The Next Generation of Baltimore’s Forests Blue Water Baltimore staff and volunteers have planted several thousand trees across our local watersheds over the past 15 years. Some of these trees are now reaching maturity and helping us reach our citywide goal of 40% canopy coverage. This month, I headed out into the field with TreeBaltimore…
Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore (BWB), home of the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, is proceeding in its federal case against Baltimore City originally filed in December 2021 for excessive pollution and ongoing violations of the federal Clean Water Act at the Patapsco and Back River Wastewater Treatment Plants. The parties previously agreed to temporarily pause…
Oh Boy, What A Year! As the second year of the pandemic draws to a close, Blue Water Baltimore celebrates the ways in which our community can still come together to achieve our mission of Clean water, Strong communities. We planted over 1,000 trees, removed 11,000 sq feet of impervious surface and gave away over…
Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore (BWB), home of the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland on Wednesday against Baltimore City for excessive pollution and ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act at the Patapsco and Back River Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). BWB is…
Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore (BWB), partnering with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), today filed a petition for judicial review of the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits recently issued for Baltimore City and County. These permits, reviewed and re-issued every five years by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), provide requirements for municipalities to address pollution and flooding caused by…
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,…
Medstar Harbor Hospital (MHH), one of two waterfront hospitals in Maryland, sits on a 30-acre campus directly on the Patapsco River. An extensive lawn and numerous parking lots had for years caused rainwater and pollution to flow off the property directly into the river, and subsequently into the Chesapeake Bay. As part of a 15-year…
With April showers come May flowers, and rain barrels can help keep your gardens blooming and our local streams and rivers clean! Looking to install a rain barrel at home? Here are some frequently asked questions answered by our Restoration and Herring Run Nursery staff. Q: What are rain barrels? A: Rain barrels are containers…
We’ve seen lots of rainfall this April, and these April showers don’t just bring flowers. Baltimoreans may be experiencing flooding, sewage backups, and other effects of wet weather. At Blue Water Baltimore, stormwater is always on our mind. We want to share more about what stormwater is and how you can help mitigate its effects. …
I was grateful to see front page coverage of a critical and growing issue in Baltimore — how we effectively deal with urban stormwater (“As Maryland pours millions of dollars into its ailing streams, research shows some projects don’t help clean Chesapeake Bay,” Jan 2). As we enter a new decade, we must think more holistically…