chesapeake bay

the chesapeake bay received a D+ in environmental quality from the university of maryland's center for environmental science. sad news...there are so many simple things that each one of us can do to help this national treasure during these difficult times.

the cause of the problem

we are the cause of all the problems in the chesapeake bay and beyond, so do your part to help this time. here are (10) important things you can do to help restore the bay.

1. Fertilize Wisely

As you are making your spring gardening “to-do” list eliminate fertilizing your lawn. Fall is a better time to apply fertilizers as the rainy Spring season can cause run-off of excess nitrogen and phosphorous into storm drains and creeks, thus adding to the Bay’s woes. Before you even think of fertilizing have a soil test performed (every 3-5 years) to give yourself a more accurate picture of your gardens needs. Over fertilizing can not only damage the Bay, but can cause extra salts in your soil, affect winter plant hardiness and expand pest problems.

2. Control storm water run-off

Fertilizers and pesticides along with soil and other debris are deposited into storm drains which lead to local streams, rivers, reservoirs and the Bay. Reducing run off from your property can minimize the amount of substances entering the waterways and worsening water quality as well as damaging living organisms and their habitats.

3. Conserve Water

If you are not into xeriscaping, use plants adapted to our region which will tolerate periods of drought. Group thirsty plants together so periodic watering can be minimized. Collect rain water for watering planters and pots.

4. Mulch appropriately

Organic mulch layers should be 2-3 inches deep to help retain soil moisture, thus reducing the amount of watering needed, as well as preventing weeds and soil erosion. Mulching deeper than 3 inches could prevent water from filtering down to plant roots.

5. Recycle!

Mow fallen leaves and needles and use them as a mulch alternative or add to compost bins. Start a composter in a large plastic trash can with wheels and a clamping lid: drill with air holes, add leaves, yard trim, kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, shredded newspaper. Secure the lid with a bungee cord. Roll can once a week a few turns and you will have a wonderful compost in about 8 weeks.

6. Use IPM methods to manage yard pests

Get out in your garden and observe what is going on! Hand pick harmful pests and hand pull invasive weeds rather than applying pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Plant wisely by selecting resistant varieties of your favorite plants to reduce pests and disease. Remove diseased plants and their debris to prevent spread from one season to the next. Attract beneficial insects to your garden and use environmentally friendly pesticides such as horticultural oils and soaps only as a last resort.

7. Reduce Household Hazardous Waste

There are many less toxic alternatives to commercial household chemicals. Both white vinegar and baking soda can be used separately and in combination to accomplish a myriad of household cleaning tasks; check the web or Fact Sheet s “Alternatives for Household Products-Helpful Hazardous Waste Reduction Hints.

Don't use toxins or high nitrogen products such as kitty litter to melt this year’s snow and ice.

8. Be responsible with your Pet’s Waste

Dog poop is the #1 polluter of the urban streams feeding into Rock Creek Park and other tributaries which feed into the Chesapeake. Please pick up your pet’s waste every time and either expel it through your household toilet (recommended) or deposit in your household trash for transfer to our local landfill.

9. Conserve Energy

Drive less not only to save money, but also to prevent fossil fuels from depositing pollutants directly into the Chesapeake Bay as well as on to the land where they can be washed into it’s watershed.

Fall and winter are wonderful times to plant: work trees into your planting plan where they can help reduce household energy consumption. Deciduous trees planted on the south and southwest side of your house will shade you from the summer sun, while allowing the winter rays to come through with warmth. Evergreen trees planted on the northwest side of the house will shelter you from harsh winter winds.

10. Make your Yard a Bayscape!

A Bayscape garden is the best thing we can do for our Bay. For more information on gradually transforming your yard into a Bay Wise garden, contact the Home and Garden Information Center for the Bay Wise Maryland Yardstick to see how your garden measures up!

fishing report

the weekend fishing report from the chesapeake bay appears to be good! the wife grilled rockfish filets with olive oil, salt and pepper: delicious!

seafood

this is the last weekend to participate in the maryland sea food dine out festival. participating restaurants are located from philadelphia to northern virginia: if you dont catch your own, take a ride...

rock fish

although the river is still muddy and warm (about 70°) from september rains, the cooler weather has brought the fish back!

hot day on the bay

ridiculously hot in the shade with

crazy storms rolling through...no fishing today.

coal burning power plants

doesnt matter how cold it gets: clean burning coal powers through...killing the bay.

chesapeake bay clean up conference

the baltimore sun reports The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to enact new rules to curb pollution from development and large-scale animal farms to help restore the Chesapeake Bay, the agency's chief announced today. EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson said the rules governing storm water and farm animal waste would serve as a "backstop" to pollution control measures that Maryland and other bay states are expected to take over the next two years. She made the announcement in Washington at a bay cleanup conference that ends Tuesday.

