Federation Blog

This morning (Oct 7, 2011) I took my first flight in a small aircraft in 32 years. I rode with my collegue and board member Lynn Buehl over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Bay Bridge Aiport and the whole drive I was fraught with excitment and trepedation. I always have been nervous about heights and have always been a nervous flyer. Lynn and I meet our pilot that flew down from New Jersey to take us on our adventure over the South River Watershed. Pilot Mr. Mike McNamara is one of many volunteer pilots for a non-profit group called LightHawk. This is a great organization set-up to provide flights to other non-profits or academics for research and advocay. I submitted a proposal to search for SAV, clean-water plumes, and 5 legacy landfills. As I first got in the plane, my thought was "oh my goodness, I am not going to make it". But, as we tore down the runway toward the Chesapeake Bay and delicately lifted off into the air and over the Bay Bridge- I became totally filled with excitement and started taking pictures. Being in a small plane over the Chesapeake Bay and the South River is indescribably amazing. I was horrified at the amounts of debris still in the Bay. Then, as we approach the South River- both Lynn and I became very distressed at how our beatiful South River looked. Sediment plumes and oil plumes everywhere- brown water all over. Then as week approached South River Farm Park, where Pam Wood of the Capitol and I kayaked looking for our Submerged Aquatic Vegetation- the planes wings tipped and there is was. Our SAV survived Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee!! What a blessing that our grasses survived such storms!! I am showing 300 pictures, and although I am not a professional photographer, I hope you enjoy them.----Diana, South Riverkeeper

The Enterococci data is now ready from this last Saturday's South River Federation's 7th Annual Snapshot.

On Friday the short rain event was only 0.38 inches of rain, but even with that small amount there were some spikes of bacteria in our watershed.  For a single sampling event the criteria is 104 cfu/100ml (colony forming units/100milliliters).  Therefore in the map above, anything in orange or red is higher than the State of Maryland's limit.

Thanks to our great volunteers I am now going back through the past 7 years of data and preparing a 'trend" analysis to find why our hot spot are HOT.  One stations is HIL 1, this is located in the Hillsmere community and is consistently high every year- now that we have the data to prove that there is a problem (thanks to our volunteers)- We can see what we can do to fix the issues.---Diana

Perched lightly on a branch, an adorable little Bluebird watched South RIVERKEEPER® Diana and I as we walked along the non tidal portion of Crab Creek.  A bit nosier than the rest of his flock, the curious little bird hopped from branch to branch closer and closer to us to investigate.  I am not sure what he found more unusual; a group of humans walking through the woods on a cool winter day or the tremendous amount of trash carried into the non-tidal portion of the creek by stormwater. Once he satisfied his curiosity, he quickly rejoined his flock and flew away.  Even though it is easy to get caught up in everything bad that is happening to the South River like the trash carried in by stormwater, it is always refreshing to be reminded of the beautiful flora and fauna that call the river home.

 

The South River is home to many beautiful species, including the Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis.  This is a smaller species of bird from the thrush family with a pleasantly plump figure.  The males have brilliant royal blue backs and heads with a warm copper and white breast.  The females tend to have greyer backs and tails with blue highlights on the wings.  Bluebirds prefer meadows and other openings surrounded by trees.  They will nest in holes or nesting boxes.  Mating pairs lay 4-6 eggs pale blue eggs in spring.  Some have up to three broods a year.  While their main diet consists of insects, they will also feed on ripe fruit.  Keep a lookout for these beautiful birds.  As spring approaches, we should start to see more in the area!

 

Source:  http://web4.audubon.org/bird/boa/f11_g2a.html

This week's bottom dissolved oxygen measurements indicate the expanding hypoxic zone from mid-river up to the Rt 50 bridge.  Many of the tidal creek are also experiencing hypoxic conditions (2.0 mg/l or lower).  This is due to the excessive nutrients causing the algae blooms, which then cause the low dissolved oxygen.  Blue Crabs need above 3mg/l of dissolved oxygen to live, therefore at the moment the South River is not that hospitable for the blue crab. ---Diana

The South River Federation's Riverkeeper Tidal Water Quality montoring is in mid-season currently.  Some of you may have see us out there sampling the water quality.  I have been ask many questions about when and where we sample.  I have provided a GIS map of our current tidal stations.  I have 7 main stem stations, then 14 stations in each of the tidal creeks.  

 

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

 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending some time with two longtime residents of the river and very good friends of the Federation, Manfred and Azalea Leckszas.  Azalea's family has owned property on Crab Creek (formerly Crabb's Creek) for 80 years and she has some great stories about growing up on the river, having free rein throughout Church and Crab Creeks.  She and her siblings harvested soft crabs and oysters in the shallows, dove through underwater grasses so thick they fouled propellers, and swam in creeks far clearer than they are today.

She showed me several albums of photos, including one which contained this shot: A image looking out towards the South River, across Child's Point, taken some time in the 1940s.