Riverkeeper Blog


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			Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:32:09 -0500EST

Riverkeeper's Blog - by Chris Trumbauer

Posted on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:32:09 -0500EST: All this snow has many of us cooped up. One good thing is I have been able to catch up on a couple things I hadn't had time to do. In January, local pilot and W/RR member Jerry Hill took me up in his Piper Cherokee to check out the Rivers from the air. I just uploaded some of the pictures on line. You can view the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/ctrumb/WestRhodeFlyover1162010#
Posted on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:29:07 -0500EST: The Maryland General Assembly started up this week. I hope everyone is paying attention to the Legislature this year. In such a tough budget climate, we are all going to need to tell our elected officials to protect funding for environmental initiatives. Combine a dire economic forecast with an election year, and who knows what is going to happen. West/Rhode Riverkeeper is teaming with other state and local environmental advocacy groups to promote three priorities: Stormwater ( http://www.mdlcv.org/issues/2010stormwater ), Transportation ( http://www.mdlcv.org/issues/2010transportation ), and protecting the Green Infrastructure Budget ( http://www.mdlcv.org/issues/2010budget ). Keep an eye on how things unfold in the coming weeks - we need to be vigilant to protect our natural environment. We will let you know when we need your help!
Posted on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:33:27 -0500EST: Today, 12 Waterkeeper organizations in Maryland (including West/Rhode Riverkeeper) along with the Waterkeeper Alliance submitted a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency. The petition calls for EPA to withdraw Maryland’s delegated authority to administer the Clean Water Act’s pollution permitting program for dischargers in the state unless the State takes the necessary corrective action and improves its performance. Maryland Department of the Environment and Governor O’Malley’s office were notified of this action in advance.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is in crisis, and drastic action is needed. We submitted this petition with the singular purpose of improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay. It is our sincere hope that this action will result in a positive change in the way that Maryland enforces the Clean Water Act, and will ultimately help speed up the Bay’s recovery.
Posted on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:44:38 -0500EST: On December 1, I assumed the responsibilities as Executive Director for West/Rhode Riverkeeper, Inc. When I was hired as Riverkeeper in July 2008, the intention was always for me to eventually serve as both Riverkeeper and Executive Director, and allow Bob Gallagher, the organization's founder and former Riverkeeper to transition to become Chair of our Board of Directors. It is appropriate at this point to thank Bob for his amazing vision and dedication to the program. I am very excited about my new role, and equally excited that Bob will remain fully engaged as Board Chair and continue to avail the organization of his knowledge and experience.

We are also shifting some responsibilities for our other staff. Amy Colhoun, our Program Manager, will be assuming the volunteer coordinator duties. Kelly Myers is now our Outreach and Communications Coordinator.

West/Rhode Riverkeeper is privileged to have such a talented team working as staff, and also a dedicated volunteer base and membership community that enables us to continue to work to improve the health of our Rivers. Thanks to everyone who helps make our work possible!
Posted on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:30:36 EDT: On Friday, Oct 23 the Center for Watershed Protection will present the findings from our West River Watershed Assessment. This is an important step for us as we will now have a "game plan" for improving the health of the West River. I hope you can join us at the meeting (6 pm at Discovery Village). One outcome of this Assessment is that we will now have a prioritized list of restoration and pollution prevention options. We can take this list and match them up with funding opportunities to really do some good. It's an exciting time for our organization, and I hope you will all continue to support the work we are doing. Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible.

Also, we will be working over this Fall and Winter to do a similar project on the Rhode River. Stay tuned for details!
Posted on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:58:46 EDT: I was doing water quality sampling on the Rhode River earlier this week, when I noticed some construction very near the water line. I took some pictures and noted the location, and when I got back to the office, I looked up the address to see if the owners had the proper permits. Turns out they did, and the construction was for a swimming pool only 50 ft from the water line. Concerned that this would be a violation of the critical area buffer zoning, I contacted Anne Arundel County and asked how the owner could receive a permit to build within the critical area buffer (the 100 ft closest to the water). Turns out the area is "buffer exempt". This means that when the critical area maps were drawn up, some areas where exempted from having to meet the criteria, presumably because they were already developed. I am going to try to find a map of all the buffer exempt areas in our watershed because I would be interested to see it. How much of our shoreline is unprotected by the critical area regulations?
Posted on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:09:35 EDT: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) just released its annual report on the health of swimming beaches nationwide. In Maryland, they analyzed results from 71 beaches along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. 29 of these are in Anne Arundel County and are sampled by the AA County Dept of Health.

