Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major rain.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacterial levels at popular swimming and boating sites, providing vital information on human health risks to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers’ in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples. It makes the results of that testing public, informing people about current bacteria levels as they plan their recreational activities in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, was established in 2023 to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community. Additionally, 14 signs can be found at public sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and indicate where users can find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs (and the program at large) are made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation, and ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers will continue working with local county officials to install more.

Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major rain.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacterial levels at popular swimming and boating sites, providing vital information on human health risks to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers’ in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples. It makes the results of that testing public, informing people about current bacteria levels as they plan their recreational activities in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, was established in 2023 to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community. Additionally, 14 signs can be found at public sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and indicate where users can find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs (and the program at large) are made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation, and ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers will continue working with local county officials to install more.

Join ShoreRivers this summer for its beloved big-tent party on the banks of the Chester River!

Scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at Wilmer Park in Chestertown, ShoreRivers’ annual Solstice Celebration includes an open bar with Ten Eyck beer, Crow Vineyards wine, and a signature cocktail and mocktail; hors d’oeuvres and a full buffet dinner and dessert; and live music and dancing. The celebration begins at 6pm and continues through dusk with a rousing live auction where guests will bid on exceptional artwork, trips to enticing destinations, and more.

“It’s our privilege to host this signature annual event to celebrate the start of summer,” says Isabel Hardesty, Executive Director of ShoreRivers. “Coming together at the riverside drives home our mission — and our collective duty — to protect our waterways. This year’s event will be particularly special as we honor Captain Andrew McCown with the ShoreRivers Award for Environmental Stewardship in appreciation for his lifelong pursuit to share his curiosity and reverence for the Chester River with students of all ages.” This custom-designed award is given annually to an individual or entity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in recognition of their transformational accomplishment as a steward of the environment.

The celebration will feature the culinary talents of Chestertown favorite and friend of ShoreRivers Occasions Catering, who believes in providing food that’s locally sourced, lovingly prepared, and elegantly served. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy live music by Judd Nielsen and Friends, and admire stunning floral arrangements courtesy of Wildly Native, a family farm in Chestertown, Md., that focuses on hand-selected, in-season flowers that are harvested locally at the peak of bloom.

Following the live auction, all guests are invited to raise their paddle in support of science-based advocacy, education, restoration, and engagement efforts led by our Riverkeepers. All funds raised during this event will go directly to support ShoreRivers’ work for thriving waterways cherished by all communities. Buy your tickets, secure your table through a sponsorship, and find more information at shorerivers.org/events.

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ShoreRivers protects Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and community engagement.

shorerivers.org

Join ShoreRivers this summer for its beloved big-tent party on the banks of the Chester River!

Scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at Wilmer Park in Chestertown, ShoreRivers’ annual Solstice Celebration includes an open bar with Ten Eyck beer, Crow Vineyards wine, and a signature cocktail and mocktail; hors d’oeuvres and a full buffet dinner and dessert; and live music and dancing. The celebration begins at 6pm and continues through dusk with a rousing live auction where guests will bid on exceptional artwork, trips to enticing destinations, and more.

“It’s our privilege to host this signature annual event to celebrate the start of summer,” says Isabel Hardesty, Executive Director of ShoreRivers. “Coming together at the riverside drives home our mission — and our collective duty — to protect our waterways. This year’s event will be particularly special as we honor Captain Andrew McCown with the ShoreRivers Award for Environmental Stewardship in appreciation for his lifelong pursuit to share his curiosity and reverence for the Chester River with students of all ages.” This custom-designed award is given annually to an individual or entity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in recognition of their transformational accomplishment as a steward of the environment.

The celebration will feature the culinary talents of Chestertown favorite and friend of ShoreRivers Occasions Catering, who believes in providing food that’s locally sourced, lovingly prepared, and elegantly served. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy live music by Judd Nielsen and Friends, and admire stunning floral arrangements courtesy of Wildly Native, a family farm in Chestertown, Md., that focuses on hand-selected, in-season flowers that are harvested locally at the peak of bloom.

Following the live auction, all guests are invited to raise their paddle in support of science-based advocacy, education, restoration, and engagement efforts led by our Riverkeepers. All funds raised during this event will go directly to support ShoreRivers’ work for thriving waterways cherished by all communities. Buy your tickets, secure your table through a sponsorship, and find more information at shorerivers.org/events.

