Common Waters

Green Happy Hour (Baltimore)

[Repost from www.herringrun.org]

When: Mon, Jul 7, 6pm – 8pm

Where: Herring Run Watershed Center, 3545 Belair Rd. 21213 (map)

Urban wildlife

Lately the mockingbirds in my neighborhood have been very unfriendly. I was dive-bombed several weeks ago by a pair gunning it for my face as I left my apartment. At the last minute they veered off, one to the left, the other to the right, in perfect choreography. I know they can be territorial and probably have a nest in a nearby porch, but honestly, what do they think I’m going to steal?

Needless to say, they aren’t curring any favor with me. Which is why I was a bit annoyed to be woken up by their incessant screeching last week. I had to investigate what the fuss was about. What I saw completely shocked me. A mockingbird was screeching at another, larger bird, and would occasionally make motions toward attacking it. Could that be a hawk? In Baltimore City? On my roof?

One week later I step outside to investigate the mockingbird threats I hear from my kitchen. By now, the sounds are becoming familiar. Understand that I live in Charles Village. I don’t live in the woods, but in a city rowhouse. And there isn’t one hawk on my roof, there are at least two, possibly three. They are American Kestrels. I saw a pair together today and as I was climbing the fire escape ladder to try and snap a picture. A third bird flew off and seemed to be about the same size as the others. I might have a mating pair and a juvenile!

Has anyone else seen urban wildlife they would like to share stories of?

Where Does Trash Go?

Perhaps you are taking a walk in your neighborhood, or a stroll through the woods, and you see trash. Where does trash go if it is not picked up? Does your local government clean it up? Is it treated at a facility before entering our streams and rivers?

The truth is that whatever is on the street will enter our waterways as is, and will most likely NEVER be collected or treated. This includes trash, lawn fertilizer, animal droppings, and automotive emissions. Storm water, or water that results from a rain event, and wind pick up any debris in their path and hasten their input into our tributaries. The journey that debris takes often begins when it enters a storm drain, connects with a local stream and perhaps additional tributaries, and subsequently makes its way to the Chesapeake Bay and later the Atlantic Ocean.

To me, this is one of the most important blogs I can write and inform you of. That is because numerous surveys have shown that the majority of the American public is misinformed about this issue. Most think trash is handled by local government, perhaps in the same way our sewage is managed. There is no facility, local or otherwise, that manages our trash once it enters the storm drain. Once trash enters the storm drain, it’s on its way to fouling rivers and streams in your area, and onward to the Chesapeake Bay.

Thus I cannot stress the importance of keeping our streets free of debris. How often do we walk by that overturned and overflowing trash can, throw our cigarette butts out the window, or walk past litter?

Baltimore City is looking into purchasing a trash collector for the Inner Harbor that appears to be doing a pretty good job of collecting litter prior to entering the harbor. You can read about it here. However, this is a drop in the bucket when you ponder that the Chesapeake Bay encompasses six states and 64,000 square miles.

Trash has a negative impact on our economies, our values, and our enjoyment of the water. It decreases property values, threatens and sometimes kills fish and birds, and diminishes the livelihood of those who make their living on the water.

If you would like to get involved in a trash cleanup in your area, think about mobilizing one in your neighborhood, or contact your local watershed organization (see my links page for starters, and also see the following note).

Note: You may have trouble locating your watershed agency at the local level. I have been unable to find adequate online resources that provide this kind of detail. You might try getting a broad overview of your watershed area at the EPA’s website (click here), but it may require further digging to determine what your LOCAL watershed is, and the organization that protects it. It is advisable to inquire with your local government should you have difficulty.

MD EVENT: Rhythm on the River, June 21st

There are currently 177 riverkeepers around the world, working for our legal right to clean water. I will be writing more on the riverkeeper movement in the very near future.

Meet riverkeeper Bob Gallagher and his team and learn what he and other riverkeepers do by attending this fundraiser for the West/Rhode Riverkeeper. It sounds like fun.

Rhythm on the River
Benefit for the West/Rhode Riverkeeper

Saturday, June 21
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Hartge Yacht Yard
Galesville, MD
http://www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org/

Show your support for the RIVERKEEPER and treat yourself to a casual riverfront party, featuring the tropical rhythm of steel drums, a Caribbean buffet and bar, and the Best of South County AUCTION items.

Tickets are $35 and include entertainment and refreshments. Get your tickets early.
Last year sold out.

For more information and to purchase tickets:

• Purchase tickets online at www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org
• Call Amy at the West/Rhode Riverkeeper, 410-507-6028
• Or go to the Hartge Yacht Yard, main office
(see www.hartgeyard.com for directions)

Watershed 101, or Did My Dog Just Poop in the Chesapeake Bay?

