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

April 23rd, 2011

This week Margaret has been acting very strange.  She’s been doing this “dance” in and around the nest.  She’ll walk around, like she is trying to flatten the inside of the nest, while fluffing her feathers.  Then, she will sit in the nest for long periods of time.  Then, she’ll get up again and repeat the process.  Nowadays, Frank and Margaret spend a lot of time around the nest.  They don’t go very far, only leaving to catch a fish or to sit in the tree by our office.  I’m not sure if this means she is close to laying eggs, but it looks like we are headed in that direction. 

In general, osprey will lay an average of three eggs.  They are buff-colored eggs with dark speckles.  The eggs are laid one to two days apart and incubation will last five to six weeks.  During this time, it is predominately the female who will sit on the eggs.  The male takes little part in incubation, or warming the eggs until after they hatch.  The male will be the “bread” winner for the family during incubation and after the chicks have hatched.  While the chicks are growing, they can demand more than six fish per day!  Frank will be very busy keeping up with the demand of the family.  They will have to keep a careful eye out for predators such as crows, ravens, owls, gulls, and raccoons to make sure the chicks stay safe during the early weeks.  It will be interesting to see what happens over the weekend.

Starting next week  Rt 2 and Muddy Creek Rd will begin more of its widening process.  I have been in close contact with Inspections and Permits on this process and will be watching for any sediment violations into Glebe Creek.  For those of us that live on the Mayo Peninsula this will be incovienent, so schedule your time accordingly.
Please be away of flaggers and short time closures- Between the hours of 9am and 3pm there may be possible lane closures.  This next week the utility companies are moving the lines away from the road.
---Diana

So much for a Building Moratorium on the Mayo Peninsula -My husband and I own two lots, one that has our house on it and the other is our "back yard", which is also mostly a wetland non-tidal marsh - that we like.We received this unsolicited letter from a realtor wanting to have us sell the second lot and build a house.  Apparently she must know the "loop" holes.  This type of behavior is unbelievable.  I have attached the letter for all to see - feel free to call her and tell her to STOP the building on the Mayo peninsula.

This morning as I was on my way into the office and dropped my son off at his school, I quickly noticed something horrible.  The school is undergoing expansion and the rain this morning quickly showed how poor the contractor was at proper sediment and erosion control.  All of this sediment will quickly make it's way into Glebe Creek.--Diana

Second Part of the story;  I took samples as the water was freely flowing into the stormdrain by inserting my hand with a bottle to obtain a proper sample, I then processed then in a laboratory and the following in the results I obtained:

Turbidity:  437  NTU (nephlometric turbidity units),  Orthophosphate: 0.29mg/l, Nitrate: 0.21 mg/l, Nitrite, 0.083mg/l.  The maximum turbidity that should be coming off of construction site is 40, this is about 9 times higher.

 

So that our residents know where their water is going, we are painting the stormwater drainages with our "South River Drainage" sign.   The first residential community was Gingerville.  With the help of St. Andrew's Day School's South River Riverwatchers and their teacher Nan Hathaway, we start in their community of Gingerville.  I hope to "paint the watershed" soon in other areas.  If you would like to help with a painting in your neighborhood please contact me or Cindy Wallace.

Diana

More often that not, those of us involved in trying to protect the natural resource from the environmental impacts of development are disappointed when it comes to the issuance of variances by the Administrative Hearing Officer.  Well, there's a new sheriff in town, and it appears, some reason to be hopeful.  Douglas Clark Hollmann recently took the position over from longtime hearing officer Stephen LeGendre. 

In early March, members of the Hillsmere Community and I testified in opposition to the granting of a variance for the construction of a dwelling that was slated to be placed directly on top of a lot comprised entirely of non-tidal wetlands and a stream draining to Lake Hillsmere.  The property is in the middle of system that conveys the stormwater from approximately 150 existing houses in the community, and if a house were build on it, not only would it likely flood regularly,  the existing wetlands would be almost entirely destroyed.

 Just yesterday, we received the decision from the Hearing Officer that the variance has been denied.   Excellent news in and of itself, but from my perspective the most heartening element is the justification provided by Mr. Hollmann, exerpted below:

...I cannot find that the applicant has sustained his burden of showing that the granting of the critical area variances he has requested will not adversely affect water quality or adversely impact, fish, wildlife or plant habitat within the County's critical area.  The evidence shows that the proposed work will increase the runoff across the property and on other properties...It is tempting to grant the variance and let the permitting process save the habitat protection area from further damage.  To do so, however, would require me to speculate that the applicant can satisfy the concerns expressed in this decision instead of weighing each of the factors I must examine.  Based on what I have before me, I cannot conclude that the work would not adversely affect water quality or adversely impact fish, wildlife, or plant habitat with the County's critical area or a bog protection area.  It follows that if the burden of showing that the proposed work will not adversely affect environmental has not be carried, the variances requested, if granted, would not be in harmony with the general spirit and intent of the County's critical area program.   I therefore find that the applicant has not sustained his burden as to [merit the granting of the variance].