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…
Blue Water Baltimore plays a critical role in identifying pollution in our waterways and taking action to stop it. Thanks to key provisions in the Clean Water Act that give the public the right to directly enforce against polluters, we can hold them accountable and stop pollution at its source. There is no shortage of water pollution…
Recently our Water Quality Monitoring program teamed up with Dr. Robert Hilderbrand, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory, to look at another dimension of water health in the Jones Falls stream. Here, Dr. Hilderbrand talks about the microscopic organisms that make the Jones Falls unique. Stream Microbiomes Our…
Last Wednesday night, the Baltimore region received more than two inches of rain, which led to significant flooding around the region. When large rainstorms like these hit Baltimore, stormwater runoff leaks into our sanitary sewer system through cracks in aging pipes and illegal connections. The stormwater mixes with sewage and overwhelms both the pipes and…
[Note: This guest blog post was written by Liam O’Meara, General Manager at Environmental Quality Resources (EQR). EQR is one of Blue Water Baltimore’s partners in implementing stormwater projects.] We’ve all heard plenty about Maryland’s stormwater program and the ever-present stormwater fee debate. As the rhetoric heats up this legislative season I want to bring a…
Are you curious about having a rain barrel for your home, church, or school? Do you like to get your hands dirty and learn new skills? Join Blue Water Baltimore for one of our Spring 2016 rain barrel workshops and build your own rain barrel to take home. Register using the form at the bottom of…
We are excited to announce that we have begun construction of two faith-based stormwater projects in the McElderry Park neighborhood in southeast Baltimore. These projects, located at the Prince of Peace Baptist Church and Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, will add significant green space to the community and substantially reduce stormwater runoff at the churches. Construction at…
It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter. Now that it’s finally getting colder outside, it’s time to make sure your rain barrel is ready for the season. Preparing your barrel for winter, or winterizing it, is simple to do and will protect your barrel from damage. Keep Your Rain Barrel Safe Empty your Rain…
Today, Blue Water Baltimore announced that we have received $500,000 from the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to comprehensively address the stormwater, greening, and targeted public health goals in five Baltimore City neighborhoods. Blue Water Baltimore is calling this novel approach Deep Blue. Blue Water Baltimore staff, along with Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes, and representatives…
Because native plants have a long co-evolutionary history with the native wildlife of a location, they are uniquely well-suited choices for the modern garden. In this age of climate-change and habitat destruction, our gardens should do more than just look good: they must do good as well. Whether that means providing food and shelter for…