HOLD THE DATE

13th Annual Meeting
Maryland's Tributary Strategy Teams
Saturday, February 7th, 2009
Maryland Department of the Environment
(Montgomery Park)
Baltimore, MD

Registration coming soon!

Since 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

6/10/2008 -- 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

6/21/2008 -- 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

6/7/2008 -- An estimated 250 people were on hand at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Center to participate in the 10^th 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

6/7/2008 -- 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

5/18/2008 -- 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

6/14/2008 -- 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

5/31/2008 -- 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

6/7/2008 -- 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

5/17/2008 -- 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

6/8/2008 -- This 19^th 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

6/22/208 -- 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

5/10/2008 -- 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)

The Chesapeake Bay Program
The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners include the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; and participating citizen advisory groups. On the web at http://www.chesapeakebay.net

Baywide Tributary Strategies and the Chesapeake Bay Program
The Chesapeake 2000 Agreement commits the Bay watershed partners to "complete a public process to develop and begin implementation of revised Tributary Strategies to achieve and maintain the assigned loading goals." Learn more about baywide tributary strategies on the web at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/wqctributarytech.htm. Learn more about Maryland Strategies on the web at: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/wqctributarymd.htm