What exactly is a watershed, you wonder? And what does it have to do with my dog?

Simply put, a watershed is a geographic region with water flowing through it. It can contain streams, rivers, and creeks, as well as lakes or reservoirs. Each watershed is made up of smaller ones, called subwatersheds, while large watersheds, such as the Chesapeake Bay or the Mississippi River, are known as basins. (For a stricter definition, click here.)

Did you know that you live in a watershed? We all do, which is why our activities have a large bearing on the health of our waterways.

You are far from alone if at this point you didn’t know what a watershed is. According to national polls, only 20% of Americans can define this term. Yet while we rely so heavily on water for everything from drinking, to sewage treatment, to recreational activities, we don’t always consider or know how our actions contribute to water pollution.

Household Contributions to Water Pollution

One common misconception is that stormwater is treated before entering our waterways. This is not the case, which is why it is important to clean up after ourselves and each other. The following are but a few examples of contributors to the pollution found in our streams, rivers, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay:

• Trash
• Synthetic lawn fertilizers and pesticides
• Automotive emissions such as oil or radiator fluid
• Improper disposal of medications
• Pet waste

Trash

If you have ever cleaned a stream, and in particular, an urban stream, you know well of the voluminous quantity of trash therein and how difficult it is to extract trash mats from the water. Plastic bags and take-out containers are especially plentiful. Plastic can be especially harmful to wildlife, as it breaks down into smaller pieces that fish and birds think of as food. As the plastic bits take up permanent residence in their gastrointestinal tracts, they crowd out any real food the animal may ingest and starvation may result.

Part of the appeal–as well as the drawback–to plastic is that it is lightweight. As such, it is easily carried by wind or rainwater. Please take care to secure any plastic that you dispose of. This can be accomplished by weighing recyclables down by mixing plastic with heavier items such as glass (if the recycling in your area allows for that), or by other means. If you have suggestions, please post them.

Alternatives to Synthetic Fertilizers and Pesticides

Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used in landscaping are not only harmful to the environment, but chemical fertilizers in particular can also decrease soil fertility. They do so by creating an unusually acidic environment that harms the natural microbes that make nitrogen, which is a nutrient that plants need to thrive. When you use synthetic chemicals it increases the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen in our waterways, nutrients that are making the Bay “sick.” So is nitrogen good or bad for the environment?

The answer lies in our understanding the difference between synthetic nitrogen and nitrogen made naturally by microorganisms in the soil. Synthetic nitrogen is water soluble, so it mixes with water easily. Thus, it seeps into groundwater or mixes with rainwater and eventually makes its way to the Bay. By contrast, naturally-made nitrogen–such as that made by fungi, worms, bacteria or other microscopic organisms–make insoluble nitrogen, so it doesn’t mix with water.

In addition, it takes fuel to make synthetic nitrogen. I’m not a lawn owner, but I wonder if the price of fertilizer has increased alongside the price of gas? And while synthetic fertilizer may cost less initially, it is my understanding that it requires more frequent application and overall maintenance, and depletes the fertility of your soil.

Thus, natural and organic sources are the best option for your landscaping needs and the environment. Your family, your soil, and the Chesapeake Bay will be healthier as a result!

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has some excellent information on their website about ecologically-friendly landscaping tips (click here).

Disposing of Unwanted/Unused Medication

Thus far, there seems to be no easy way to dispose of unused medication. Flushing pills down the toilet or throwing medicine in the trash can harm the environment as chemicals in the landfill seep into our groundwater and those medicines that we flush end up in our drinking water. Also, if you put your medicine in the trash, you run the risk of supporting an addictive population.

So what is the best option? Some municipalities claim to have ecological practices in place to dispose of medication at the landfill site. If such is the case citizens are instructed to contaminate their pharmaceuticals with used cat litter or coffee grounds and place in the trash. I would check with your local government first, however!

You may prefer to ask your local pharmacy if they will accept your unused medication. If they have no take-back program for drugs, then it is up to us to put pressure on them (and the pharma companies) to do so.

Fido’s Fecal Matter

And what of Fido’s poop? An average-sized dropping contains about 3 BILLION fecal coliform bacteria, and if left on the sidewalk, it gets carried by rainwater into storm drains and along stream paths where it eventually gets dumped into the Chesapeake Bay. This is also true of droppings left in your backyard; rain will soak the bacteria into the groundwater which connects with area waterways. When you consider the amount of dogs in your region, that can add up to a lot of bacterial pollution! You don’t want to swim in water contaminated by feces, so please clean up after your pet.