While the storm-water rules would apply nationwide to new development, Jackson said the agency would consider writing even more stringent requirements for the six-state bay watershed because storm water is a significant and growing source of pollution fouling the estuary's waters. EPA will weigh imposing new mandates to reduce storm water in existing communities and on redevelopment projects as well as new construction, Jackson said.

EPA already regulates waste handling at hundreds of large-scale chicken and animal farms in the bay watershed. Jackson said the agency may expand its oversight to smaller farms and demand even more stringent controls of polluted runoff from them. But the agency will hold off on imposing those rules, she said, as long as states enact equivalent measures to reduce farm pollution.

The storm-water rules are expected to take two years to draw up, and the animal-farm requirements three years. The time lag bothers environmentalists, who otherwise hailed the agency's move to expand federal regulation. "The bay needs immediate attention," said William Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Jackson noted that EPA may well act sooner. The states have to submit draft plans by this summer for reducing bay pollution, and then must spell out by the fall what they intend to do to meet their cleanup goals. EPA has warned it may impose sanctions on the states, including possibly blocking permits or diverting federal funds, if they fall short.

how to cleanup the chesapeake bay

the environmental protection agency's draft on how to clean up the chesapeake bay (this time) is due this week. sediment samples from the 180-mile long estuary are being analyzed to pinpoint dead zones and help determine where actions need to be taken first. above is a photo of the vessel rachel carson carrying out research for the project by locating dead sediments, which are basically mud with little or no oxygen. Clams and worms and microscopic plants at the bottom of the food chain — down in the mud — need that oxygen and it isn't there. in oxygen's place is extra nitrogen and phosphorous, mostly from sewage, cars and fertilizer. The nitrogen and phosphorous act as food for algae, which eat them and grow into huge floating blooms. oxygen is removed from the water when the algae die and decompose: that's deadly.

read more or watch the video here.

who is merck sleeping with at the virginia water board?

earlier this year, the virginia state water board voted in favor of allowing merck pharmaceutical company to discharge 29,216 more pounds of nitrogen and 3,288 more pounds of phosphorus each year into the South Fork of the Shenandoah River than allowed by law. the shenandoah-potomac river basin is already the source of 25% of the chesapeake bay's nitrogen pollution, amounting to more than 300,00 pounds more than scientists say it can handle. i thought we were going to try to clean up the bay? i guess the watermen and the businesses along the bay that contribute billions of dollars so vital to virginia's economy and prestige are more responsible for its upkeep than a large company up-river. or maybe they prefer litigation to doing the right thing.

chesapeake bay skipkack

this is a photo of the chesapeake bay foundation's skipjack stanley norman, built in 1902 for dredging oysters, currently used as a floating classroom for kids. adults can sail away on another one of the cbf's skipjacks this september and october.

who should worry about sea-level rise?

you can visibly see something going on in the chesapeake bay:

sea-level rise is what it is, caused by global warming.

who is most vulnerable?

you can read the article in hometownannapolis.com to get the details, but if you had any impact during isabelle or ernesto, you may be in trouble!

not cool!

DC Bans Use of Coal-Tar Pavement Products Containing Toxic PAHs

i just read this on chesapeake bay news, posted 9 hours ago and decided the entire article was worth reprinting: it is that important, because everybody does it. please reconsider the alternatives.

july 2009 -- Washington, D.C., has banned the use and sale of coal-tar pavement products to curb the flow of a toxic chemical contaminant calledpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

Coal-tar pavement sealers, which are commonly used to seal asphalt driveways and parking lots, are a major source of PAHs. The dust from parking lots sealed with coal tar has more than three times the concentration of PAHs as undiluted used motor oil, which is considered a leading source of PAHs. Other sources include auto exhaust, tire particles and broken-up asphalt.

A recent scientific study by the U.S. Geological Survey showed that PAH concentrations in dust from parking lots sealed with coal-tar products are about 80 times higher than in dust from unsealed parking lots. In D.C., rain washes these toxic PAHs from coal-tar sealant off paved surfaces and into the streams and creeks that flow to the Anacostia River, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Research suggests that total PAH loads washed off parking lots could be reduced by as much as 90 percent if parking lots were left unsealed.

PAHs have been shown to cause cancerous tumors in animals, even in single doses. Non-cancerous health effects can include immune system suppression and red blood cell damage. In fish and invertebrates, adverse health effects have included cataracts, fin erosion, liver and reproductive abnormalities, and even death.

In the Anacostia River, scientists have discovered high rates of PAH-related lesions and tumors on bottom-dwelling fish. In one Fish and Wildlife Service study, 50 to 60 percent of tumors. Tests suggested that PAH exposure was likely responsible for the tumors.

“It’s rare that we have a chance to knock out this kind of pollution in one fell swoop,” said George S. Hawkins, director of the D.C. Department of the Environment. “Now that we’ve discovered what’s in coal tar and what it does, we have a rare opportunity to protect our waterways relatively easily.”

The coal-tar pavement product ban took effect on July 1. Learn more about the ban at the District of Columbia’s website.