Three facilities meet standards to improve local water quality and help restore the Chesapeake Bay The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified Hartge Yacht Harbor of Galesville, Anne Arundel County; Tradewinds Marina of Middle River, Baltimore County; and Lighthouse Point Marina of Baltimore City as the newest Maryland Clean Marinas. The department awards this Read the Rest…
It has been one year since Gov. Wes Moore announced that Maryland was shifting its Chesapeake Bay cleanup strategy to align with the latest science that recommends focusing water quality improvement efforts on increasing shallow water habitat and living resources, such as populations of fish and crabs. At the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we’ve Read the Rest…
Criteria to help identify eligible watersheds for pilot restoration program The Maryland Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership has released a preliminary list of watershed criteria, along with available data sets, to aid local governments, non-governmental organizations and project sponsors to assess local watersheds for proposed restoration and funding. The Whole Watershed Act (SB 969/HB 1165) establishes Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is expanding the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) permanent easement program statewide for the preservation of agricultural land and protection of waterways. Previously these easements were available in nine Maryland counties; now, landowners across Maryland with existing federal CREP contracts can participate in this significant land conservation program. The 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…
Department of Natural Resources scientists monitor Maryland’s waters to determine the habitat health for fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic organisms. Results from our monitoring programs measure the current status of waterways, tell us whether they are improving or degrading, and help to assess and guide resource management and restoration actions. Information is collected on Read the Rest…
Join Maryland’s Mission for a Sustainable Future I am honored to serve as Acting Secretary of Natural Resources for the Moore-Miller administration. This is an exciting time for Maryland, and it is a privilege to be a part of a passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable team that is working to provide a healthier, sustainable environment. Born Read the Rest…
Chesapeake Bay Dissolved Oxygen Conditions Better than Average 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 in June 2022. The hypoxic water volume — waters with less than 2 mg/l oxygen Read the Rest…
Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund Supports 22 Projects at 77 Sites Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the award of $18.8 million to 22 ecological restoration projects that will improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, while building local resilience to climate impacts. 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…
Eyes on Deep Creek Lake Provides Current and Historic Data The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has released a new online resource to help residents and visitors of Deep Creek Lake stay up to date on water quality data and information. Eyes on Deep Creek Lake is a new interactive feature on the department’s Eyes on the Bay page, 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…
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…
Available to Riparian Homeowners in Kent and Queen Anne’s The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree plantings to help improve water quality in targeted Eastern Shore communities. Kent and Queen Anne’s County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free tree Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay mainstem were much better than average for early July, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) was 0.78 cubic miles, which is much smaller than the early July 1985-2016 average of 1.3 cubic miles. No anoxic zones (areas Read the Rest…
Dissolved oxygen conditions in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay mainstem continued to be near average in late June, reports the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The hypoxic water volume (areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen) was 1.05 cubic miles, which is slightly below the late June 1985-2016 average of 1.09 cubic miles. No anoxic zones (areas Read the Rest…