West and Rhode Riverkeeper

by Rick Leader, Executive Director of Scenic Rivers Land Trust

Land preservation offers families an opportunity to protect the lands they cherish.  Few people want to see their properties further developed, but financial challenges may force their hand.  Some have a general inclination toward land preservation, but they want a strong financial incentive to give up their development rights.  The preservation of forests and other open spaces is critical to the health of our rivers and our quality of life in Anne Arundel County.

Scenic Rivers Land Trust (SRLT) has been preserving land in Anne Arundel County since 1988. SRLT works closely with willing landowners who want to voluntarily restrict further development of their properties through land preservation agreements known as easements.

An easement is a binding agreement that forever limits the development of a property according to very specific guidelines.  It can remove all development rights, or allow room for limited expansion of an existing house or possibly the addition of a new structure.  An easement is permanent; it forever conveys with the property deed.

Along with the personal goal of protecting in perpetuity a property they value, landowners can realize several financial incentives for placing an easement on their property.  Easements can significantly reduce estate taxes, making it easier to keep land in the family.  Anne Arundel County waives a portion of annual property taxes on eased properties.  Easements that meet specific IRS requirements may result in large income tax deductions.  In rare cases, funding becomes available to purchase easements.

SRLT holds and manages easements on 52 properties in Anne Arundel County, protecting over 2,500 acres.  The organization has just released a draft expansion and fundraising plan that would double the number of acres protected by 2015.  To learn more, contact SRLT Executive Director Rick Leader at Rick@SRLT.org or 410-310-6541 and visit the SRLT web site at www.srlt.org.

by Amy Colhoun 

The Two Rivers Harvest Auction was held on October 20^th at the Galesville Hall.  The event brought friends and supporters to the hall for an evening of great food, music and auction bidding on a wide variety of items graciously donated to help us raise critical funds to continue our work to protect, preserve, restore and celebrate the West and Rhode Rivers!

Complimenting the evening’s auction bidding was music by the Rob Levit Trio of Annapolis.  Whole Foods of Annapolis and Whitman’s Catering provided the food.  Oysters were shucked and served from waterman, Pat Mahoney, of Wild Country Seafood of Annapolis.  The wine was provided compliments of Ciminelli’s Landscape.

Matt Ciminelli, Ciminelli’s Landscape, a top level Event Sponsor, addressed the crowd and reminded guests of the importance that a local watershed has on a community and he thanked W/RR for their stewardship on so many important issues.

Check out more photos from the event HERE.

We could not have had a successful event without all the hard work of our entire auction planning committee and every single dedicated volunteer. Many hours were spent preparing for the big night and everyone came together to make it a very successful event!  We want to thank each and every sponsor, donor, volunteer and attendee who made the event such a success!

Two Rivers Harvest Auction - Event Sponsors:

Ciminelli’s Landscape

Shorehouse Gardens

Cumberstone Craftsmen

West River Improvement Association

Whole Foods Annapolis

Honey’s Harvest

by Joe Ports

Autumn is a time of change. Leaves change from lively greens to brilliant reds, temperatures change from stifling hot to cool and crisp, and wildlife changes from the usual Osprey and Mallard ducks to Bald Eagles and migratory ducks of all species.  All these changes are expected, but this November we had some unlikely visitors.  The weekend of November 10^th, Brown Pelicans decided to come up from their usual homes in southern Maryland and Virginia to visit the piers and pound nets of the West River.  They were even spotted as far north as the Severn River.  This area is much farther north than Brown Pelican’s usual territory, which in recent years has been around Solomon’s Island.

Brown Pelicans migrate up from the Gulf of Mexico in the spring to nest on small, isolated coastal islands along the eastern seaboard with the southern Chesapeake Bay being just about the last stop on their journey.  After their young have hatched and feasted on the fish that the Bay has to offer, Pelicans fly back down south in the fall of the year.  Our guests may have been blown up by Superstorm Sandy to end up this far north when they should be heading south. 

