On Friday April 11, 2014 at our State of the Rivers Spring Party, the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy released its fourth annual report card for Eastern Bay, Choptank, Miles and Wye Rivers to an audience of well over 100 people in Easton, Maryland.
During 2013, with our partner/volunteers, Midshore Creekwatchers, we sampled water quality more than 500 times at over 100 various sites in the Choptank, its major tributaries, and the Miles and Wye Rivers. Our testers measured water clarity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH salinity and sample for nitrogen, phosphorus and chlorophyll A. We use analysis protocol developed in collaboration with the Maryland Tributary Assessment Coalition to analyze this data to come up with our grades.
Cover of 2013 State of the Rivers Report Card. Photo on cover taken by Susan Hale.
The results for overall health in 2011 were:
The Choptank River scored 54%, a C;
The Miles River scored 41% C-;
The Wye River scored 65% and the Wye East 51%, a C+.
The results for overall health in 2012 were:
The Choptank River scored 54% a C;
The Miles River scored 53% a C;
The Wye River Complex scored 53% a C;
Eastern Bay scored 66% a B.
The results for overall health in 2013 were:
The Choptank River scored 52%, a C;
The Miles River scored 46%, a C;
The Wye River Complex scored 44%, a C-;
Eastern bay scored 62%, a B-
Guest speaker former US congressman, Wayne Gilchrest, focused on the importance of educating our younger generation to become environmental advocates for our rivers and bay. He complimented MRC’s educational work, which is in elementary and high schools now in four counties, saying that MRC was “reaching out and touching our future… changing the future of this community for the better.”
Drew Koslow, the Choptank Riverkeeper, explained that increases in nutrient pollution during 2013 were primarily due to heavy rains in June 2013. The June rainfall came at a time when crops were not yet well established and fertilizer had been applied to promote growth. This resulted in intensive nutrient runoff. Our last five years of results demonstrates that water quality improves in dry years because we have less run-off washing fewer nutrients into our waterways. This gives us hope that if we do reduce nutrient pollution, our rivers will respond rapidly. The system is resilient and it is up to us all, working together, to do everything we can to heal our rivers.
Jeffrey Horstman, recently appointed Miles-Wye Riverkeeper, noted a decline in the health of all sections of the Miles, Wye and Eastern Bay, except for Greenwood and Shipping Creek. Jeff noted that 74% more rain fell in June 2013, compared to June 2012. This led to increased nutrient and sediment pollution, and a decline in overall health.
Tom Leigh, who now works at the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a Bay-wide funder, in off-the-cuff remarks, complimented the entire community, saying that by supporting MRC, the community has been supporting an organization that is providing remarkable leadership and innovation throughout the Bay watershed.
MRC staff and volunteers are continuing to work at every level to ensure these grades improve over time. It will not happen overnight. But with the support of our community, we truly can restore our waterways such that they are rich with life, health, beauty and vitality. Please join us in this effort!
To see a full copy of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 report card go to: midshoreriverkeeper.org/report-cards/
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.