Overall, Maryland ranked 8th nationwide in beachwater quality (2% of samples exceeded the bacteria limit set by EPA). This is an improvement over the last several years. However, our own Riverkeeper monitoring program samples more frequently than the county program, and has shown higher bacteria levels.

The NRDC report gives the following advice:

"...the best way to protect beachgoers from water contamination is to prevent it by implementing and enforcing better controls on pollution sources. Stormwater runoff pollution can be reduced by using low-impact development techniques in communities to retain and filter rainwater where it falls and let it soak back into the ground, rather than dumping it into waterways. This includes strategically placed rain gardens in yards, tree boxes along city sidewalks, green roofs that use absorbent vegetation on top of buildings, and permeable pavement that allows water to penetrate the material, instead of asphalt or concrete. By capturing and storing stormwater in rain barrels, or cisterns, we can also reuse it for irrigation or other non-potable uses."

We will all need to work together to make the improvements necessary to once again enjoy clean and safe water for recreation. At West/Rhode Riverkeeper, we will be working hard towards that goal. I hope you will join us.
Posted on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:46:33 EDT: Yesterday, July 7, was a special day. First, it was my one year anniversary as West/Rhode Riverkeeper. Second, we had the opportunity to take MD Attorney General Doug Gansler out on the West and Rhode Rivers as part of his series of River Audits. The AG met with elected officials in the morning, and they discussed some of the issues facing the health of the rivers, such as septic systems and stormwater runoff.

We then met him at SERC, where the AG got a summary of the important research they are doing there. Next, we took him and his staff out on BLUE MIST to tour the rivers. We went up Bearneck Creek to the site of last year's fish kill, and then out the Rhode River to Galesville to highlight the recent living shoreline restoration project done there. Along the way we highlighted many of the important issues facing the rivers. We then went to Discovery Village where we convened a meeting of local environmental leaders. We went back to SERC for the final event of the day, which was a town-hall meeting.

Thanks to Attorney General Gansler and his staff, Tuck Hines of SERC, and all the community members who participated. I think it was a great day!

To see pictures of the day's events, go to http://www.oag.state.md.us/gallery/07_07_09_West_Rhode_Audit/index.htm .

-Chris
Posted on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:08:20 EDT: Did you see the dolphins in west river on Saturday, June 20? We received numerous reports of dolphins in the Galesville area. I was out of town, so missed seeing them myself. Maybe they got blown up the bay by the strong winds, or maybe they were just sightseeing. If you have any good pictures, please send them to [email protected].
Posted on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:10:14 EDT: Thanks to everyone who came to Rhythm on the River on Saturday! What a great event. About 300 people were in attendance, and it was so nice to see so many of our friends and supporters. Thanks especially to Amy and Kelly - the dynamic duo who did most of the party planning and setup - as well as all the volunteers. Also thanks to the Hypnotics -our fantastic band - and Herrington on the Bay for the great food. Stay tuned for more pics, which we will post on our Flickr site.
Posted on Mon, 18 May 2009 12:03:58 EDT: This past weekend was a busy one for West/Rhode Riverkeeper. On Saturday, we held the Rhode River wade-in. I was joined by former State Senator Bernie Fowler and several other dignitaries. We waded in to a depth of 27 inches before Bernie could no longer see his shoes. (But those shoes were pretty bright!)

On Sunday, I participated in the Galesville shoreline planting event, organized by Chesapeake Bay Foundation. About 50 volunteers helped to plant thousands of wetland grasses and shrubs. Go check out the site (low tide would be best) to take a look. By the end of this summer, the grasses should be established and by next year should provide a wonderful habitat for aquatic life. Thanks to all the volunteers who came out!
Posted on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:28:55 EDT: In addition to the recent donation of BLUE MIST, we also have some more exciting news. Adam Hewison, a former board member and current supporter, has enabled us to move into the prime office space in Discovery Village in Shady Side. (www.discoveryvillage.net) We moved to the other side of the building, where we now have windows! So now, from my office, I can actually see the river. Thank you Adam!
Posted on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:57:34 EDT: We are proud to release the West and Rhode Rivers Report Card. I just wish we had better grades. We have previously released "State of the Rivers" reports, led by our volunteer-extraordinaire Stacie Bender, but this is our first comprehensive Report Card for the rivers' health.

