Water quality advisory issued for Rehoboth Beach
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — State environmental officials have issued a water quality advisory at Rehoboth Beach after high levels of bacteria were found in the water. Rehoboth Beach City Manager Sharon Lynn says that while swimming isn’t banned, warning signs were posted Thursday on the back of lifeguard stands. The beach and ocean remain open. […]
Inner Harbor water quality barely passes
The water quality in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor last year was given a grade of C-minus by local environmentalists hired to gauge the viability of one of the city’s greatest assets, its waterfront.
Dewey, Ocean City rank among cleanest U.S. beaches
DEWEY BEACH, Del. — Two beaches along the Maryland and Delaware shore have made the list of the nation’s cleanest beaches. Delaware’s Dewey Beach and Maryland’s Ocean City beach have earned a five-star rating. The Natural Resources Defense Council found that they were among a dozen beaches that follow best practices and violated health standards […]
Oyster group begins planting in Chesapeake
ANNAPOLIS — The Oyster Recovery Partnership says it has begun its planting season by placing 31 million oysters on nearly 10 acres in Harris Creek. The nonprofit environmental group says small oysters grown at the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Hatchery were planted this week. The partnership says a recent expansion of the hatchery means […]
Maryland DNR crews monitor Bay water after storms
Crews from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources went out into the Chesapeake Bay Tuesday afternoon, near Sandy Point State Park, to survey the water quality following the recent Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene. The DNR crews will test fresh water levels, change in temperatures and will also collect nutrients to test their concentrations.
West Virginia town weighs water quality vs. corporate gifts
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Mayor Lucille Blum and the other elected leaders of New Martinsville thought they were doing a good thing when they banned Marcellus shale gas drilling in their small town on the Ohio River. The unanimous vote had only one purpose, Blum said — protecting water wells from a potential threat. Businessman Matt […]
100K menhaden on beaches may have been dumped
OCEAN CITY — The Maryland Department of the Environment now estimates that 100,000 dead menhaden have washed up on Maryland and Delaware beaches. Department spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus says many of the fish found Sunday were missing their heads and appeared to have been dead for about a week. Stoltzfus says water quality doesn’t seem to […]
Science panel assesses Chesapeake Bay restoration plan
A panel of scientists and environmentalists says the ambitious plan to restore the Chesapeake Bay faces a number of challenges to successfully achieve the massive reclamation project. They include improved tracking of efforts to reduce pollution into the bay, climate change that could ultimately alter the cleanup plan and the huge costs of undertaking the […]
Chesapeake Bay grasses decline, water temps blamed
Underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay, a key indicator of the health of the waterway, decreased last year with high water temperatures and poor water quality eyed as factors, researchers said Thursday as they released the results of an annual survey. The aerial survey conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science found the acres […]
Large fish kill reported in Chesapeake Bay
Officials say they’re investigating a large Chesapeake Bay fish kill but suspect cold weather and not water quality problems. The Maryland Department of the Environment says an estimated 2 million fish have been reported dead south of the Bay Bridge since last week, mainly juvenile spot. Agency spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus says bay water quality appears […]