I live next door to Town Point Marina, in Tracys Landing, in south county. We keep several boats in the in the marina. I've seen children swimming off the piers. Based on the reports in the Patch newspaper I noticed there are apparently no readings in Rockhold Creek. Would you be interested in my taking/reporting readings?

Please disregard my previous comment. I have decided not to pursue this avenue. Thanks, Bill

Tom, I just saw this posting for the first time. This is a great service. Thank you. I was about to suggest something then saw it at the South River post. Could you keep these readings in a dated progress chart and upload it. Since you have the numbers anyway, it would be good to track for consistency. Good job.

I have a question concerning a solution here without relying on legislation and enforcement. I may be suggesting the impossible but work with me and let me know where I am wrong.

Could it be that a group could be organized or one already exists that could take a large segment of the bay tributaries such as segments of the Severn, the Magothy, etc. Then, methodically identify the residents and hopefully the HOA's and approach them requesting participation in a solution. Just work patiently around the entire shoreline using publicity to our advantage.

If we were to move the community interest away from green, mowed fertilized lawns to something more natural, yet pleasing without adding to the run off, something that would not harm the rivers, could that not contribute? Has something like this been done on a large scale?

It would seem to me that we could organize community groups to work with smaller community groups to simply move the perception away from a grass need to a bay need and even identify neighborhoods that come on board.

I live away from the bay. Our HOA requires green grass. We must be therefore contributing to the problem. Where is my thinking flawed?

I have ideas and I believe we can organize a growing "army" of volunteers to begin the task. First there should be a core group to lay out an overview that could be developed into a plan. It works only by inclusion of many, many, people working from a single repository of information, resources, and reporting. I don't know anyone involved in this. I see it as being very doable.

What would you see to be the next step.

Thank you for posting this info. Very much appreciated. Would it be possible for you to give a little more info about "Sullivan Cove (old drainage ditch in Severna Park): 3050 (V)"? The numbers seem really high and the description seems odd. I'm new to this whole thing and would love more info. Thanks again.

Hi Ben. Thanks for the comment. I checked with Sally Hornor, the AACC microbiologist who heads up the water testing for Operation Clearwater. Essentially, she said that area is not a public swimming area but she included it in the testing scheme because it represents one of countless man-made discharge points for polluted runoff from storms into our rivers. Here is her full response:
"This site is truly a ditch that collects stormwater from the upland watershed, which includes a small part of Olde Severna Park. Thus, this ditch is representative of drainage ditches everywhere. Bacterial levels would be expected to spike there because this water is primarily stormwater. As we know, stormwater carries bacteria from the watershed, including bacteria deposited by pets, wildlife and failing septic systems. You know all those drains along our curbs marked "Chesapeake Bay drainage"? If we sampled that water, it would probably have bacterial levels similar to what we see in this ditch. This is exactly why bacterial counts rise so rapidly in our rivers after the rain and this is why I thought it would be good to include the drainage ditch on my website."

above is my comment

Hi Ann,
Thanks for the comment. Do you recommend I take that site off the weekly report?
Tom

Tom, I've had a lot of positive feedback from readers on your blog- thank you. This information is very helpful to residents!

Respectfully, I must vehemently disagree with the Ann Jackson recommendation. Perhaps those spots should parenthetically be referenced as drainage but they should be included.

I have no idea where/what swimming areas are in the Bay or the Severn. I would suggest they are few and not the only places people are in the water. I paddle. I roll when I am hot or I just pull over and take a dip. I have not been out this year BECAUSE of the bacteria.

If we truly want to clean the bay, we should monitor all points to maintain references to note improvements and declines.

Ann, perhaps you would explain your goals and guidelines as a "Watershed Steward". Are you aligned with a group of stewards or is this a characteristic you apply to yourself. I am very interested in the scope of a steward's interest re the Bay and tributaries.

Brad, thank you. I salute you, Ann, and the others for your work. That sounds like a Leadership Chesapeake Bay program. I very much would like to meet with you and/or whomever is heading up the Master Watershed Stewards program.

I would not want to post my phone number or email on here but Leslie Hunt or Tim Lemke, editors for the Patch know me. An email to them could, I am sure, get forwarded to me.

I would very much appreciate you and Ann commenting on another blog thread on a similar subject, http://broadneck.patch.com/blog_posts/can-we-do-without-grass-lawns

In the meantime, would you explain why you and Ann would ask/suggest that Tom not post the bacteria at the storm-water drains. It would seem to me that these too are areas that we would be striving to lower the bacteria level thus should continue reporting and monitoring.

Capt. Bill, I would be interested in monitoring / taking readings in Rockhold Creek.

I am wondering what the brown plumes are swirling around just under the water surface in spa creek
Rico