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July 26, 2021

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

Ecosystem Eco Notes

Horn Point Laboratory’s Chesapeake Champion Event September 30

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The Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) will celebrate their 8th annual Chesapeake Champion on Thursday, September 30th from 5 to 7pm. The Horn Point Laboratory is thrilled to honor Beverly and Richard Tilghman as this year’s recipients.

Beverly and Richard Tilghman, Horn Point Laboratory 2021 Chesapeake Champions

This year’s celebration will be held at the historic Tidewater Inn in downtown Easton, MD, and will feature delicious, locally-sourced foods, beverages, and demonstrations by HPL graduate students.

Chesapeake Champion is the flagship event of the Horn Point Laboratory – one of four labs that make up the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The event hosts 150 to 200 guests who come out to celebrate a group or individual who, through their own example, exemplifies environmental contributions on the Eastern Shore.

This year’s fundraising goal of $100,000 would provide stipends for two graduate students, helping the next generation of environmental scientists in a world that needs them perhaps more than ever.

The Tilghmans are steadfast supporters of HPL’s graduate students.  “Richard and Beverly have devoted their time and effort to support and advise a variety of environmental groups on the Shore,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Mike Roman. “They have been great stewards of the lands of Wye House, installing living shorelines and conservation easements to protect the lands and wildlife.”

Past Chesapeake Champions include: Amy Haines, the first recipient in 2013, followed by John E. (Chip) Akridge in 2014, C. Albert Pritchett in 2015, Alice and Jordan Lloyd in 2016, Jim Brighton in 2017, Jerry Harris in 2018, and the Hutchison Brothers in 2019.

Mark your calendar and join us Thursday, September 30th to honor the Tilghmans and celebrate their leadership for graduate education and a sustainable, healthier Bay. Tickets are $100/ person. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information, please visit www.umces.edu/hpl or contact Carin Starr at cstarr@umces.edu, 410-221-8408.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu

ESLC Is Taking It to the Streets: A Chat with Owen Bailey

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Owen Bailey has a vision for safer, more attractive downtown street layouts originally designed as automobile-centric thoroughfares.

With the rise in pedestrian use, especially in a town with high tourist traffic, safe and attractive modifications to our streets should become a primary objective, he says.

Bailey, the Town Project Manager for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and a member of the Chestertown Planning Commission, wants to enhance the widths of sidewalk zones at intersections and has his eye on the south end of High Street and Water Street as being a perfect pilot project.

Widening the sidewalk areas by adding “bump-outs” at its intersections narrows the width of the crosswalks, slows traffic, and enhances the town’s pedestrian appeal.

A temporary set-up using safety cones would be used to test traffic flow.

Bailey sees the intersection project as a template for other pedestrian-unfriendly areas in the community. If successful, the change can become a “cut and paste” application for other intersections in the community.

Once approved by the community, Town and State, if applicable, these cost-effective modifications could occur when the roads are next paved.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is comprised of avid conservationists, outdoors people, agriculturalists, environmental scientists, public servants, urban development professionals, and a variety of other stakeholders in our communities.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about For more information about ESLC, go here.

 

 

 

ShoreRivers & CCA Maryland Seek Volunteers to Build Oyster Reef Balls

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Middle school students mix and pour concrete into the reef ball mold. Oysters attach themselves to the concrete and form oyster reefs that provide underwater habitat. Photo credit: CCA Maryland

ShoreRivers and the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland are seeking volunteers of all ages to help construct oyster reef balls that will be placed in the Choptank River to create underwater habitat. CCA Maryland is a nonprofit organization that advocates for, conserves, and educates communities about Maryland’s marine resources. ShoreRivers, a nonprofit organization that restores and protects Eastern Shore waterways, is partnering with CCA Maryland as part of the Living Reef Action Campaign. The goals of the campaign are to create and restore oyster reef habitat while engaging local communities in education about oyster reefs.

Reef balls are hollow, concrete domes pocketed with holes. When oysters attach themselves to the reef balls and begin to grow, they create a 3D structure that we call a reef. Oyster reefs are beneficial habitat to many other animals in our waterways, especially fish that hide and hunt using the hollow structure.  Increasing oyster habitat and populations in our waterways has additional benefits. Oysters are filter feeders which means they clean the water as they eat. The oyster reef balls constructed with ShoreRivers and CCA  will be placed in the Choptank River beneath the popular Bill Burton Fishing Pier, providing more habitat and,in turn, attracting larger fish for anglers.