Photo by Linda Lawrence

Though visits like this are a rare occurrence now, they may become a bit more common in coming years.  Pelicans were placed on the endangered species list in 1970 but have made an astounding come back thanks to the ending of hunting the birds and the United States banning DDT in 1972.  The first nesting colony was found in Maryland in 1998 on Spring Island very close to the Virginia line and they have been moving north ever since.  So with a warming climate and this robust population growth Pelicans could become regular spring visitors to these parts of the Chesapeake.

by Chris Trumbauer

The Maryland General Assembly session is fast approaching. Each year, West/Rhode Riverkeeper plays a key role in helping to shape the environmental community’s agenda.

This year, we are participating in two important coalitions. The first is Smart on Pesticides. This coalition of environmental groups, farmers, and health care professionals is seeking legislation to track the application of toxic pesticides in Maryland. The legislation would require pesticide applicators as well as sellers of restricted use pesticides to report the information they are already required to maintain. That way, research scientists and environmental/public health experts will have data they can use to determine if and when pesticides are affecting our health, our waters, and homeland security.

Also, we will once again be a leader in the Clean Water Healthy Families coalition. This year, CWHF will be advocating for repairing some “loopholes” within the stormwater bill (HB987) that passed last year, statewide legislation promoting a disposable bag policy, and general defense of the important environmental initiatives that were passed last year.

Members of West/Rhode Riverkeeper did an excellent job of responding to our “action alerts” this year. Grassroots support and constituent contact to key legislators made the difference in passing critical environmental legislation. I hope we can count on you again this Spring! 

*** To get to the 2013 article about Dredging in John's and Norman's Creek Please Click Here,

Sorry for the Inconvenience***

by Will Saffell

Native Meadow project to Begin at Carrie Weedon Science Center

West/Rhode Riverkeeper is excited to announce a new project with the Carrie Weedon Science Center (CWSC) in Galesville. CWSC is an educational institute that hosts field trips for local schools with a focus on teaching students about science through hands on activities. This project will be the creation of a sizable native meadow on the grounds of the education center.  The construction of a native meadow is a particularly interesting project because it encompasses a number of environmental benefits ranging from Conservation Landscaping to education. Furthermore, it promotes an increasingly rare ecosystem in Maryland and will create habitat for a multitude of native species.  

Example of a native meadow

The land that will be used for this project was formally an old basketball court that has since been removed. The project will reduce the amount of impervious surfaces on the property and its contribution to stormwater runoff. The CWSC had the option of converting this space into additional turf, which has little habitat value and can be a potential source for fertilizer use. These fertilizers could add to the existing excess nutrient issues in the Bay's waters.  However, instead of installing the customary turf, CWSC decided to go a less traditional route and transform the area into a project that will have both wildlife value and be used as an educational tool for students.

 A diverse list of native plant species will be planted, which will in time attract important pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Other insects will follow along with songbirds and small mammals. The meadow will shortly become a dynamic and busy habitat exploding with life. Additionally, the list of plant species to be used has been carefully selected so that the meadow is blooming throughout the growing season. You will be able to watch the meadow transform over the course of the year as different species pass in and out of their blooming periods, painting the meadow from yellows to blues to pinks to purples. As the years go by, the meadow will mature. Some short lived and fast growing species will become less abundant as the longer lived species establish themselves. The species composition will continue to evolve and shift over the years, resulting in a dynamic habitat that is easy and fascinating to observe. Much more interesting than a standard turf lawn!