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ShoreRivers protects Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and community engagement.

shorerivers.org

ShoreRivers is pleased to announce its Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria testing program will return for the season on Thursday, May 22, and that weekly results from this annual program will once again be available this year in both English and Spanish.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacteria levels at popular swimming and boating sites to provide important human health risk information to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples and makes public the results of that testing to let people know about current bacteria levels as they make their plans for recreating in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, is designed to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community, and bilingual signs can be found at public monitoring sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and show users where to find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs (and the program at large) are made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation.

Weekly results are also shared on theswimguide.org, where descriptions of testing sites are available in both languages. This public service is a true community effort: this summer, nearly 70 SwimTesters will monitor 54 sites on the Choptank, Miles, Wye, Chester, and Sassafras rivers; Eastern Bay; and the Bayside Creeks. Special thanks go to our generous site sponsors, who include towns, marinas, homeowners’ associations, and families.

The Swimmable ShoreRivers program serves our community in a way that no other program, organization, agency, or data set does. In Maryland, if the state or local government designates an area as a swimming beach, then bacteria monitoring and reporting is required. However, a major gap exists on the Eastern Shore as very few areas are designated swimming beaches, and the results from those that are, are rarely posted publicly or in a timely manner.

“We work with our local community every day, and we know they’re interacting with our rivers in dozens of locations from Dorchester to Cecil County,” says Matt Pluta, Director of Riverkeeper Programs at ShoreRivers. “It’s our goal to make sure those individuals have available to them the information they need to know — namely, whether the water is safe for them to recreate in from a bacteria pollution standpoint. Swimmable ShoreRivers strives to enhance physical access to our local rivers, as well as access to data and information to help our community make informed decisions about how, when, and where we choose to enjoy our incredible natural resources.”

Also returning for the 2025 season is ShoreRivers’ Pumpout Boat. The Pumpout Boat is a free service offered on the Miles and Wye rivers that docks at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels and operates from May to mid-November. Through this service, we’re ensuring that every boater on the Miles and Wye has the means to safely and properly pump out — we can all help to keep marine waste out of our waterways. To schedule a pump out, contact Captain John Carlsson at 410.829.4352, on VHF Channel 9, by emailing [email protected], or by using the form at shorerivers.org/programs/pumpout-boat.

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ShoreRivers protects Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and engagement.

Last month, high school students from Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Dorchester counties gathered at Chesapeake College for ShoreRivers’ fourth annual Upper Shore Youth Environmental Action Summit. More than 130 students were in attendance from 10 different schools.

This annual Summit aims to empower future leaders of the environmental movement to take action now. One attendee remarked that, “Being around people who care about our planet is always inspiring and encouraging. It makes me feel like we can do something about all the problems we’ve created, and it motivated me to try to make some change.” ShoreRivers’ work to protect Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and engagement is only strengthened when youth voices are uplifted and students know that they don’t have to wait to get involved on behalf of their local waterways.

Since its start, ShoreRivers’ Summit has been by students for students. As in past years, a group of student leaders worked with ShoreRivers staff to plan the event, which includes a networking breakfast, a keynote address, workshop sessions, and a closing celebration.

The networking breakfast was one of the largest so far, with 19 local organizations present to share internship, job, and volunteer opportunities for high school students. Students then heard from keynote speaker James Ronayne, a college student who is also an environmental advocate, photographer, storyteller, and influencer in the Chesapeake Bay region. Ronayne spoke about his passion for our waterways, and inspired students to take action on their behalf. The afternoon workshop sessions covered a wide array of topics from scuba diving to monitor oyster reefs to environmental justice to water quality.

ShoreRivers is grateful for this year’s Summit sponsors: Dockray Charitable Foundation, The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation, the Campbell Foundation, The Henry Foundation, Fred Frederick, the Waterfowl Festival, IKEA, Chesapeake College, Rauch Inc., Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Easton Dermatology Associates LLC, Hobbs Contractors Inc., and YSI, a Xylem brand.

