Your rain barrel is designed to keep mosquitoes out, but there is no guarantee that these pesky creatures won’t find a crack in the system. The fail-safe way is to drain all of the water within five days of the rain barrel filling up. This solution not only eliminates standing water, but it ensures that…
Stormwater is the single greatest source of water pollution in modern cities like Baltimore, and in this year’s Baltimore City election you can do something to remedy it. Voting “Yes” on Referendum Question J to create a new stormwater utility in Baltimore will make it much easier for us work together and clean up our…
This past Sunday was a beautiful day: great for playing (or watching) football, taking a nice fall walk or exploring Herring Run Park. Better yet, it was a great day for creating rain barrels. The Hall Springs section of Herring Run park is where we hold most of our rain barrel workshops. This Sunday we…
[Note: Lisa DeGuire is the 2012-2013 Chesapeake Conservation Corps member for Blue Water Baltimore. She assists with greening projects, environmental education, and the Clean Water Community Initiative.] Today, the Clean Water Act turns 40! Although I wasn’t yet born when the Clean Water Act was enacted, I have been reaping the benefits my entire life….
As a staff member who spends most of her time in front of a computer and out in the field assessing homes for runoff reduction opportunities yesterday was an exciting change of pace and more than a little bit rewarding. I’ve spent the past three years working for Blue Water Baltimore (and the Jones Falls…
This month I had the honor of participating in one of the most inspiring events I’ve experienced since I started my position as Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper: the public hearing on the draft Baltimore City stormwater (aka MS4) permit. You might be wondering what the heck is so inspiring about a pollution permit hearing? I’ll tell…
The past two years, the bands, roadies, and event staff of the Vans Warped Tour have taken a day off from head-banging and face-melting to help Blue Water Baltimore in our efforts to save our streams. It was hard to top 2011’s project, where we converted more than 30,000 square feet of asphalt in Hampden into an outdoor…
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and in celebration the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper and Blue Water Baltimore are joining the Waterkeeper Alliance in promoting clean, swimmable waters. The Waterkeeper Alliance has designated today, July 26th, as “Swimmable Action Day.” Few cities depend on water more than Baltimore does, and we are committed…
Stewards of streams and rivers in highly developed areas like Baltimore inevitably spend more of their energy on restoration than on conservation. We often feel this dynamic at Blue Water Baltimore. Occasionally, though, a true conservation opportunity arises and recently one has: preserving Dipping Pond Run. Dipping Pond Run is an intact stream system and…
This week, Blue Water Baltimore is celebrating National Pollinator Week. Pollinating animals are critical to a healthy ecosystem as well as to urban gardens and farms, so having an excuse to call attention to these vital critters is a welcome one. Did you know that 75% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators? Or…
