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Bay Fact
Nearly 80,000 acres of bay grasses grow in the shallows of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Young and molting blue crabs rely on bay grass beds for protection from predators. |
What Can I Do?
 Dispose of medicine properly. To keep medicine out of our waterways, don't pour expired or leftover drugs down the sink or flush them down the toilet. Instead, return unused medicine to a consumer drug return location or foul your medication with coffee grounds or cat litter and put it in the trash. |
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From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland 
As our friends at the Maryland Department of Agriculture say, "Manure Happens." In fact, manure is a necessary component of the food production system.
These days, farmers use the latest scientific techniques and environmental practices for manure management to prevent it from washing into streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
To help Marylanders better understand current farming practices, together with MDA, we have launched a new web portal, which centralizes information, as part of the manure resources public outreach campaign.
The campaign features a series of color advertisements in media outlets across the State. You might see the I Recycle ad that promotes farmers recycling manure or the Manure Happens ad, which explains manure is a fact of life on the farm and a great natural fertilizer and soil builder.
The new web portal --- which provides information for farmers and citizens alike --- links to scientific research that describes manure management practices and explains the benefits of manure.
I encourage you to visit the site to learn more about these important practices and how they are helping to restore Maryland waterways. And be sure to thank a farmer for all they do for the Bay!
Sincerely,
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Eyes on the Bay Water Quality Website Eyes on the Bay staff are currently deploying water quality continuous monitors for the 2014 season. These monitors serve a variety of purposes, but their main objective is to assess EPA dissolved oxygen and water clarity criteria. Monitoring is conducted at regular sites on a continuous basis and at selected sites as-needed. There are two new sites on the Back River this year that will be used to collect baseline data. Two sites on the Potomac River's Mattawoman Creek return to continue to assess fishery habitat. Learn more.
BayStat Update
The BayStat team met with Governor O'Malley on March 25. The group discussed a number of items including a recap of StateStat's site visit to the upgraded Havre de Grace Wastewater Treatment Plant, launch of MDA's new Manure Happens educational campaign, and the work being done with Maryland's Bay watershed to review and address the more than 2,000 comments received last month on the latest draft of the new Bay Agreement. |
Explore and Restore your SchoolShed Update
 Could the recent cold weather actually be good for your stream? In colder temperatures, water can hold more dissolved oxygen, creating better habitat conditions for most aquatic animals. Chemical reactions tend to speed up during warming conditions, allowing some pollutants entering our waterways to become even more harmful. Cooler temperatures and the cooling shade from trees are beneficial to streams. How is your stream faring? Governor O'Malley's Explore and Restore your SchoolShed program has great resources for students of all ages interested in monitoring their local stream. |
Your Government at Work  Governor's Blog: Trees Are the Answer
Ask a question about our environment --- the Chesapeake Bay, air quality, wildlife habitat, even climate change --- and more likely than not, trees are a big part of the answer. Trees clean the air we breathe and filter the water we drink. They provide homes for all types of birds and animals. They help cool temperatures, reducing energy costs and the greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels. They beautify our neighborhoods and highways, increase property values, and contribute to safer communities. Read more. |
 April is Environmental Education Month
Governor O'Malley has proclaimed April Environmental Education Month in Maryland in recognition of public and private efforts to help children connect with and learn about their natural world. "Maryland continues to serve as a national model for quality public education," said Governor O'Malley. "Every day, our educators are being given more tools to create special learning opportunities that will better enable Maryland students to become informed and responsible stewards of our natural world." Read more. |
Bay Program Partners Slow Pollution Flow
Over the past four years, pollution controls put in place by Chesapeake Bay Program partners have lowered the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the water. This is a critical step toward improving water quality and environmental health. Read more. |
 Wastewater Treatment Technologies Improve Water Quality
Upgrading wastewater treatment technologies has lowered pollution in the Potomac, Patuxent and Back rivers, leading researchers to celebrate the Clean Water Act and recommend continued investments in the sewage sector. Read more. |
 Cracking Down on Oyster Violations
March 31 marked the closure of the 2013-2014 oyster season, during which NRP issued more than 90 citations related to illegal oyster harvesting activity on the State's waterways. The Maritime Law Enforcement Information Network (MLEIN) --- a new radar and camera system --- was instrumental in numerous NRP oyster poaching charges. Enhanced law enforcement is a major component of Governor Martin O'Malley's 2010 Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan to protect these resources and their habitat. Read more. |
 Love Maryland's Outdoors? There's an App for That!
Enjoying Maryland's great outdoors has never been easier with DNR's new mobile app! The AccessDNR app provides hunters, anglers, boaters, park-goers ─ anyone seeking outside adventure ─ all of the latest in nature-related recreation, information and news right at their fingertips. Read more. |
 Sponsors Sought for Maryland Bay Game Activity Book
DNR invites citizens, businesses and organizations to become a part of the 2014-2015 Maryland Bay Game through a variety of sponsorship opportunities! The publication is sought-after by tens of thousands of families, civic and community groups, scouting organizations, environmentalists and educators throughout Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region. One-quarter million print copies were distributed statewide in 2013. An electronic version of the Bay Game is also available on the DNR website, which receives more than 1.5 million unique visitors annually. For more information or to become a sponsor, contact David Sloan at 410-260-8016 or dsloan@dnr.state.md.us. |
 MDA Reminds Citizens to Follow New Lawn Fertilizer Law
Now that spring is finally here, the Maryland Department of Agriculture reminds homeowners and lawn care professionals that responsible lawn care practices can make a big difference for the health of streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland's new lawn fertilizer law took effect October 1, 2013, and includes new requirements for both homeowners who fertilize their own lawns and lawn care professionals hired to apply fertilizer to residential, business and public properties. Read more. |
 Deadline for Environmental Awards Nominations is Friday
Nominations are being accepted now through April 11 for the 2014 Tawes Award for a Clean Environment and for the James B. Coulter Government Employee Award. The Tawes Award recognizes individuals, civic, community and non-profit groups that have demonstrated outstanding efforts to enhance Maryland's environment over a period of time or with a single project. The Coulter Award acknowledges outstanding environmental contributions by a government employee. Read more. |
 DNR Seeks Fishing Guide Cover Photo
Calling all photographers! DNR has a Maryland Fishing Guide cover in need of an exciting snapshot! The shot that best showcases Maryland sport fishing will be featured on the cover of the 2015 Guide. The winner will also receive a one-year subscription to the Maryland Natural Resource magazine along with a 2015 State Park Passport. Read more. |
 Portion of Creek in AA County Open For Shellfish Harvesting
The Maryland Department of the Environment is reclassifying a portion of Fishing Creek in Anne Arundel County to allow oysters and clams to be harvested. The portion of Fishing Creek that is being reclassified from "restricted" to "approved" for shellfish harvesting is downstream from Arundel on the Bay. The headwaters of Fishing Creek remain classified as restricted, meaning that they are closed to shellfish harvesting. Read more. |
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