Stream restoration projects like Cattail Creek offer multifaceted benefits to watersheds and ecosystems To Bob Royer, the heron that was stalking in the shallow water around a bend in Cattail Creek was a sign of promise. For one thing, it meant there were fish. But together with the red-winged blackbirds overhead, the buzzing dragonflies, and Read the Rest…
US Geological Survey study shows that management can have positive and negative impacts Many management practices aim to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution entering the watershed, and a new study looked at what unintended effects these practices are having on Maryland streams. The study, led by scientists with the United States Geological Survey using data Read the Rest…
Temperatures and non-native fish species have increased, while acidity has lessened A Maryland Department of Natural Resources report found mixed results for the health of the state’s non-tidal streams, with some conditions getting better, others worse, and some remaining the same. For this report on potential changes in stream conditions, the department’s Maryland Biological Stream Read the Rest…
Department of Natural Resources scientists look for several different indicators to evaluate the overall health of Maryland streams–here’s how they do it How can the Maryland Department of Natural Resources tell whether a stream is healthy or degraded? State scientists start by looking for critters. Every year scientists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Read the Rest…
Stretch of Gunpowder Falls State Park Adjacent to Fishing Spots The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has dedicated a portion of the Gunpowder North Trail in memory of Jim Gracie, trout fisherman and stream restoration advocate who died in 2020. A ceremony at Gunpowder Falls State Park was attended by his wife, Jane Gracie, Read the Rest…
Project’s Goal to Raise and Release Bivalves into Wild The presence of freshwater mussels indicates a healthy stream, with the bivalves acting as natural filters – removing excess nutrients and sediment from the water and then slowly releasing food for other aquatic life. However, the once-plentiful mussels have been on a decline in Maryland streams Read the Rest…