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ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

ShoreRivers_YouthSummitLeadersKeynote2025.JPG
Student leaders, who worked alongside ShoreRivers’ staff to plan the 2025 Upper Shore Youth Environmental Action Summit, are pictured ahead of the day’s keynote address with speaker James Ronayne. From left are Aidan Fisher from ShoreRivers, Paige Dempsey from ShoreRivers, Morgan Cole, Carissa Shue, Allison Davis, Emma Hansley, Victoria MacGlashan, Patty Dongarra, Sofia Stecher-Roberts, Lila Criss, Finn Merrick, Kaylie Dunlap, Lucy Pearce, Ava Brower, Hannah Claggett from ShoreRivers, and speaker James Ronayne. Photo by Tom McCall.

 

ShoreRivers is inviting the public to get out in their communities and explore their local waterways this year through a series of expeditions around the region.

On the schedule are:

• A walking tour of Chestertown centered on environmental justice on Wednesday, April 30
  ●      A book reading and beach exploration for children with Mermaid Tasha on Saturday, May 10
  ●      A spring paddle on the headwaters of the Choptank River with Riverkeeper Matt Pluta on Wednesday, May 14
  ●      A day for families to learn about monarch butterflies and river-friendly plants at a local nursery on Saturday, June 14
  ●      A guided farm tour showcasing conservation practices with wildlife artist Jonathan Shaw on Wednesday, July 9
  ●      An up-close look at osprey behavior during a riverboat cruise on Tuesday, July 15
  ●      A paddle to explore the American lotus blooms with Sassafras Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher on Thursday, July 31
  ●      A morning paddle and tour of a native plant nursery with Miles-Wye Rivekeeper Ben Ford on Thursday, September 4
  ●      A fall paddle on Tuckahoe Creek with your Choptank Riverkeeper on Thursday, September 25
  ●      A kayak exploration of the Chester River with Riverkeeper Annie Richards on Tuesday, September 30

These expeditions are small group experiences, carefully curated to offer a unique and meaningful connection between our community and our watershed. From paddles to tours of restoration sites, to hands-on adventures, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

“We know that access to our waterways fuels environmental stewardship,” says ShoreRivers’ Membership Manager Courtney Leigh. “It’s our hope that participants in these annual expeditions — in addition to taking in the natural beauty of our rivers, learning from partners who share our vision of thriving communities, and engaging with vibrant team members who lead the charge for clean waterways — will also develop a stronger connection to the bays, rivers, and creeks we all cherish on the Eastern Shore.”

To register, and for individual event details, visit shorerivers.org/events. More expeditions will be added throughout the year.

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ShoreRivers protects Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and engagement.

shorerivers.org

ShoreRivers is pleased to announce the return of its highly anticipated State of the Rivers events — a series of free presentations held each spring to inform the public about the current state of our Eastern Shore waterways and what we can all do to protect and restore them. Whether this will be your first or your 15^th State of the Rivers, we invite everyone to attend, learn, sip, and savor — and bring a friend, too!

Each year, between April­ and October, ShoreRivers’ professional Riverkeepers conduct weekly tidal sampling of more than 60 sites from Cecilton to Cambridge, then test for multiple scientific water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen, nutrient pollution, chlorophyll, and clarity. These indicators reveal the overall health of our waterways and our progress toward protecting and restoring our local rivers. ShoreRivers, statewide groups, and national agencies use this information to track trends, develop remediation strategies, advocate for stronger laws and enforcement, alert the public of potential health risks, and inform region-wide efforts toward clean water goals.

The public is invited to learn more about the results of this testing at this year’s State of the Rivers presentations, hosted around the region by the Riverkeepers themselves. Light refreshments, including local oysters, will be provided. ShoreRivers is grateful for continued partnerships with our host venues, as well as Choptank Oyster Company, Orchard Point Oysters, and Ten Eyck Brewing Company.

Please save these dates for this year’s State of the Rivers presentations:

• Tuesday, April 22, at Betterton Fire Hall, from 5:30–7pm
  State of the Sassafras River & the Bayside Creeks, hosted by Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher
• Thursday, April 24, at The Packing House in Cambridge, from 5:30–7pm
  State of the Choptank River, hosted by Riverkeeper Matt Pluta
• Thursday, May 1, at Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville, from 5:30–7pm
  State of the Chester River, hosted by Riverkeeper Annie Richards
• Thursday, May 8, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, from 5:30–7pm
  State of the Miles River, Wye River, and Eastern Bay, hosted by Riverkeeper Ben Ford

In addition to analyzing water quality data and communicating this information to the public, Riverkeepers use their weekly sampling as an opportunity to monitor changes along shorelines, identify potential indications of illegal discharges, and scout submerged aquatic vegetation beds. These observations, coupled with the quantitative data collected throughout the year, paint a holistic and well-informed picture of the health of each river and its tributaries. Riverkeepers work collaboratively with the community and with ShoreRivers’ other departments (including education, agriculture and restoration, and community engagement) to increase awareness of the issues, inspire behavior change, and implement practices for healthier river systems. Information on these efforts, plus data from the popular Swimmable ShoreRivers’ bacteria monitoring program, will also be shared during State of the Rivers presentations.