The news isn't good - but it shouldn't be surprising, either. Any of us who spend time on the water know that the rivers are in trouble. They question is - what will we do about it. Throughout the Report Card, we have suggested things you can do. Upgrade your septic system, plant some trees, install a living shoreline. These are all things that will make a difference and help the rivers. But we can't do it alone.

Our rivers are influenced by the Chesapeake Bay. And the Bay starts all the way up in New York State. The Susquehanna River drains some of Pennsylvania's heaviest agriculture land. Believe it or not, many of the excess nutrients that end up in West and Rhode Rivers come from the Susquehanna, rather than local sources.

This just means we have to work both locally and regionally to make a difference. There are positive signs afoot. A new Presidential administration, changes at the federal Chesapeake Bay Program, and a growing environmental ethic in the general public point to an opportunity to reverse the decline. It ain't gonna be easy. But we have got to try to turn the rivers - and the Bay - back from the tipping point.
Posted on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:28:12 -0500EST: Finally some snow! If you see any pretty winter scenes on the river or in the watershed, please send them to us. We don't have many pictures of snow in our photo library, so we could use some more. Thanks,

Chris
Posted on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:48:17 -0500EST: Last weekend I went backpacking in Western Maryland. Each winter, I typically go on a 3-day winter backpack trip with a handful of friends. This year, we went to Western MD because we wanted to stay relatively close by, since some of us have new babies or pregnant wives. The route we hiked was through the Savage River State Forest. The most memorable part of the trip was the numerous stream crossings we had to negotiate. It was interesting to see the conditions of the streams. Crystal clear water, little to no erosion, brook trout hiding in a pool - all attributes of a healthy tributary. I couldn't help contrast them with the streams around here. We will be walking the streams of the West River later this month - think we'll see any trout?
Posted on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:29:02 -0500EST: Brrr... it's cold out there. Yesterday, Center for Watershed staff, along with volunteers from W/RR and Advocates for Herring Bay began our West River watershed assessment. We fanned out across the watershed to look for pollution prevention opportunities and potential restoration sites. Besides losing feeling in our fingers and toes, we did a lot of good work. The teams will be out again today.

In other news, some of you may have noticed that the river water has lately appeared especially cloudy (unusual for winter, when the water is usually quite clear.) It is likely the result of an algae bloom. Heterocapsa, a non-toxic winter blooming species, has been sampled in high concentrations lately in the area.

Stay warm out there!
Posted on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:02:59 -0500EST: If you're like me, then you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet. Don't forget that West/Rhode Riverkeeper gear makes a great gift for anyone on your list. You can order merchandise with the W/RR logo on it from the Waterkeeper website. See details on our website at http://www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org/purchases.shtml . You can also bring apparel to Marty's Bag Works in Edgewater and they will embroider your gear with our logo. Happy Holidays!
Posted on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:41:19 -0500EST: Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that my wife and I had our baby last week, so I will be out of the office for a little while, spending some time at home. I will still be checking my email and voice messages, so I will get back to you as soon as I can. If you have any urgent issues, please call our main number 410-867-7171 and Amy, Bob, or Kelly will help you. Thanks!
Posted on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:57:13 -0500EST: Don't forget to vote this year! We are a 501c3 non-profit organization, so we do not endorse candidates. However, I would urge you all to consider each candidate's environmental positions when deciding who will get your vote. Remember, the health of the West and Rhode Rivers is heavily influenced by the Chesapeake Bay and other factors outside our watershed, so state and federal decisions impact our rivers.

Happy voting!
Posted on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:29:19 EDT: Well the Rosy Tosy is gone. Congratulations to Matt Grubbs of Annapolis - out lucky winner! Thanks to everyone who bought a raffle ticket, and special thanks to Alex and Donna Schlegel, who donated the boat to us. Finally giving away Rosy Tosy was kind of like sending a kid away to college. I was proud to see her go, but a little sad at the same time. We had been selling Rosy Tosy raffle tickets since even before I became Riverkeeper. It was a great fundraiser - I wonder what we'll do next...

