clean Water Blog
The fight for clean water happens on many fronts.
Our clean water blog helps you discover how to best make your impact.
From environmental advocacy to community organizing to DIY solutions, our blog serves as a rich resource to equip you with what you need to keep your local watershed clean.
We have over 50 years of collective wisdom and direct experience as leaders in the fight to keep the Baltimore Watershed clean. And although our core focus is issues in Baltimore and Maryland, this clean water blog can serve watershed residents across the USA.
Stay informed on the latest lessons and updates on the road to creating cleaner waterways and a greener Baltimore!

Our Clean Water Blog

Herring Run Happenings
Although it still feels ‘wintery”, in my walks around my neighborhood and while de-winterizing the Nursery, I have seen obvious signs of spring. . . bulbs beginning to push,the tree buds beginning to swell, a plethora of birds feeding on winter fruits as theymake their way northwards. I, for one, need these signs to at…
Last Chance to Make a Difference for Baltimore’s Waterways in 2024
A clean and thriving Baltimore starts with people like you. Thanks to your incredible support, this year has seen progress for Baltimore’s waterways. Together, we’ve: Engaged over 250 youth and adults through programming, including our It’s Alive! aquatic bug hunt, What’s in Your Water community science program, Outfall Screening Blitzes, and trash-clean-ups.Sampled our routine monitoring…
BWB Comments on Baltimore City MCD Revised O&M Plan
We’re proud to highlight the impactful work of Blue Water Baltimore in safeguarding our waterways! As a key advocate in the fight against sewage overflows, we’ve been actively involved in the Modified Consent Decree to enhance the operation and maintenance of Baltimore’s sanitary sewer system. Here are some vital improvements we’re pushing for to protect…

Stay Cool, Don’t Pool-lute!
Photo by Lachlan Hardy, used under Creative Commons License. As the days heat up and summer comes into view, remember to keep an eye out for signs of water pollution near you (and let us know about it!). Earlier this month we received several reports through our Pollution Reporting Hotline about a heavy discharge coming…

Change in Tree Law Means a Greener Baltimore
On May 1st, Mayor Brandon Scott signed City Council Bill 23-04654 into law to protect trees on recreation and parks property. This was a change Blue Water Baltimore supported, and will help our goal of increasing Baltimore’s tree canopy, improving water quality and combating the urban heat island effect that makes our city hotter than…

Meet the Director
Sydnee Wilson Ruff grew up with a foot in each of the two Baltimores. From her home in Park Heights, where 96% of residents are Black and more than a quarter fall under the Federal poverty line, she commuted to private schools in some of the wealthiest Baltimore neighborhoods, where 71% of residents are white….

Ridgway “Ridge” Hall (1941-2023)
Last weekend, a memorial service was held by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for Ridgway “Ridge” Hall, who was a true friend not only to the Bay, but to Blue Water Baltimore over the years. You can learn more about Ridge’s incredible life and impact in a recent interview with the Choose Clean Water Coalition. Back…


BWB and CLA announce Settlement in Jones Falls Vinegar Co. Case
Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore, along with its attorneys at Chesapeake Legal Alliance and Saul Ewing, LLP announce today a settlement agreement with Fleischmann’s Vinegar Company for alleged pollution violations into the Jones Falls, a local waterway in Baltimore which drains to the Inner Harbor. The agreement comes after Blue Water Baltimore filed a…




BWB Statement on FSK Bridge Collapse
We at Blue Water Baltimore would like to express our gratitude to the first responders and local, state, and federal agencies for their ongoing work at the Francis Scott Key Bridge. We also want to thank everyone who has kept us updated on the situation on the ground and in the water by using our…


Jack’s Journey to BWB
Our board members come from all backgrounds and walks of life, but they share a passion for preserving and restoring the health of our waterways. New board member Jack Boyson first worked with us a few years ago on a sewage overflow problem near Stony Run, and was willing to share the story. By Jack…


Herring Run Happenings
By Nursery Manager Rob Jenkins According to Punxsutawney Phil we are due for an early spring in 2024, and that suits us at the Nursery just fine! Spring is considered the time of new beginnings and transformation. The changes we see range from the subtle, such as the swelling of the buds on trees, to…




BWB and CBF: Court Decision is a Loss For Clean Water
MARYLAND STORMWATER PERMITS CONTINUE TO FALL SHORT FOR BALTIMORE COMMUNITIES AND THE BAY’S RESILIENCY AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Yesterday’s decision by the Appellate Court of Maryland affirming Baltimore stormwater permits is a loss for clean water. The court’s response stems from a 2021 lawsuit and petition for judicial review brought by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF)…
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