If you’d like to contribute to this effort to improve oyster habitat, please volunteer for a reef ball build. Each build is a two-morning event. Morning one is spent constructing the mold and filling it with concrete. During the second morning, the reef ball is unmolded and unveiled. Reef ball builds will be held at the Easton Point Marina (975 Port Street, Easton) on July 15 and 16, and August 7 and 8 from 9 am-12 noon. Additional builds will be held at Sailwinds Park in Cambridge on August 19 and 20, and September 25 and 26 from 9 am-12 noon. Volunteers are welcome to come for one or both days of the build. There is a job for all ages. Sign up to volunteer or get more information from ShoreRivers’ Community Engagement Coordinator Amy Narimatsu, at anarimatsu@shorerivers.org or call 410.810.7556 ext 253.

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

shorerivers.org

Top Developer Submits Bid for Second Phase of Offshore Wind Project in Maryland

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The Danish offshore wind developer Ørsted announced Wednesday that it has submitted a bid to generate up to 760 megawatts of power with a proposed second offshore wind project off the coast of Maryland. 

The project, called Skipjack Wind 2, is in response to the Maryland Public Service Commission’s call for proposals for a second round of offshore wind projects in federal waters off the Maryland coast. 

The Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019 expanded Maryland’s renewable portfolio standard to require that utilities get 50% of the electricity they sell to consumers from renewable sources by 2030. More specifically, it directed the Public Service Commission — which regulates the state’s energy utilities — to find “Round 2” offshore wind projects that could provide at least 1,200 megawatts of power by 2030. 

The application period for this round closed on June 21, and the PSC’s consultant, ICF, has 30 days to review applications. The bids are confidential until then, according to Tori Leonard, spokeswoman for the PSC. It is unclear if any other companies besides Ørsted have submitted a bid for this round of offshore wind projects. 

After the consultant reports to the PSC, the commission will review all applications and award offshore renewable energy credits to a project or projects for this round by Dec. 18, Leonard said. 

Ørsted’s new project proposal would power over 250,000 homes in the Delmarva Peninsula, according to the company’s announcement. 

“Ørsted is privileged to already be a long-term partner to the state of Maryland as it works to meet its offshore wind goals,” David Hardy, CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America, said in a statement. 

“We are proud to build, own, and operate wind farms across the world and will bring that same approach to Maryland. As such, these at least 30-year commitments we are making to the state are designed to provide long-term benefits to all of the communities that will be home to our facilities. In continuing to deliver on our commitments now, and well into the future, we will ensure that Maryland’s offshore wind industry will thrive for decades to come,” he continued. 

In 2013, the General Assembly passed legislation enabling offshore wind development and the Maryland PSC was designated by the federal government to award leases for offshore wind developments in federal waters. The commission finally approved two projects off the coast of Ocean City in 2017. 

Ørsted is in the middle of developing one of these projects, called Skipjack Wind 1, which is to the north of Ocean City and about 19 miles off the coast. It could power 40,000 homes in the Delmarva Peninsula and is slated to start operating by 2026, company officials have said. 

This project is currently under review for final approval by the federal government, as is the MarWin project by US Wind, which would generate 240 megawatts of power — enough to power almost 80,000 for a year. It is 17 miles off the coast of Maryland and tentatively slated to start operating in 2024. 

These projects would run cables under the ocean, connect to the electric grid on land and provide electricity to Maryland utilities, helping the state depend less on fossil fuels and reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2045. 

Both projects have generated controversy in Ocean City, particularly among political and business leaders who believe views of wind turbines from the beach could hurt tourism and the real estate industry. But many other leaders in Delmarva believe the wind industry could be a powerful economic driver for the region.

Ørsted said it would host a virtual open house on its proposal to build a second phase of the offshore wind project on the evening of July 19.

By Elizabeth Shwe

The Case for Trees (Lots of Them) for the Shore: A Chat with CBF’s Robin Clark

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It’s hard to argue with the proposition that our communities can always use more trees. Beyond their sheer beauty, trees have provided much-needed shade during hot summers, improved the quality of our public spaces, and served as hosts for birds and other small creatures along the Eastern Shore.

