Wade-Ins Evolve Into Popular
Community Events

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."

The wade-ins have varying flavors and purposes. The Upper Western Shore Tributary Team and the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, for example, consider the wade-in to be their major public education and outreach event for the year. The Patuxent River Wade-In is characterized as a “family reunion,” where Bernie Fowler himself joins team members and other politicians to put the river to his test.

Many of the wade-ins include a combination of exhibits and activities that educate and engage participants in their local watershed. The Lower Potomac Team held their wade-in at Mirant’s Morgantown Power Plant. The team, who has planted over 1 million oyster spat at past wade-ins, did a token planting this year until more spat becomes available. A variety of exhibitors were on hand for the more than 65 attendees, including the Audubon Society, The Wicomico Scenic River Association, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Scales and Tales.

Partnerships and sponsorships make many of the wade-ins and their associated activities possible. Through partners and sponsors, the Upper Eastern Shore Teams held a wade-in T-shirt design contest this year. Designs for the contest were submitted from all over the watershed. The resulting shirts will help increase the awareness of the wade-in and the Tributary Team and serve as reminders for next year’s event.

Some wade-ins are held in conjunction with other watershed events. The Choptank Tributary Team has held their wade-in in conjunction with the Boat Bums International Cardboard Boat Race to benefit the Maryland Special Olympics. Team members and local elected officials conduct the wade-in prior to the cardboard boat races in front of some 300 spectators. For the past 4 years, team members and elected officials have participated in the cardboard boat race and plan to make this an annual tradition.

Elected officials are becoming regular, active participants in many of the wade-ins. The participation and endorsement of these elected officials in the wade-ins helps draw the public and media to the event and raises the level of awareness about the event and the teams. Elected official participation in the event began 15 year ago when retired Maryland Sate Senator Bernie Fowler initiated the Patuxent River Wade-In. This year, Bernie was joined by Governor Ehrlich and Senator Mikulski, in addition to many other participants and members of the Patuxent River Commission.

Some Tributary Teams have creatively adapted the wade-in to suit their watershed. The Patapsco/Back Tributary Team, for example, has conducted a Secchi Dip-In to accommodate the event’s urban location. On the same day, watershed organizations take Secchi readings throughout the Patapsco/Back watershed. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works analyzes and maps these data every year The dip-in was held this year in conjunction with the team’s first ever Wade-In into the Patapsco River at Venice on the Beach. Their Wade In was the finish line for Joe Stewarts 3rd Annual Patapsco River Benefit Swim, which he does to raise awareness and money to support the continuing effort to clean up the Patapsco River. This year Congressmen Wayne Gilchrest & Congressmen Ben Cardin addressed more than 50 participants including Senator Philip Jimeno, Delegate Joan Cadden and Anne Arundel County Councilman Ronald Dillon praising all the hard work the volunteers have done to restore and protect the Patapsco.

Local Wade-ins are starting to catch on. The Lower Western Shore Team now partners to conduct four Wade-Ins to expand local support. A wade in co-sponsored by the South River Federation was the culminating event after a morning paddle, attended by some 40 kayakers including US Congressman Ben Cardin. The team also partnered with the City of Annapolis for a very soggy event led by Mayor Ellen Moyer, and the Second Annual Magothy River Day featured a wade-in as part of a community grass planting off of Sylvan View Beach. The fourth wade in, traditionally held in Herring Bay, set the all-time wade-in record with 50 inches of depth recorded!!

There is no doubt that the wade-in word is gaining in popularity and prestige. Other organizations, groups, and states are starting to hold wade-ins of their own. Only a few years ago, when you said the word “wade-in” people would give you a quizzical look. Today, more and more people know what you are talking about and can tell you what they saw, what they learned, and how wet they got at the wade-in in their watershed. Perhaps wade-ins will become so popular and commonplace that one day the word “wade-in” will be included in the Webster’s Dictionary with an attribution to Senator Bernie Fowler, of course.

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