An example of conservation landscaping
 (photo from Chesapeake Bay Journal)

The creation of meadows in community settings and private properties is not a new one. It is part of a concept known as Conservation Landscaping. This technique aims to reduce fertilizers, fuel, pesticides, and water use while at the same time increasing habitat, water infiltration, native plants, water quality, and species diversity.  Essentially it offers alternatives to the traditional turf lawn that are aesthetically pleasing and have environmental benefits. Other examples of Conservation Landscaping are rain gardens, butterfly gardens, berry patches, forests/small arboretums, shrubs/understory, bogs, and wetlands. Each site will lend itself to a specific type of project so if you are thinking about expanding your yard with more turf or removing an existing structure; why not instead consider a form of Conservation Landscaping? Furthermore, some projects may be eligible for grant funding through various sources.

CWSC is embracing Conservation Landscaping and has long-term plans to implement several habitat types throughout the property in addition to the meadow. A swale on the property has created a small wetland near the athletic fields so instead of increasing drainage to get rid of the wetland; CWSC would like to make it a garden by planting native wetland species.  CWSC is also looking to remove invasive plants from a section of woods on the property and turn the area into a native tree grove with trails winding throughout it. The combination of all these habitat types on one property would form a microcosm consisting of several ecosystems inherent to Maryland`s ecology and function as an excellent educational tool.

If you are considering Conservational Landscaping in your own property, these resources may be helpful:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Schoolyard Habitat Guide: http://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/habitatguide.pdf#page=103

Conservation Landscaping: A Bayscapes Homeowner`s Guide:
http://www.acb-online.org/pubs/projects/deliverables-85-1-2003.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Chesapeake Bay Field Office Website:
http://www.fws.gov/ChesapeakeBay/Bayscapes.htm

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Native Plants for Wildlife and Conservation Landscaping in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed:
http://www.nativeplantcenter.net/guides/chesapeakenatives.pdf

by Joe Ports

It’s an exciting time for restoration around the West and Rhode Rivers!  We have several projects that are just getting started and some that are incredibly close to starting.

Ongoing Restoration Sites

Camp Letts

After years of work we are pleased to report that a large treatment wetland will be installed at YMCA Camp Letts.  Work began on November 26^th and will last about one month.  This project will be located between the camp’s horse paddock and Selman Creek on the Rhode River.  The purpose of this project is to treat the sediment and horse waste that runs off the fields during rain events before it reaches the river.  We are very excited about his project and would like to thank the Soil Conservation District, Camp Letts, and Kirk Mantay for all their hard work to get this project started and as well as the Chesapeake Bay Trust for their hard work and for funding the project.

Living Shoreline in Popham Creek

We have been working with a private landowner to get her 410 feet of shoreline stabilized with a living shoreline.  Living shorelines involve adding stone breakwaters and constructing marsh behind that stone.  The county has just approved the project so we are in the home stretch and construction should be completed by the spring of 2013.

Living Shoreline in Bear Neck Creek

A new living shoreline will soon grace the shores near the mouth of Bear Neck Creek.  Thanks to a dedicated homeowner and a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust we are able to work to get a new living shoreline installed to protect an eroding property as well as the marsh that is planted up stream of the new property.

BGE Right-of-Way Stream Restoration

We have just secured enough funding to have a technical design created for a seriously degraded stream located in a Baltimore Gas and Electric transmission line right-of-way in Harwood.  This project will stop the current erosion on the site and provide excellent habitat for stream dwellers and many birds and small mammals.  We would like to thank BGE for their help in getting this project started as well as Constellation Energy and the Chesapeake Bay Trust for funding this crucial stage of the project.

Underwater Grass

We are still hard at work keeping Redhead, a species of underwater grass, growing in the basement of our office building.  We have 4 tanks with very strong growth and 4 others that look like they are ready to take off soon.  We look forward to planting the grasses this spring! 

Rhode River Oysters

We are having a great first year of the Marylanders Grow Oysters Program in the Rhode River.  We currently have 18 volunteers growing 83 cages of oysters.  These volunteers will continue to care for these oysters through the winter and the oysters will then be planted on a local reef to help add to the population.  If you are interested in participating in this program next year please contact Joe Ports at joe@westrhoderiverkeeper

The Case for Optimism
by Chris Trumbauer

 ‘Tis not the season for “doom and gloom”. So often when we speak of the troubles facing the Chesapeake Bay and our rivers, the conversation focuses on past failures, astronomical costs, or who to blame for the condition of our waterways. But during the holidays, who wants to focus on the negative? This is a season of hope, a season of giving, a season for cherishing time with family and friends. So it is fitting that we approach the ongoing effort to restore our waterways with optimism.

Many times, with complex problems, finding the simplest solution can be the best way forward. The challenge of reducing pollution in our waterways is so massive and so daunting that it can seem overwhelming. But it really boils down to a very basic solution: we all have a shared responsibility to help restore the West and Rhode Rivers, and every waterway that flows into the largest and most productive estuary in the nation – the Chesapeake Bay.

I’m reminded of a catchy little song that parents and kids (including mine) sing when it’s time to pick up their mess, or clean their rooms.

 “Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere

Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share.” 

We could all take this to heart. What if, instead of developers blaming farmers, and farmers blaming developers, we all started working together? What if, instead of paying lawyers and lobbyists to figure out why we didn’t have to do something designed to protect our waterways, we all spent that effort trying to figure out what we could do to make things better? What if we all did do our share?

Our rivers are natural ecosystems that thrived for thousands of years. They are resilient. But humankind has been beating them up for a long time. Overfishing, pollution, destruction of wetlands, forests, and shorelines have all contributed to a sharp decline in their health. If we want to give the rivers a chance to heal, we need to make some changes.

That’s where my optimism comes in. For the first time since its inception, the Chesapeake Bay Program has mandatory pollution reductions in place, instead of the failed voluntary measures of the past 30 years. These pollution reduction requirements are based on proven science, and if implemented will finally give the Chesapeake Bay and our waterways a chance to begin their recovery.

Will it be easy? No. Will it be cheap? No. Will it be worth it? Yes. A recent study estimated the value of the Chesapeake Bay at $1 Trillion. This seems surprising until you remember all of the industries dependent on a healthy Bay: fishing, tourism, boating, and shipping – not to mention property values.

Surely there are those that don’t want to make the investment in our #1 resource. Their voices may be loud – but do they speak for you? They don’t speak for me. I’m rooting for the Bay and I think we can win.

At West/Rhode Riverkeeper, we fight every day for our rivers. We advocate at the General Assembly for good, common-sense policies to reduce pollution and hold the state and counties accountable for their goals. We go out into communities to educate our neighbors on simple everyday actions we can all do to reduce pollution. We patrol our rivers to guard against violations of environmental laws. And, increasingly, we are building on-the-ground restoration projects and living shorelines in our communities to restore habitat and capture pollution before it goes into our rivers.

In the words of John F. Kennedy, “We choose to [do these] things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard… because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” We do these things because we know we can restore our rivers. We want to be part of the great effort to bring our rivers and the Bay back from the brink. And we are optimistic that, finally, we are prepared to do it. 

by Bob Gallagher

I would guess that most readers of this newsletter prefer fresh fruits over caned and frozen. Unless you buy them straight from the farm, a terrific option at this time of year, each piece is likely to have one of those colorful little stickers. Until we ran out of space, Cate used to paste them on the door jamb in the pantry. I usually stick them to something headed for recycling but, I confess, a few have ended up going down the drain.

A New England Waterkeeper recently discovered that the bottom of the harbor in his town was littered with them. Apparently, they slip through the waste water treatment process. We will have to get larger door jambs or make sure they make it into the recycling bin.

by Bob Gallagher 

Two of the biggest contributors of nutrient pollution to our rivers are runoff from the application of manure to farm fields and septic systems. Important new regulations limiting both were recently approved.

Septics

Nutrients leaching through the soil from septic systems contribute about six percent of excess nutrients going into our waterways. Failing conventional septic systems are the worst. Even well maintained conventional systems are big polluters. While new enhanced technology systems are much better, their effluent still contains three or four times as much nutrients as effluent from a modern sewage treatment plant. It should not come as a surprise then that “smart growth” principles encourage higher density  development near sewers and discourage McMansion development of farmer fields served by septics.

The new rules will require that new large-lot developments in rural areas install enhanced technology septic systems. Enhanced technology systems cost about $8,000 more per house than conventional systems.

The new rules are required by legislation recommended by a state-wide septics task force to which Chris Trumbauer was appointed by the governor.

 Manure

About one-half of nutrient pollution comes from farms and about one-half of that comes from manure. For hundreds of years family farmers have used manure from their livestock to fertilize their crops. There is nothing wrong with that. But, with the development of corporate factory farms, like the chicken factories on the eastern Shore, that has changed. They produce far more manure than the crops could ever use. Dumping manure on over-fertilizer, frozen or saturated fields is not much different from dumping it in the bay.

Recent rules issued by the maryland Department of Agriculture limit the extent to which manure can be dumped on fields when the crops cannot use it or when it is more likely to run off. The rules also contain some common-sense requirements like fencing animals out of streams and prohibiting the application of manure too close to streams.

The rules also apply to the dumping of municipal sewage sludge on farm fields.

There are still major loopholes in the manure rules. We will work with other groups to close these loopholes.

Lobbyists for corporate agriculture, counties and municipalities have opposed both the septic and manure regulations characterizing them as part of a “war on rural Maryland.”

Of course that is hyperbole intended to prolong the time that corporate agriculture and local governments can ignore the real costs of their polluting activities. Each of us must do our part to solve this huge problem.

by Will Saffell

My name is William Saffell and I am excited to announce that I am the newest addition to the West/Rhode Riverkeeper team. My involvement here is made possible through the Chesapeake Conservation Corps program, which is funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Through this program, I am able to assist the West/Rhode Riverkeeper for a full year. While here, I will have an active role in water monitoring, creating the annual report card, assisting in ongoing restoration projects, and identifying/implementing new projects that will promote a healthier West/Rhode River.

I have already visited several restoration projects that the West/Rhode Riverkeeper organization is involved in, such as the living shoreline at Shady Cove and a stormwater wetland/stream restoration site at Camp Letts. This has been an excellent learning experience and has allowed me to see the potential for what other restoration projects can be done in this area. This has been extraordinarily helpful, as one of my primary focuses while here is to get additional restoration projects in the ground. I believe that one of the best ways to improve water quality is to prevent pollution from entering the rivers in the first place, so I am always on the lookout for projects that will reduce stormwater runoff, remove excess nutrients, and improve the health of our streams.

I was born in Annapolis and have spent most of my life kayaking, fishing, and boating the Bay’s waters. As I grew older, the condition of the Bay began to trouble me, and I gravitated towards a career involving the conservation of the Chesapeake Bay. In order to reach this goal, I attended college at Towson University and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in both Biology and Environmental Science. I’m ecstatic that my first job out of college is directly related to my aspiring career field and thrilled at the opportunity to have such an involved position.

As an undergraduate, I interned at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, worked as a field technician monitoring the nesting of the state endangered Northern Map Turtle, studied abroad in the Peruvian Rainforest, worked as a field technician monitoring the movements of translocated Box Turtles at the Intercounty Connector (Rt. 200), and conducted a research project investigating the accumulation of heavy metals in the tissues of small mammals inhabiting stormwater management ponds. I’m particularly interested in understanding how stormwater management ponds are utilized as a conservational tool as opposed to the toxicology perspective.

When not working, I keep myself occupied with a variety of outdoor activities. I enjoy kayaking, fishing, and have recently been learning how to sail. I try to go on at least one backpacking trip a year and hike often. Other activities include snowboarding, longboarding, traveling, and seeing live music.