Those are some reasons that local governments and small nonprofit organizations have promoted and organized efforts to plant trees for decades. But as our region starts a long and difficult war against climate change and sea levels rising, it turns out that trees can be one of the most successful defenses with global warming.

In the first place, they soak up carbon dioxide from the air like no one’s business. Their roots prevent soil erosion, and their branches provide shade that can cool our streets. The list goes on.

And that is the reason why the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the region’s largest and oldest conservation organization, has double-downed on increasing the tree population on the Eastern Shore.

With the help of a new bill passed in Annapolis that calls for Maryland to plant 5 million trees over the next decade, CBF has joined forces with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Maryland Department of Agriculture to encourage towns, counties, and, most importantly, the farming community, to take advantage of this with a full range of incentives to make this bold goal a reality.

The Spy spoke with CBF’s Maryland Attorney, Robin Clark, the other day about the program and how critical this will be to save the Shore from the catastrophic impact of climate change.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation please go here.

 

 

Oyster Rebound Prompts Md. to Ease Some Harvest Limits

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Amid indications that Maryland’s oyster population is on the rebound, state fisheries managers are easing some harvest limits they had imposed two years ago.

The Department of Natural Resources announced July 1 that it would permit commercial oystering Monday through Friday, ending the Wednesday harvesting ban.

The DNR also has proposed reopening most areas north of the Bay Bridge to harvesting in the upcoming season, which runs Oct. 1 through March 31, 2022. Only the Chester River would remain off-limits under the proposal, which is expected to be finalized in July.

Watermen welcomed the decision, though they had pressed for even more easing of the limits. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, though, called the announcement “a missed opportunity” that could undercut the recovery of the Bay’s oyster population.

Oysters are a keystone species in the Bay. They filter the water and provide habitat for other fish and aquatic creatures with the reefs they build of their shells. But overharvesting, habitat loss and disease have devastated the population, reducing it to an estimated 1–2% of historic levels.

They are also a pillar — though much diminished — of the Bay’s seafood industry and traditional fishing culture. The tension between their ecological and economic importance has led to conflict, especially in Maryland, where watermen and environmentalists have feuded over regulating harvests, creating harvest-free sanctuaries and spending large sums of state and federal funds to restore reef habitat.

In Maryland, watermen had pressed for lifting harvest restrictions in the wake of the DNR’s updated assessment of the state’s oyster population, released in June. It found that the number of legally harvestable oysters this year had increased to around 500 million, the third largest number in the last two decades.

The rebound was most pronounced in the Choptank River and Tangier Sound, where abundance hit 20-year highs. In other areas, the number of harvestable oysters remained the lowest in two decades.

But the update also found that a record number of juvenile oysters, or spat, had been produced last year.

Chris Judy, the DNR’s shellfish program manager, said the stock assessment showed the oyster population was “trending in the right direction.”

“Granted, spat need to grow,” he said, “but this, along with market abundance, is a notable positive result.” Spat generally take about three years to reach legally harvestable size.

The update marks a turnaround from the results of the DNR’s 2018 stock assessment, which estimated that the state’s population of market-size oysters had declined by half since 1999. The assessment also determined that oysters were being overharvested in more than half of the areas open to commercial harvest.

In response to the 2018 assessment, the DNR clamped down, banning oystering on Wednesdays and reducing the maximum catch on other days. The agency also closed most areas north of the Bay Bridge to preserve the remaining low numbers of market-size oysters there.

Oyster populations in Virginia’s portion of the Bay also are trending up in most places, according to Andrew Button, head of conservation and replenishment for the state’s Marine Resources Commission. Surveys there show oysters of all sizes at or near 20-year-plus highs, he said.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is expected to announce its rules for the 2021–22 oyster season in August.

The harvest rules the Maryland DNR announced July 1 are unchanged from what it had proposed in early June.

Over the last two seasons, watermen had chafed over the Wednesday harvest ban. Being limited to four days had prompted some to go out in foul weather, they said, risking their boats and personal safety.

Most watermen say the DNR should also increase daily harvest limits, arguing that there’s no reason to keep the brakes on under such improved conditions.