Remember our next Creekwatchers meeting is Nov 7 at Discovery Village in Shady Side. I hope to see you there!
Posted on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:13:26 EDT: I got a call today about a fish kill from a homeowner on Bear Neck Creek near Holly Hills. When I got there, I was surprised at the scope of the kill. Tens of thousands of dead menhaden were covering the surface of the creek. Dead fish were abundant from the head of the creek (at the new Heron Cove development) all the way down to the mouth of White Marsh Creek. Low dissolved oxygen is likely the cause, perhaps in part due to an algae bloom. This unfortunately highlights again the fact that our waterways are stressed. Too many nutrients, too much runoff, and no underwater grasses. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call to those who doubt that the environment is in trouble. If we want to stop this type of thing from happening again, we are going to need to heavily invest in reducing the nutrient pollution that enter our rivers, and restoring the natural habitat that helps buffer against these conditions. Let's hope this is the last fish kill on our river!
Posted on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:46:38 EDT: Today's high temperature is only supposed to be 71 degrees. This cool, "autumnal" weather has me thinking about fall. Cool temperatures, colorful leaves, apple cider and hay rides. But let's not say goodbye to summer just yet. I hope you will come to Discovery Village on Sept 25 for our End-of-the-Summer Celebration. It's the last night of the year for Free Kayaking. In addition, the RICHARD LEE will be offering the public a chance for a tour of the West River. Tickets to ride the RICHARD LEE will be $10 for adults and $5 for anyone under 18. (Kayaking is still free!) We will also have food and beverage available for purchase. It looks to be a fun night! I hope to see you there.
Posted on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:56:45 EDT: I just got back from vacation in the Outer Banks. I spent most of the time chasing my two-year-old around, but did manage to get a few minutes of relaxing in. The ocean water was the perfect temperature and it was incredibly clear - I could see my feet when the water was up to my neck. I couldn't help but contrast it to the murky water we have grown accustomed to in the West and Rhode Rivers. I hope that one day soon we will see clear water return to our rivers. In the meantime, please do what you can to help - don't fertilize your lawn, do something about your rainwater runoff, and please let me know if you see anyone polluting the rivers.

Summer is almost over - enjoy it while you can!
Posted on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:10:29 EDT: We had our first Free Kayaking Thursday tonight. It was a lot of fun - thanks to all the folks for coming out. About 20 people took advantage of the program this week, and were rewarded with a wonderful evening of kayaking. Not counting the 2o minutes during the severe thunderstorm (don't worry - we got everybody off the water), the weather was beautiful and the water was calm. Ospreys circled and herons squawked while a dozen kayaks paddled in Parrish Creek. It was quite a picturesque scene. First-time kayakers mingled with old pros. We're doing it every Thursday in August and September. I hope you can come out and join us!
Posted on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:42:25 EDT: I road my bike to work today! 21 miles from Annapolis to Shady Side. It took a little over an hour. I noticed that I felt much more connected to the world I was biking past. I could smell the freshly mowed grass and the honeysuckle as I rode past, and I could also hear the forest sounds of cicadas in the trees. The ride actually wasn't bad - there is a bike lane on Route 2, and a shoulder for most of Muddy Creek Rd (although there was one section between Galesville and Sudley Road that had no shoulder - luckily there was very little traffic). Anyway, since it was a success, I plan to bike in periodically. I encourage you all to look at ways you can reduce your driving, too. Biking is good for you and good for our environment.

Chris
Posted on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:57:25 EDT: Last week Bob and I went out on the Rhode River so he could show me around. What a beautiful area! Much of the Rhode shoreline is protected, since it is owned by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). We went up Cadle and Bear Neck Creeks and saw numerous neighborhood beaches and community docks. We also saw a large development under construction. Named "Heron Cove", we could see acres of disturbed earth very close to the shoreline. I'll be keeping an eye on this development to make sure it is in compliance with sediment and erosion control regulations.

If you live on the Mayo peninsula, we would love to have you join West/Rhode Riverkeeper. Please sign up for our newsletter on our website.

See you out on the water,

Chris
Posted on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:58:48 EDT: I started as the new West/Rhode Riverkeeper on July 7. Thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes during my first week on the job. I got out on the water a few times – once for a short patrol and once to take part in the weekly water quality monitoring with our dedicated volunteers. I’m looking forward to exploring all the creeks and coves more and more in the future. The West and Rhode Rivers are great treasures, and I will work hard to protect and restore them. I’ll be working closely with Bob Gallagher, our former Riverkeeper and current Executive Director, to make sure that our organization is focusing on the things that will help improve our water quality most. We will also need your help. Please tell us if you see any violations or if you know any opportunities for restoration. You can find my contact information on the home page of our website. Let me know how I can best serve the West and Rhode Rivers!

See you out on the water,

Chris