Nature is constantly being shaped and molded by human activity to fit society’s needs. Our landscapes have been largely modified by urbanization, without much consideration for the natural world surrounding us. For an industrial city like Baltimore, urbanization has degraded the health of our streams. Most of this urbanization means more concrete and paved surfaces….
Winter or summer, rain or shine our science team is out on the water monitoring the quality of our waterways. Barbara Johnson is BWB’s Water Quality Manager & Cody Matteson is our Senior Coordinator for the Water Quality Program. Together they make the ultimate duo, traversing our streams and harbor to track the progress we’re…
It’s been a whirlwind of a year on all fronts, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve navigated through many challenges, welcomed new staff members to our BWB family, and we’re working every day to hold polluters accountable. So, what has your Baltimore Waterkeeper team been up to? Growing our Team of Water Protectors Our…
For the past 12 years, Chris Schulze has lived in the Gwynns Falls watershed one block away from the Maiden Choice Run, a critical waterway. This waterway runs along Southwest Baltimore, feeding into the Gwynns Falls stream. Along the way it passes Chris’ neighborhood, creating a small pocket of wildlife in an otherwise bustling part…
On a Sunday morning in September, Todd Evans was taking his dog Rue on a walk along the Jones Falls Bike Trail near the Woodberry Woods. As Rue sniffed around the trails’ edge, something caught his eye in the water below. A thick layer of foam had developed on the rapids and the air stank…
THE ISSUE: The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has proposed a series of changes to the municipal separated stormwater sewer system (MS4) permits that dictate how much stormwater pollution local jurisdictions can allow, and what they are required to do to offset it. Urban and suburban stormwater runoff is untreated – it kills fish,…
You have a new tree! This is the beginning of a very long and beautiful friendship. Congratulations! Photo: Mature northern red oak in the woods of Druid Hill Park Care for your tree and it will care for you (and future generations!): Depending on its species, a tree will live for a few decades or…
As our 10th birthday celebration continues, we’re shining a spotlight on one of our allies in the fight for clean water, the Waterway Pollution Investigation Team in the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. This dedicated group of people receives your reports, follows up on them, and hunts down the source of the pollution in…
When people think about things that pollute Baltimore’s streams and rivers, chances are they think about sewage, trash, and legacy toxins. Drinking water? Not so much. It’s hard to think of drinking water as a pollutant. After all, it is clean water, right? It doesn’t have the pungent smell that sewage does. It’s not unsightly…
Last week, a powerful storm flooded Baltimore’s most popular neighborhoods. Our waterways took a hit, too. On August 6, 2019, the storm dropped almost a half foot of rain in a two-hour span. Flash floods overtook many neighborhoods at the foot of the Jones Falls watershed. Some people posted dramatic photos of stranded cars and flooded…