State fisheries managers left those limits unchanged. Watermen who dive for oysters or pluck them from the bottom with hand tongs or patent tongs would be allowed to bring back 12 bushels per person per day, compared with 15 bushels before. Those who use power dredges would be limited to 10 bushels per person or 20 per boat with a helper, down 20% from what they had been.

Despite the restrictions, watermen landed 330,000 bushels of oysters in the most recent season, a 20% increase over the previous season and more than twice the number landed in 2018‑19, before harvest limits were imposed.

Watermen contend that the growth in the oyster population, even as landings increased, shows that the limits are no longer needed.

“We’re seeing an increase over time,” Jeff Harrison, president of the Talbot Watermen Association, said at a June 8 meeting of the DNR’s Oyster Advisory Commission. “We have a great spat set, so we know in the future we’re going to have oysters.”

But the Bay Foundation, which had opposed easing harvest restrictions, warned that the DNR decision could backfire.

“The stock assessment continues to show overharvesting happening in several areas of the Bay, which these regulations fail to address,” the foundation said in a statement. “In fact, this action opens the door for more harvest, which puts any chance of this year’s record spat set contributing to the long-term recovery of oysters at significant risk.”

While the assessment found fewer areas of the Bay being overfished, it found continued overharvesting in the Choptank and in Tangier Sound, the two areas with the most plentiful oysters.

The Bay Foundation urged the DNR to rethink the way it manages the oyster fishery, arguing that the increased harvest of the past two years shows that the methods for limiting harvest pressure aren’t working.

The foundation said that fishery managers should require watermen to report their harvest online, as Virginia will begin doing this fall. It also said the DNR should switch to setting a total allowable catch for each area. That way, managers could monitor the harvest more closely and close it promptly in areas where the cap has been reached.

The DNR’s Judy said the state plans to begin a trial of online harvest reporting this fall.

Allison Colden, the foundation’s Maryland fisheries scientist, said the DNR needs to look for better ways to regulate the size of the fishery, which has grown dramatically. The number of watermen who paid the required fee to harvest oysters commercially increased from 822 in 2018 to 1,239 last fall, the most in two decades.

It’s a “sensitive issue” and one that needs to be discussed, Colden said, because oystering is an integral part of the traditional fishing culture in the Bay’s rural communities.

“But it’s obviously something that I don’t think the current regulations have a handle on,” she said. “I think we at least need to have leadership from the department in having that conversation.”

By Timothy B. Wheeler

Local Izaak Walton League Gives $10K in Scholarships

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The Chapter gave ten thousand dollars in scholarships to 4 undergraduate students and 2 to doctorate candidates at the Horn Point Labs. The Labs are a component of the facilities for advanced environmental studies within the University of Maryland.  

Undergraduate Winners

  • Pictured from left to right are: Molly Johnson, Jack Martell, Owen Mank, Chris Kaminskas, and Janet Wheatley (Chair of the selection committee).
  • Molly Johnson graduated from Easton HS, she will attend Northeastern Univ.  and major in biology. She graduated with a GPA in the top 5% of the class, was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society.  Molly’s goal is to work in environmental science and climate change awareness.  
  • Jack Martell graduated from Saints Peter and Paul High School and will be attending Middlebury College in the Fall as a major in conservation biology.  Throughout high school Jack tutored for the National Honor Society. He rowed for 4 years with the Freedom Rowers and volunteered at Horn Point in 2019.
  • Owen Mank attended Colonel Richardson H.S., will go to the Univ. of Maryland and major in engineering.  Owen has an extensive resume including participation in numerous clubs, was a member of the Honor Society, and Class Valedictorian. 
  • Chris Kaminskas is a repeat winner from Easton High School. Chris will be a sophomore this fall at Coastal Carolina Univ. in Conway, SC.  Chris is a scholar athlete majoring in Marine Sciences, minoring in Computer Science and is on the Lacrosse team.  

Scholarships Awarded to Horn Point Graduate Students

The Mid-Shore Chapter of the Izaak Walton League awarded 2 scholarships to the 2021 recipients and recognized the 2 winners from the Chapter’s 2020 program at the Chapter’s June 24th dinner meeting.

Pictured from left to right are: Carin Starr, program coordinator, Sophia Ahn (2021), Anna Windle, and Pauline Huanca (2020 winners). The other 2021 winner, Carol Kim was unable to attend. 

