Bay Dissolved Oxygen Conditions Better Than Average Water monitoring data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Old Dominion University show that dissolved oxygen conditions in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia were better than average for May-October 2022. The hypoxic water volume — waters with less than 2 milligrams Read the Rest…
Department Accepting Grant Applications for Fiscal Year 2024 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the Grants Gateway application is open for local governments and organizations for Fiscal Year 2024, which begins July 1, 2023. Through this process, funding is available for projects that restore local waterways, increase communities’ resilience to climate change and storm Read the Rest…
New Protection in Place for 13 Bodies of Water The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), along with the Severn River Association, Anne Arundel County, and the City of Annapolis, announce that a federally approved No Discharge Zone (NDZ) designation for 13 bodies of water in Anne Arundel Read the Rest…
Divided Season Results in Near Average 2021 Hypoxia Monitoring of dissolved oxygen conditions in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia showed a tale of two different halves for the 2021 season. The Bay experienced below average hypoxia — areas with less than 2 mg/l of dissolved oxygen — from May through July, followed Read the Rest…
Funds Support Planning and Design of Green Infrastructure Solutions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the award of $415,000 to seven climate resilience projects to help communities prepare for, and recover from, climate-related impacts. These competitive grants are designed to help communities plan and design solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events. Read the Rest…
Funding Supports Projects Fostering Science and Stewardship for Students The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced $160,000 in awards for student and youth outdoor science and watershed education in the state. The following schools and nonprofit organizations will receive funding during Fiscal Year 2022.
Waters Protected by Limits on Waste Discharge from Boats The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that the Chester River and its tributaries are now a No Discharge Zone, an area of water where the discharge of all boat sewage — even when treated by a sanitation device — is prohibited. The U.S. The Environmental Read the Rest…
Public Comments Accepted until Oct. 23 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed and tentatively approved a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for Anne Arundel County waters. The application approval has been entered in the Federal Register and a public comment period is now underway until Read the Rest…
Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan Sets Path to Achieving Bay Restoration Goals by 2025 Maryland has developed a comprehensive plan for the next steps in continued progress in restoring the Chesapeake Bay. The Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan — submitted Aug. 23 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — was developed to meet Maryland’s Read the Rest…
Anne Arundel County Seeking Federal Approval for Designation The public is invited to a series of information sessions about a proposed No Discharge Zone for Anne Arundel County. Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff and local partners will be on hand to explain the process for this designation. A No Discharge Zone (NDZ) is an Read the Rest…
Banned Pesticide Implicated in Poisoning of Bald Eagles on Eastern Shore The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are working together to address the continued illegal use of carbofuran—a banned pesticide that has been implicated in recent poisoning events in Kent and Talbot counties that have killed at least Read the Rest…
Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, which would drastically cut funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration: “As Governor of Maryland and Chairman of the Chesapeake Executive Council, protecting the Chesapeake Bay remains one of my top priorities. The EPA Administrator himself called the Chesapeake Bay Program Read the Rest…
Innovative Projects Can Access Funding Through New ‘Grants Gateway’ The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that $24.75 million in funding is available for local governments and nonprofit organizations seeking to restore local waterways, increase climate resilience and develop the next generation of environmental stewards. To streamline the grant application and management process, the department Read the Rest…
Average Year for Chesapeake Bay Dissolved Oxygen Dissolved oxygen conditions for the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay for the summer of 2018 were average compared to the long-term average from 1985-2017, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Low dissolved oxygen volume averaged 0.97 cubic miles from June through September. Crabs, fish, oysters and other Read the Rest…
Scientific Collaborative Sees Best Bay Progress in Decades Maryland’s Coastal Bays have received their highest grade ever reported according to the new 2017 Coastal Bays Report Card from the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, a snapshot assessment on the health and resiliency of the coastal bays surrounding Ocean City and Assateague Island. The “B-” grade reflects Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions for Maryland’s portion of Chesapeake Bay returned to near average for the month of August, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The department tracks hypoxia throughout the summer during twice monthly monitoring cruises. Low dissolved oxygen volume was at a record low (0.26 cubic miles) in late July, due to sustained Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay mainstem improved in early July, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The department tracks hypoxia throughout the summer during twice monthly monitoring cruises. The hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) was 1.05 cubic miles, nearly 0.6 cubic miles less Read the Rest…
As anticipated, dissolved oxygen conditions in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay mainstem worsened in late June. During its twice monthly monitoring cruises, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources found that hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/L oxygen) was 1.63 cubic miles, which is 42 percent greater than the late June average Read the Rest…
Partnership Grants Nearly $700,000 to Improve Communities and Provide Jobs The Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the City of Baltimore Office of Sustainability announce $693,791 in funding for the Chesapeake Bay “Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns” Grant Program. These grants help communities Read the Rest…
Maryland and Virginia scientists have begun regularly collecting oxygen data as they monitor the health of Chesapeake Bay waters, and track the states’ progress toward restoring the treasured Chesapeake. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will track bay oxygen levels throughout the summer during twice-monthly monitoring cruises.
Feature Shows Updated Health-Based Meal Advisories for Fish Caught by Maryland Anglers The Maryland Department of the Environment today announced the development of an interactive map that provides modernized, user-friendly information on fish consumption advisories. It is one of the only “clickable” maps for fish consumption advisories in the nation. A consumption advisory is a Read the Rest…
Department Researcher among 14 Co-Authors in National Academy of Sciences Report A new research article published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzes the positive impact of long-term nutrient reductions on an important and valuable ecosystem in the Chesapeake Bay. The research indicates that a resurgence of underwater grasses is due to Read the Rest…
Joint Department, University Team Develops Nutrient Monitoring Plan The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have been named one of five winners of a $10,000 Stage 1 Prize in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s national Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge. UMCES and Maryland Department of Natural Resources worked Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions in a portion of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay mainstem were better than average for late August, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) in the study area was 0.33 cubic miles, which is much smaller than the late August 1985-2016 average of 0.80 cubic miles for that reduced Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay mainstem were much better than average for early August, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) was 0.91 cubic miles, which is much smaller than the early August 1985-2016 average of 1.31 cubic miles. Read the Rest…
Today the Chesapeake Bay Trust in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the City of Baltimore Office of Sustainability announce $843,486 in funding for the Chesapeake Bay Green Streets-Green Jobs-Green Towns Grant Program.
Chester River Could Be Designated This Year The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Department of the Environment, in cooperation with the Chester River Association, are in the final stages of their application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for designation of the Chester River and its tributaries as a no-discharge zone. If approved, the river could Read the Rest…
Private-Public Partnership Focuses on Conservation and Economics The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is working to establish an economically-productive and sustainable oyster harvesting cooperative in Anne Arundel County. With funding from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the comprehensive private-public partnership will enhance the long-term business and economic Read the Rest…