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Wade-Ins Evolve Into Popular Community EventsSince retired Maryland State Senator Bernie Fowler challenged Maryland’s Tributary Teams to conduct wade-ins in their watersheds back in 1997, the month of June has unofficially become the “Wade-In Month” across the State of Maryland. Many of the Tributary Teams have embraced the wade-in as their annual public education and outreach event and have strived to make it bigger and better each year. As a result, each watershed’s wade-in is evolving and establishing unique traditions while maintaining the core values of the "Sneaker Index". Whatever the day and whichever the watershed, all of these wade-ins can be described by the word "fun". 2008 Wade In Schedule Lower Eastern Shore Where: Cherry Beach in Sharpton, MD Sponsoring: Nanticoke Watershed Alliance Who: Open to the Public When: June 10 th, Time: 1pm – 4pm Contact: Mike Bilek 410-260-8988; mbilek@dnr.state.md.us This event was held at Cherry Beach Park in Sharptown. About 20 of the 35 attendees (including a dog) joined our official human secchi disk Mr. Steele Phillips, as we waded to a depth of 26 inches before we lost sight of our white sneakers… a grilled lunch was served before the wade in and a few exhibits brightened the Cherry Beach pavilion. Thanks to Dave Nemazie for representing the Governor’s Bay Cabinet, and to team chair EB James of the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance for arranging for the river clean up prior to the event. Choptank Team & Oxford Cardboard Boat Race/ Wade In Where: On the Strand in Oxford Who: Open to the Public When: June 21st @ 11:30am- 4pm Officials and Electeds: invited Contact: Mike Bilek 410-260-8988; mbilek@dnr.state.md.us What would one expect at the Choptank Wade In in Oxford, where dogs and politicians outnumbered the other Wade In participants 2 to 1. Again this year, water quality was the opening act for the Cardboard Boat races (a fundraiser for Maryland Special Olympics) and the Wade In depth was measured at 34 inches, by our local Delegate Addie Eckhardt. The team is grateful to have an audience of more than 300 people to which to give a brief water quality message. Upper Eastern Shore: Annual Wade In Where: CBEC 600 Discovery Lane, Grasonville Who: Everyone When: June 7, 2008 @ 10am – 2pm Contact: Mike Bilek 410-260-8988 mbilek@dnr.state.md.us An estimated 250 people were on hand at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Center to participate in the 10th annual wade-in and environmental fair. Available to the participants were kayaking and canoeing, trail hikes, owl photography, children’s programs, Blue Grass music, and Bay artisan exhibits. The Upper Eastern Shore Tributary Team along with MDDNR and other watershed groups had educational booths set up to teach visitors about the Bay’s wildlife and how they can help to improve Bay health. Several local officials and politicians were in attendance including State Delegate Richard Sossi who gave speech emphasizing the importance of taking care of the Chesapeake and what it means to Maryland’s citizens. Upper Western Shore: Wade In Where: Anita C. Leight Estuary Center Who: Everyone is welcome; Local Elected Officials have been invited. Hosted by the Upper Western Shore Tributary Team & Anita Leight Estuary Center. When: June 7th 2PM – 5PM Contact: Catherine Shanks @ 410-260-8717 About 150 people attended the wade-in event throughout the day including Delegate Dan Riley. The program was co sponsored with the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center and the Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Research Reserve. A number of hands on activities were available for children and adults including seining and fish ID, face painting, use of water monitoring equipment and tools, and demonstration of carving water birds and duck decoys. Home-made ice cream was provided fresh from the dairy by team member Bill Kilby. Rupert Rossetti, Team Chair, lead the group into the water to a depth of 22 inches up significant from previous years. Patapsco/Back: Wade In & Benefit Swim across the Patapsco Where: Rocky Point Beach & Park, 2200 Rocky Point Rd., Baltimore, MD Who: Everyone is invited When: May 18th , 10 AM- 2 PM Contact: Christopher Aadland 410-260-8736 caadland@dnr.state.md.us Approximately 20 people turned out on a rainy day to support Joe Stewart’s benefit swim in support of the