All recipients are currently working towards their doctorate degrees.

  • Sophia is doing research on harmful algal blooms along coastal waters of the U.S. that can cause impacts on fisheries and recreational swimming closures. 
  • Carol is studying the impact of receding march lands and the impacts on adjacent waters as well as best management practices to implement to restore marshes to their full ecosystem function and stability.
  • Anna is researching the use of drones to observe and evaluate red tides and monitor water quality.
  • Pauline is analyzing microorganisms and how they contribute to oxygen depletion thru metabolic processes.  

These students at the University of Maryland, Environmental Studies Laboratory (located at Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge) represent the future managers, professors and researchers who will help us preserve and improve the Chesapeake Bay and our coastal waters for our benefit and enjoyment in years to come.  

Chesapeake Bay’s ‘Dead Zone’ to be Smaller this Summer, Researchers Say

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The Chesapeake Bay’s “dead zone,” the oxygen-starved blob of water that waxes and wanes each summer, is forecast to be smaller than average for a second consecutive year.

A consortium of research institutions announced June 23 that it expects the volume of this year’s dead zone to be 14% lower than average. In 2020, the zone was smaller than 80% of those monitored since surveying began in 1985.

The size of the summer dead zone is driven largely by how much excess nutrients flow off lawns and agricultural fields into the Bay during the preceding January to May, researchers say. Those nutrients — nitrogen and phosphorus — fuel explosive algae growth, triggering a chemical reaction that robs the water of oxygen as it dies back. The area is dubbed a “dead zone” because of the lack of life found within it.

This year, those first five months were slightly drier than usual, causing river flows entering the Bay to be 13% below average. As a result, the Chesapeake received 19% less nitrogen pollution compared with the long-term average at monitoring stations along nine major tributaries.

Efforts to curb nutrient pollution in the Bay’s 64,000-square-mile watershed also appear to have played a role in shrinking this year’s dead zone, scientists say. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has joined with Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia to implement a “pollution diet” for the Bay and its tributaries by 2025.

“This year’s forecast suggests a smaller dead zone than is typical because the river flows that carry nutrients to the Bay were slightly lower than normal,” said Jeremy Testa, a researcher with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. “But the amount of nutrients carried to the Bay by a given amount of flow has lessened over time due to effective nutrient management in the watershed. This is an example of a positive trajectory for the Bay.”

Oxygen is measured in the Bay throughout the year by the Chesapeake Monitoring Program, an effort involving several federal agencies, 10 academic institutions and more than 30 scientists. The dead zone forecast is produced by UMCES, the Chesapeake Bay Program, the University of Michigan and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The dead zone is typically biggest in summer, when temperatures are their hottest and oxygen is at its lowest.

Water is considered “dead” to marine life when the concentration of dissolved oxygen falls below 2 milligrams per liter. The average Chesapeake dead zone measures between 0.7 and 1.5 cubic square miles of water, the equivalent of 280,000–600,000 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of water, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

This year’s dead zone began forming earlier than normal because of warming temperatures in May, according to real-time estimates produced by VIMS and Anchor QEA.

Beth McGee, director of science and agriculture policy with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said the smaller area of low or no oxygen is good news for crabs, fish and other creatures that dwell in the Bay. But it shouldn’t obscure the fact that the states and federal partners are struggling to meet the pollution-reduction targets they set for 2025, she added.

Noting that 40% of the nitrogen that causes dead zones can be traced to Pennsylvania, McGee said: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture must provide more funding for conservation and technical assistance, and the Pennsylvania legislature should establish a state agricultural cost-share program. At the same time, EPA must hold the states, especially Pennsylvania, accountable to meet pollution-reduction requirements from all sources. Without those federal efforts, the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint will be yet another in the history of failed Bay restoration efforts.”

By Jeremy Cox

Re-opening of Visitor Center at Blackwater NWR with New Hours

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The Visitor Center at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) has resumed full-time operations with new hours.  The Visitor Center is now open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be closed all Federal holidays.  Refuge trails and the Wildlife Drive remain open daily from dawn to dusk.

Consistent with CDC recommendations, people who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces.  Most importantly, stay home if you feel sick and continue to watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and follow CDC guidance on how to protect yourself and others.

Please check our website for current updates: www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater. 