“Eastern Shore waterways are choked by polluted runoff from residential, commercial, and agricultural properties,” said Matt Pluta, ShoreRivers’ Choptank Riverkeeper & Director of Riverkeeper Programs. “Regular scientific monitoring is a signature component of ShoreRivers’ operations and the only comprehensive testing of our local rivers currently being conducted. Please join us at a State of the Rivers event in your area to learn what’s happening, why it’s happening, and the important ways we can work together to make it better.”

This event is free — registration is requested but not required. For more, visit shorerivers.org/events.

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ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

Now that the Maryland General Assembly has reconvened for the 447^th Legislative Session, ShoreRivers’ advocacy efforts are in full swing. The organization’s advocacy work, which is led by the Riverkeepers, is fundamental to creating system-wide change to protect local rivers against the major issues that impact water quality on the Eastern Shore.

This is a pivotal year for the State of Maryland and all Chesapeake watershed states, as government leaders work with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program to revise and strengthen a new Chesapeake Bay Agreement that will guide restoration work in years to come. ShoreRivers and fellow clean water advocates see 2025 as an opportunity to bolster Maryland’s efforts to implement this new agreement by advocating for strong policies that protect our natural resources and local rivers. Findings from the Chesapeake Bay Program’s CESR Report (A Comprehensive Evaluation of System Response) continue to influence ShoreRivers’ priorities and complement the Bay Agreement’s vision for restoration goals for years to come.

These efforts are no small challenge, as fiscal pressures loom large this session due to a 2+ billion-dollar deficit facing the state coupled with current financial instability at the federal level. This pressure, combined with Maryland’s focus and attention to meet renewable energy goals, means that ShoreRivers and our members will be working harder than ever to shine a spotlight on Eastern Shore water quality — and the policies we need to protect and restore our rivers.

Key efforts this year include the following, though additional bills and legislation are likely to be added to this list as they are introduced and prove to be in line with ShoreRivers’ mission of protecting Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, education, and engagement.

1.)  The Nearshore Farming and Finance Act (SB898/HB1175), a bill that will increase nutrient application setbacks and improve incentive programs for nearshore habitat restoration on agricultural operations within the Critical Area. This bill will also establish the state’s first incentive payments for leased land agricultural operators.

2.)  The Maryland PFAS & Sewage Sludge bill (SB732/HB909), which will establish testing requirements to identify PFAS concentrations in biosolids and set enforceable limits to prevent further contamination, protecting Maryland’s food and water sources and ensuring a healthier future for all.

3.)  A bill to improve On–Site Sewage Disposal Systems in Climate Vulnerable Areas (HB671), which will limit septic siting within the 500 year floodplain, and ensure that low-income households have access to Bay Restoration Funding to make necessary improvements to failing or poor performing units in climate vulnerable areas.

Defending important funding sources through budget advocacy will be another important priority for ShoreRivers this session. With conflicting pressures from the Bay Program’s goals of accelerated restoration work and a budget deficit pressuring Maryland legislators and advocates to “do more with less,” ShoreRivers is committed to defending historically beneficial environmental funds such as the Bay Restoration Fund, the Coastal Trust Fund, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, State Aided institutions, and Program Open Space, and funding appropriated through the Tree Solutions Now Act 2021.

At ShoreRivers, we engage in legislative advocacy because addressing non-point source pollution — or “runoff pollution,” the leading contributor of pollutants to our rivers — is often most effective by updating policies that address modern challenges and support restoration goals. By combining locally driven restoration efforts with river-friendly policies, we are encouraging the behavioral changes needed to improve land use practices and better manage the landscapes responsible for nutrient and sediment runoff. ShoreRivers looks forward to a productive legislative session with members of the General Assembly and fellow environmental advocates. Visit shorerivers.org to learn more about this important work.