HEALTH

Y HARBOR

BALTIMORE

T ’ AR A S

M I TH

BALTIMORE AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED

HISTORY OF THE BALITMORE INNER HARBOR1706 – Official Port of Entry for MD Tobacco Trade 1840s - Primary oyster canning industry1900s – 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 HARBORVery 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

REFERENCESWhy Watersheds http://www.cwp.org/your-watershed-101/why-watersheds.htmlCase Study – India http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article516.htmlSustainable Watershed - http://igemportal.org/?Dil=1&SID=324Integrated Water Management - http://www.cogesaf.qc.ca/rv-eau/en/home.htmlIWI -

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/restorationHealthy Harbor http://healthyharborbaltimore.org/state-of-the-harbor/history-

of-the-sewer-system