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, protects over 32,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwood and pine forest, managed freshwater wetlands and cropland for a diversity of wildlife.  To learn more, visit our website at www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater or follow us on Facebook @BlackwaterNWR.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. 

For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq. 

Summer’s Here – Is It Safe To Swim In Eastern Shore Rivers? By Annie Richards

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“Is it safe to swim in the river?” is one of the most common questions ShoreRivers hears from community members. Fecal bacteria and toxic algae in waterways pose threats to both water quality and public health. People and pets who come in contact with bacteria- or toxin-laden water can contract eye, ear, and respiratory diseases; skin rashes; gastrointestinal issues; or brain or liver damage. To assess the health of our rivers and potential risks to human health, ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers, with help from a dedicated team of volunteers, regularly monitor bacteria pollution at 34 sites throughout the middle and upper Eastern Shore.

The SwimmableShoreRivers program tests all the rivers in the ShoreRivers region for bacteria, primarily at public access locations, as well as at some marinas, yacht clubs, and town fishing piers. ShoreRivers conducts tests on a weekly basis from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and results are posted each Friday. Community members are encouraged to view the results at theswimguide.org and get updates during swim season by following the ShoreRivers and Riverkeeper pages on Facebook and Instagram. The program follows Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples and uses a pass/fail system to determine if bacteria levels are safe or unsafe for swimming.

ShoreRivers relies on dedicated volunteers to support their water quality testing programs. These “SwimTesters” are assigned sites and, after completing a training session, collect and deliver water samples to the ShoreRivers offices in Galena, Chestertown, and Easton. Additionally, ShoreRivers is grateful to its test site sponsors: Sailwinds Park Inc., On-site Septic Services, Caroline County Recreation and Parks, Chesapeake Designs, City of Cambridge, Town of Oxford, Corsica River Yacht Club, Kentmore Park Community, the McGunigle family, the Ruhl/Carski family, and Noa Stein, for her Bat Mitzvah project. At $600 per site, per season, contact your local Riverkeeper to learn more about sites in need of a sponsor.

The results from ShoreRivers’ monitoring in 2020 show that bacterial and algal conditions vary based on location, weather, and other factors, making systematic, scientific analysis vital. The good news is the majority of the bacteria monitoring sites passed more than 60% of the time. A few sites, however, passed less than 60% of the time, failing to meet EPA’s threshold for safe water contact. Specifically, these sites are located at Hambrooks Bay Beach, Crouse Park, Denton, Broad Cove Claiborne, and Morgan Creek Landing.

Now that the program has baseline data showing which sites frequently have elevated levels of bacteria, ShoreRivers will focus on the next most frequently asked question from the public: “Where does bacteria pollution come from at each site?” ShoreRivers is exploring partnerships and innovative technologies to help identify specific sources of bacteria pollution at specific testing locations.

“Once we know where the bacteria is coming from—whether it’s leaking sewer lines, failing septic systems, over-application of fertilizer, or people not picking up after their pets—we can start implementing real solutions,” says Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta. “Monitoring techniques such as eDNA sampling and bacteria source tracking are improving and becoming more reliable. It’s another tool in our Riverkeeper toolbelt to help improve water quality conditions so Eastern Shore waterways are always safe and swimmable.”

The SwimmableShoreRivers program also works with government health agencies at local and state levels to monitor toxic algal blooms and inform the public of serious potential health risks to humans and pets. Algal blooms occur naturally, but increased levels of nutrient pollution in our waterways from fertilizers, septic systems, and wastewater plants fuel larger, more toxic, and longer-lasting blooms.

In our region, toxic blooms occur most frequently on the Sassafras River, due to its lower salinity levels. Last summer, a toxic algal bloom on the Sassafras lasted for almost three months. This was the largest, longest lasting, and most toxic bloom ever recorded on the river, causing the Maryland Department of the Environment to issue a water contact advisory for the whole river.

Already in 2021, small blooms have been identified in tributaries of the Sassafras. Sassafras Riverkeeper Zack Kelleher has responded to and tested these blooms with the help of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, and will continue to monitor the water weekly as the summer progresses. For more info on Sassafras algal blooms this summer, contact zkelleher@shorerivers.org.

Annie Richards is the Chester Riverkeeper for ShoreRivers

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