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…
When we visit your home, school, or place of worship as part of our Water Audit Program, we do our best to help you learn about the many ways your land and buildings affect water quality. The visits are our favorite part of the process. During your site visit, you can expect me or another member of…
In the Maryland legislative session that starts today, there will undoubtedly be hearings on a variety of bills seeking to weaken, delay or even repeal the stormwater fee. But addressing Baltimore’s urban polluted runoff problem can’t wait, so we need to remind our legislators that the program they passed in 2012 deliberately and critically allows for local flexibility….
Can you imagine a city without impervious surfaces? Actually, engineers call them “impervious surfaces”. People in Baltimore know them as streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs. These hard surfaces make urban and suburban life possible, but they also cause big environmental problems. In a natural environment, soft surfaces like meadows and forests can absorb and…
Today, Blue Water Baltimore is proudly announcing a new faith-based initiative – fueled by a $250,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – to reduce polluted runoff in Baltimore’s watersheds. Uncontrolled, polluted runoff is the only source of water pollution still on the rise in the Chesapeake Bay. Stormwater running off hard surfaces…
Do rain gardens really work to protect aquatic wildlife? Researchers at Washington State University decided to find out for sure, and set up a pretty simple but clever test: salmon. They collected storm water from around the Seattle region and filtered some of it through soil similar to that in a typical rain garden. They…
Hi! My name is Erin McVey and I am the new Rain Barrel and Water Audit Program Coordinator at Blue Water Baltimore. Having just moved to Baltimore, it is great to be out and about getting to know the city and talking to residents about ways they can make a difference on their property by…
Stormwater runoff is a long-ignored and growing source of pollution and sediment—which hurts the quality of our streams, the harbor and the entire Chesapeake Bay—and causes flooding and property damage. Our 2012 Healthy Harbor Report Card grade of C- illustrates the impact that stormwater pollution can have even in a relatively dry year. Baltimore City…
Starting this summer, Baltimore City and the nine largest counties in the state – including Baltimore County – must begin assessing fees on property owners based on the amount of stormwater pollution each property produces. Because stormwater from urban & suburban areas is the fastest growing source of pollution entering local streams, the Harbor, and…
From the desk of Halle Van der Gaag, Executive Director The 2013 Maryland General Assembly is here! This is a preview of the legislative issues on which Blue Water Baltimore will be focused this year. Check out our blog and our website often–more specific details, actions steps and bill numbers will be updated on our…