HEALTHY HARBOR BALTIMORE T’A RA S MITH
Jan 03, 2016
HEALT
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BALTIM
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T’ A
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BALTIMORE AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED
HISTORY OF THE BALITMORE INNER HARBOR1706 – Official Port of Entry for MD Tobacco Trade
1840s - Primary oyster canning industry
1900s – Steel dominated industry
1980s – National Aquarium and Harborplace opens
- One of two Eastern U.S ports to have water depth at 50 feet or more
- $3.2 Billion in annual revenue and local purchases contributed to MD economy
- Exports: Coal, corn, soybeans, lignite, coal coke, petroleum
- Imports: cars, trucks, iron ore, cement , machinery
- Untouched by 1930s depression
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW..
CURRENT STATE OF THE HARBOR
Very Poor Condition in:
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Water Clarity
- Nitrogen/Phosphorus
- Benthic Communities
- Toxicants
- Bacteria
- Moderately poor for the surrounding tributaries
- Sewage is a major problem for the Baltimore Inner Harbor - an ongoing challenge
THE FUTURE OF THE HARBOR?
SAVE THE HARBOR – HEALTHY HARBOR INITAITVEGoal: Make the Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020
Similar to the Baltimore Watershed Agreement
- Signed in 2002, renewed in 2006
- Baltimore City and County agree to clean up the area to help restore the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
- Stormwater and Trash were major concerns
Methods to Save the Harbor:
- Trash Removal /TMDLs
- Education
- Funding
- Harbor Stat
- Stormwater/Sewage treatment
THE GLOBAL SCALE - WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
- Importance of Watersheds: why should we care?
- International Water Initiative (IWI) and the International Joint Commission (IJC)
- IWI introduced in 97 by the IJC- IJC was established by the United States and Canada
- International Conference on Sustainable Watershed Management
- There has only been ONE – September 2011- Next one is in April 2013
REFERENCES
Why Watersheds http://www.cwp.org/your-watershed-101/why-watersheds.html
Case Study – India http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article516.html
Sustainable Watershed - http://igemportal.org/?Dil=1&SID=324
Integrated Water Management - http://www.cogesaf.qc.ca/rv-eau/en/home.html
IWI - http://www.ijc.org/conseil_board/watershed/en/watershed_mandate_mandat.htm
Baltimore/Chesapeake Bay
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/port.html - Port of Baltimore
Restoration Bay: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/track/restoration
Healthy Harbor http://healthyharborbaltimore.org/state-of-the-harbor/history-of-the-sewer-system