Sand Seepage Wetland project at the corner of Great Lake Dr and Phipps Ln in Hillsmere.  It was a gorgeous day to get out and plant project that was several months in the making.  Below are before and after photos of the portion of the project that was converted from a dry "detention" basin to a regenerative stormwater conveyance.

Thanks so much to our volunteers and our funders for the project: the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Unity Gardens, the Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy, and the Hillsmere Shores Improvement Association.

 

EPA Unveils Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy

 The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy is now out as presented by Lisa Jackson (EPA administrator) yesterday.  She stated that only thing needed is money and resources.

I would like to include Three more things:

1)  The absolute old fashion American CAN DO.  With out the can do/will do we will not have anything.

2 ) Much better enforcement,  marinas have put large piers/bulkhead/and pilings into the South River and have only received a 43,000.00 fine, and they did not have to take out the structures that were installed.  So, in reality the company folded the fine into the cost of doing the construction.  The State and Federal agencies need to not only have greater fines but mandate that these structures be removed! 

3)  I would also like to include more education on the true causes of the destruction of the Chesapeake Bay and the South River.  I speak beyond the choir quite often and have learned that most adults really do not know what stormwater runoff it,  they do not know how fertilizer can harm the Bay/River,  they do not realize how poor the infrastructure of our septic and sewer systems is.  I see very well educated folks over-fertilize their lawns in order to get the Crayola crayon green color, instead of managing their lawns in a River-friendly way.

http://wjz.com/local/Bay.foundation.epa.2.1689773.html

 

 

Dr. Andrew Muller's student final presentations are this week.  They are allowed to be "creative" in their presentations, so below is a YouTube video of a group's presentation - enjoy!!