Herring Run Watershed Association. Joe swam for 3 hours and 15 minutes from Rocky Point out to and around the Craighill Channel Buoy to raise $2,400 for HRWA. On hand for the wade-in was former Maryland Senator Bernie Fowler and his wife, MDE Secretary Shari Wilson, MD Delegate John A. Olszewski, Jr., representatives from the offices of US Senator Ben Cardin and Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon, members from various watershed organizations, DNR, Patapsco/ Back Trib Team and the public. Lower Western Shore: Magothy River Where: Dobbins Island, boat raft up and wade in Who: Public is invited When: June 14, 2008 Officials and Electeds: Capt. John Smith Contact: Claudia Donegan 410-260-8768 cdonegan@dnr.state.md.us This event had over 200 boats. The main focus was a re-enactment of Capt. John Smith landing on Dobbins Island - proclaiming this area as a national recreation area. Paul Spadaro played CJS - he is the president of the Magothy River Assn. There was a band set up on a large yacht -- amidst a raft up of boats. Two papers covered the event. About 35 or so people met on a sand bar on the west side of the island and waded in to the depth of 17 inches. Lower Western Shore (LWS) & South River Federation: Sojourn and Wade In Where: Hillsmere Beach Who: LWS / South River Federation (SRF) When: May 31st ; Time: 9:30am Sojourn / 12:30 Wade In Officials and Electeds: SRF invites local electeds Contact: Cindy Wallace – 410-268-8816 This event was attended by 80 people. A large flotilla of kayakers paddled for 2 hours into Harness Creek - returning Hillsmere Beach for a picnic lunch provided by the LWS Trib Team and Wade In. Lower Western Shore: Annapolis Creeks Where: Truxtun Park Beach, Weems, College, Spa, Back Creeks Who: LWS / Severn River Ass. / City of Annapolis, all are invited. Officials and Electeds: Mayor of Annapolis, City Council members When: June 7th @ 9am Contact: Claudia Donegan 410-260-8768 cdonegan@dnr.state.md.us The Spa Creek Conservancy / LWS Trib Team and the Severn River Association met on the shores of Spa Creek at 9 AM to wade in -- this event featured fish seining demonstration by a DNR stream ecologist -- and a discussion about the living resources in the river. The Wade in was conducted to 41 inches. A secci disk was used as well. Participants traveled to the neighboring creek to wade in with the Mayor of Annapolis at Back Creek at 10:30 AM. At both sites DNR staff address the public on the importance of water clarity and the history of Wade Ins. Wade in results for the City of Annapolis: Weems 38", College Creek 20", Spa Creek 41", Back Creek 43". Lower Western Shore: Rhode / West River Kayak Where: SREC Who: Public / Riverkeeper program staff and members Officials and Electeds: yes When: May 17th ; Time:12:30 Contact: Amy Colhoun, Amy@westrhoderiverkeeper.org This event was attended by several hundred people. John Griffin and Ginger Ellis (Chair of the Lower Western Shore Team) led the group in this wade In to the depth of 16”. Early in the day a kayak race to the wade in site was sponsored by the Rhode/ West River Keeper -- leaving Parrish Creek. Patuxent River: Annual Wade In Where: Brooms Island Who: Former Senator Bernie Fowler / Public Invited Officials and Electeds: invited When: June 8th @1pm to 3:30pm Contact: Claudia Donegan 410-260-8768; cdonegan@dnr.state.md.us This 19th annual event was held at the end of Brooms Island on private property - friends of Bernie Fowler -- many high raking elected officials like Sen. Steny Hoyer -- and 3 state cabinet secretaries attended. The group waded in to 27”. There was music, speeches and a catered lunch for all. Lower Potomac: Annual Wade In Where: Morgantown Generating Station in Newburg, MD (Charles Co) Sponsoring: Mirant Mid Atlantic Who: Open to Public When: June 22nd , 1 PM – 5:00 PM. Contact: Mike Bilek 410-260-8988; mbilek@dnr.state.md.us A most beautiful point of land within the Morgantown power plant is the home of the Lower Potomac’s wade in for the past ten years. Over 70 Team members and visitors were treated to a raptor show by the NCP&P naturalist, a touch tank containing two sturgeon from the Mirant Sturgeon Nursery program and over ten exhibitors from local and regional watershed organizations. After a grilled lunch, Boy Scout Troop 410 raised the colors, and team members waded into the Potomac to a depth of 26 inches. Lower Potomac: Piney Point Lighthouse Festival Where: Piney Point, MD (St. Mary’s County) Sponsoring: Piney Point Lighthouse Museum Who: Everyone invited, this is a ‘kid friendly event’. When: May 10th , 10 AM – 4 PM ; 2:30 Wading In Contact: Mike Bilek 410-260-8988; mbilek@dnr.state.md.us Only our second year at this event, the Lower Potomac trib team was pleased with the interest in water quality from the several hundred festival attendees coming to tour the lighthouse, and buy arts and crafts from local artisans. Team members and St. Mary’s county commissioners joined about a dozen kids to wade into the Potomac at Piney Point. Most of the kids had to return to shore early because we waded in to a depth of just shy of FIVE FEET!! (to be certain, I personally checked it later with a secchi disk) Middle Potomac and Upper Potomac Canoe Trip Where: Paddle the Potomac Mainstem or the Monocracy River Who: Everyone Invited When: May 17th Contact: MP: Claudia Donegan 410-260-8768 cdonegan@dnr.state.md.us UP: Patty Larson 410-260-8736 plarson@dnr.state.md.us This trip was cancelled due to high water. Meetings & Locations Choptank Trib Team 2nd Thursday of Month 7pm to 9pm. Call 410-268-8988 for location. Lower Eastern Shore Trib Team Last Thursday of Month 2:30pm @ Greater Salisbury Building, 200 W. Main St. Salisbury, MD 21801. Lower Potomac Trib Team 4th Monday of Month 5:30pm @ St. Mary’s Co. Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, 29449 Charlotte Hall Rd. Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Patapsco/Back Trib Team 2nd Thursday of Month @ Maryland Dept. of Environment 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21230 at 6pm. Upper Eastern Shore Trib Team 2nd Monday of Month @ 6pm, call 410-260-8768 for location. Upper Potomac Trib Team 4th Wednesday of month @ 5pm, call 410-260-8768 for location. Upper Western Shore Trib Team Last Monday of month @ 5:30pm, call 410-260-8736 for location Lower Western Shore Trib Team Third Thursday of Month, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Laurel, MD. Call 410-260-8768 for time. Patuxent River Commission 2nd Wednesday of Month, call 410-260-8768 for times and locations. Middle Potomac Trib Team 1st Wednesday of Month, @ MD DNR C-1 Conference Room, call 410-260-8768 for time. Maryland Tributary Strategies Draft Implementation PlanThe public comment period on the Draft Tributary Strategies Implementation Plan ended on June 2, 2006. A compilation of the comments received can be viewed at the following link: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/tribstrat/commentmatrix-6-23-06.pdf (Adobe Acrobat file 1.9MB - To get the free Acrobat Reader go to Adobe.com). The comments are currently being reviewed by the Bay Cabinet Agencies and the draft plan will revised accordingly. A final plan is expected to be released in the Fall, however this is a dynamic plan, that will be updated regularly as new resources are generated and programs and polices are enacted that will continue to increase the implementation of Maryland Bay clean up plan, or Tributary Strategy. View the Tributary Strategy, the draft implementation plan and an executive summary here. From Our Backyard to the Bay The Middle Potomac Tributary Teams with generous funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Businesses for the Bay, and Montgomery County conducted a full day Urban Nutrient Management Forum called From Our Backyard to the Bay. Conference organizers invited speakers from as far away as Minnesota and Wisconsin to tell Marylanders how they tackled the issue of nutrient pollution in lakes and streams caused by urban fertilizer applications. To view all conference presentations visit http://www.mawaterquality.org/themes/relm/backyardstothebay/forum.htm For more information or to get a copy of Forum findings please contact Claudia Donegan at (410) 260-8767 or cdonegan@dnr.state.md.us Maryland Tributary Strategies Basin Summaries Basin Summaries are the products of workshops that brought together scientific and technical experts to review monitoring results and identify possible management actions to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. The basin summaries include information on land use, nutrient and sediment sources and loadings, nutrient and sediment concentrations, submerged aquatic vegetation, benthic community condition, and information on nutrient limitation...LEARN MORE! Maryland Tributary
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