Blue Water Baltimore

TO RESTORE THE QUALITY OF BALTIMORE'S RIVERS, STREAMS AND HARBOR.

NURSERY BLUE WATER BALTIMORE'S HERRING RUN NURSERY GROWS PLANTS, TREES AND SHRUBS NATIVE TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED. THESE PLANTS ARE USED IN RESTORATION PROJECTS, AND SOLD TO RESIDENTS AND WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. SPECIALTIES OF OUR LANDSCAPING PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDE DESIGNING AND INSTALLING RAIN GARDENS AND LOW MAINTENANCE NATIVE LANDSCAPES TO REDUCE STORM RUNOFF. BLUE WATER BALTIMORE'S HERRING RUN NURSERY GROWS PLANTS, TREES AND SHRUBS NATIVE TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED. THESE PLANTS ARE USED IN RESTORATION PROJECTS AND SOLD TO BOTH RESIDENTS AND WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. IN 2021, WE WORKED WITH 38 DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO COLLECTIVELY GAVE 750 HOURS OF TIME TO SELL 32,431 NATIVE PLANTS.

WATERSHED RESTORATIONBLUE WATER BALTIMORE'S STORMWATER REDUCTION EFFORTS AIM TO REDUCE THE VOLUME OF RAIN WATER RUNOFF, OR STORMWATER, FLOWING INTO STORM DRAINS AND STREAMS FROM INSTITUTIONAL PROPERTIES, AND IS AN OVERALL EFFORT TO REDUCE FLOODING IN STREAMS, TO REDUCE NUTRIENT, SEDIMENT AND OTHER POLLUTION FROM ENTERING LOCAL STREAMS AND ULTIMATELY THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.IN 2021, WE WORKED WITH MORE THAN 20 PARTNERS INCLUDING CONGREGATIONS, SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND HOSPITALS TO PLAN AND CONSTRUCT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT REDUCE AND FILTER STORMWATER RUNOFF. WE MANAGED THE INSTALLATION OF 1 RAIN GARDEN SYSTEM, INSTALLED RAINWATER HARVESTING CISTERNS AND CONSERVATION LANDSCAPING PROJECTS THAT TREAT 0.84 ACRES OF OUR WATERSHED.

GREENINGWE PLANTED OVER 1,025 TREES IN PARKS, SCHOOLS, RESIDENTS AND ALONG NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS AND ALSO GAVE AWAY OVER 959 TREES TO BE PLANTED IN YARDS WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY. OUR STREET TREE PROGRAM ALSO CUT NEW STREET TREE BEDS AND REMOVED 11,000 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IN 3 BALTIMORE CITY NEIGHBORHOODS.

BLUE WATER BALTIMORE MAINTAINS A RIGOROUS LONG-TERM WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM IN BALTIMORE'S STREAMS, RIVERS, AND HARBOR IN ORDER TO CHARACTERIZE THE HEALTH OF OUR LOCAL WATERWAYS, HOLD POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE, AND ADVOCATE FOR STRONGER LAWS FOR CLEAN WATER. IN 2021, WE COLLECTED THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS OF WATER HEALTH WHICH WE USED TO DEVELOP REGIONAL WATER QUALITY SCORES FOR OUR ANNUAL REPORT CARD. THE REPORT CARD WAS ISSUED BOTH DIGITALLY AND IN PRINT FORMAT. ALL OF OUR DATA AND THE ANALYSES WE GENERATE ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT BALTIMOREWATERWATCH.ORG. OUR DATA-MAPPING WEBSITE IS AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS THAT HELPS THEM MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT HOW AND WHEN THEY CAN SAFELY FISH, PADDLE, AND WADE IN OUR LOCAL WATERWAYS. OUR WATERKEEPER TEAM RECEIVED AND RESPONDED TO 97 POLLUTION REPORTS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL, OUR POLLUTION REPORTING HOTLINE, AND OUR ONLINE POLLUTION REPORTING TOOL. THESE REPORTS RANGED FROM ISSUES SUCH AS EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL VIOLATIONS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES, TO SEWAGE OVERFLOWS AND WATER MAIN BREAKS.IN 2021 WE DETECTED HIGH BACTERIA LEVELS IN THE RIVER NEAR THE PATAPSCO WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT (WWTP) AND REPORTED OUR CONCERNS TO THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (MDE). BASED UPON FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED BY MDE AND DISCHARGE MONITORING REPORTS SUBMITTED BY BALTIMORE CITY, WE SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT A FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT LAWSUIT AGAINST BALTIMORE CITY FOR SIGNIFICANT PERMIT VIOLATIONS AT BOTH THE PATAPSCO AND BACK RIVER WWTPS. THIS IS AN ACTIVE MATTER THAT WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE.