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 RESIDENTS AND WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. SPECIALTIES OF OUR NURSERY INCLUDE DESIGNING AND INSTALLING RAIN GARDENS AND LOW MAINTENANCE NATIVE LANDSCAPES TO REDUCE STORM RUNOFF. TO AID RESIDENTS WE PROVIDED LANDSCAPE ADVICE TO 50 HOMES IN THE REGION. IN 2023, 56 DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS GAVE 1,279 HOURS OF TIME TO SELL 37,000 NATIVE PLANTS AND 46 RAIN BARRELS.

WATERKEEPER: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 2023, 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 AND ALL OF THE DATA 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 74 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 2023 WE NEGOTIATED A STRONG CONSENT DECREE IN OUR WWTP CASE W/ BALTIMORE CITY & MDE. BROUGHT A LAWSUIT AGAINST FLEISCHMANN'S VINEGAR. MOBILIZED A GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT FOR OUR POSITION AGAINST THE NORFOLK SOUTHERN WASTEWATER SHIPMENT INTO CLEAN HARBORS; AS A RESULT, BALTIMORE CITY REJECTED CH'S PROPOSAL TO TREAT AND DISCHARGE THE EAST PALESTINE TOXIC CONTAMINATION INTO OUR BELEAGUERED SEWER SYSTEM. SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE BALTIMORE WATER GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE.OUTREACH AND EDUCATION:IN 2023 WE HAD 49 DIFFERENT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND REACHED OVER 1100 INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, THROUGH DOOR KNOCKING AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS WELL AS DELIVERING EDUCATION PROGRAMMING LIKE HOW'S THE WATER HON? AND BUG HUNTS.

WATERSHED RESTORATION:BLUE 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 2023, WE WORKED WITH MORE THAN 25 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 6 GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING PAVEMENT REMOVAL, RAIN GARDENS AND CONSERVATION LANDSCAPING. THESE PROJECTS TREAT 1.25 ACRES OF OUR WATERSHED EACH TIME IT RAINS. WE ESTIMATE ALL RESTORATION PROJECTS REMOVED THE FOLLOWING POLLUTION EACH YEAR: 4,080 LBS OF SEDIMENT POLLUTION, 9.85 LBS OF NITROGEN POLLUTION, AND 1.62 LBS OF PHOSPHORUS POLLUTION. *(ACCORDING TO THE MODEL WWW.FIELDDOC.ORG)

GREENING:WE PLANTED OVER 1,199 TREES IN PARKS, SCHOOLS, RESIDENTS AND ALONG NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS IN OUR WATERSHED. WE GAVE AWAY OVER 1,291 TREES TO BE PLANTED IN YARDS WITHIN BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY. OUR STREET TREE PROGRAM CREATED 131 NEW TREE BEDS WHILE REMOVING 5,101 SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IN 2 BALTIMORE CITY NEIGHBORHOODS. IF ALL TREES WERE PLANTED THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF 8.3 ACRES OF NEW TREE CANOPY. THIS WILL EXPAND AS THE TREES GROW AND SPREAD THEIR LIMBS.