Federation Blog

In a very touching ceremony yesterday in the office of Anne Arundel County's Clerk of Circuit Court; Phyllis Stonebrook signed the Chesapeake String of Pearls Registry.  Phyllis put over 5 acres of marshland property in permanent conservation by donating it to the Turkey Point Property Owners Association.  She spent her own money to replace invasive species with native species. The marsh portion of Turkey Point Island is a beautiful and valuable part of the South River and Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and can now forever be a home for wildlife and a treasure for the community.  Attending the ceremony with Ms. Stonebrook was her son; Senator Ed Reilly; Robert Duckworth, Clerk of AA County Circuit Court; Dick Lahn, Founder of the Chesapeake String of Pearls Project; Lee Ann Candon, Turkey Point resident; Carole and Charles Rader, Turkey Point residents; and Cindy Wallace from the South River Federation. Click here to read more about the Chesapeake String of Pearls Project.

This week's bottom dissolved oxygen measurements indicate the expanding hypoxic zone from mid-river up to the Rt 50 bridge.  Many of the tidal creek are also experiencing hypoxic conditions (2.0 mg/l or lower).  This is due to the excessive nutrients causing the algae blooms, which then cause the low dissolved oxygen.  Blue Crabs need above 3mg/l of dissolved oxygen to live, therefore at the moment the South River is not that hospitable for the blue crab. ---Diana

The South River Long Term Water Quality sampling on August 9  2010 was intensely hot.  Me and my two interns (Lily Frazer and Katy Milman) have spent every week during the entire summer performing water quality sampling on the South River.  The results from Monday's sampling still indicate a problem with water clarity, especially going toward RT 50 - which is station MS5.  We have not see a water clarity number over 1 meter (3feet) which is what we need to underwater grasses to grow. ---Diana 

If you missed the MPT special last night  - click here to see the on-line video.   

From CAFOs (concentrated animal factory operations), small farmers, private lawns, to wastewater treatment plants and septic systems, to power plants - they are all sources of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  This program highlights recent efforts by Kathy Phillips, the Assateague Coastkeeper and Michael Helfrich, the Lower Susquahanna Riverkeeper; two of thirteen Chesapeake Waterkeepers fighting for our right to clean water.

If you want to better understand terms like 'stormwater runoff', manure management systems, TMDLs, and CAFOs, be sure to take a look.

This program was partially funded by The Campbell Foundation. South River Federation provided video footage.

 

 

 

Driving up Muddy Creek Road this morning, stopped, waiting for the light at 214 to turn green, I noticed a healthy stand of trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) in bloom.  Its bright orange flowers are showy are hard to miss, but looking a little more closely, I saw two hummingbirds (I think they were ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)) flitting in and out of the blossoms, sipping their nectar.

It's rare enough to see one hummingbird, but to see two together is quite a treat.  If you've got trumpet vine growing up a nearby trellis or tree, keep your eyes peeled and you may spy one of these little marvels yourself.

 

 

Ok; over the past two days several people have pulled up next to Remedy (Riverkeeper boat) and asked me "where the He## are the Blue Crab?"

Upon analyzing our water quality data this week and consulting with my source at DNR; the South River water quality is now not the best for our Blue Crabs.  The current water temperature is hovering around 85°F at the bottom, the dissolved oxygen is now around 2-3mg/l, and the salinity is 10 (salinity is a unitless number).  Therefore the Blue crabs are in search of better dissolved oxygen and cooler water.  Sorry All, I do love my Blue Crabs too!-- Diana

Yesterday's tidal water quality monitoring started at 7:00am with an air temperature of 87°F and ended at 4:30pm with an air temperature of 102°F.  This was a very HOT and unconfortable montitoring day - but me and my two great interns got it done!  I have created a GIS plot of the water clarity in meters, the legal threshold for the South River is 1 meter to support bay grasses.

 

The South River Federation's Riverkeeper Tidal Water Quality montoring is in mid-season currently.  Some of you may have see us out there sampling the water quality.  I have been ask many questions about when and where we sample.  I have provided a GIS map of our current tidal stations.  I have 7 main stem stations, then 14 stations in each of the tidal creeks.  

Tonight is the first of four public hearings on DNR's public regulatory hearings which is part of the implementation of Governor Martin O'Malley's Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Plan. Governor O'Malley and DNR submitted the proposed regulations in May after months of public discussion, DNR open houses and robust input from thousands of citizens following the Governor's announcement of the plan in December 2009.

These public events will feature an overview of the proposed regulations by DNR staff followed by opportunities for individual comments. Comments may also be submitted online at fisheriespubliccomment@dnr.state.md.us or by mail to:

MD-DNR Fisheries Service
Oyster Recovery
Tawes State Office Bldg
580 Taylor Ave. B-2
Annapolis, MD 21401

DNR staff will be available from 5-6pm to answer questions. All hearings will begin promptly at 6pm.

Tonight's meeting is at Anne Arundel Community College, Pascal Center for the Performing Arts, 101 College Parkway, Arnold, MD 21012

Click here to read complete article and for additional hearing dates.