Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore press release:
Today, staff and board members of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore joined Baltimore City DPW Director Khalil Zaied, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, and ultra-marathon swimmer and artist Katie Pumphrey to release the 2024 Healthy Harbor report card, an annual update on the health of Baltimore’s harbor based on water quality data gathered by both Blue Water Baltimore and Waterfront Partnership in 2023.
This year’s report card grades eleven Baltimore Harbor sites for both ecosystem health and recreational swimming. The ecosystem received a C overall with dissolved oxygen receiving the highest grade, a B, and Chlorophyll a, an indicator of algae blooms, receiving the lowest grade, a D+. For swimming, grades ranged from A+ by Fort McHenry, to B- in the Inner Harbor, to F’s in the waters by Baltimore Peninsula.
In 2023, Waterfront Partnership took the unprecedented step of testing water in the Inner Harbor at five sites, five days a week (April thru October) using the EPA standard for swimming beaches. Samples were analyzed by ZooQuatic Lab and results were made public the next business day. Waterfront Partnership has continued this monitoring program throughout the recreation season, generally considered to be Memorial Day thru Labor Day.
The event also featured a ribbon cutting ceremony for a publicly accessible kayak launch in Fells Point. The new launch is the first major project of the Baltimore Blueway, which aims to increase recreational access and promote paddle sports in Baltimore Harbor. The Fells Point kayak launch is designed to act as both a point of origin and a destination, allowing paddlers to tie up their boats and visit the shops and restaurants of Fells Point. The launch also provides onsite storage for kayak accessible to members of the Canton Kayak Club.
This launch is the first new public kayak access point in the Inner Harbor under the Waterfront Partnership’s broader plans for the Baltimore Blueway. Next year, another launch is planned for the Inner Harbor, which, together with Fells Point, will form the Inner Harbor Heritage Water Trail, allowing paddlers to experience the iconic and historic sites of the Inner Harbor, Harbor Point, and Fells Point.
Additionally, Waterfront Partnership reflected on and celebrated key milestones from the past year that demonstrate the public’s growing trust in the harbor’s improved water quality, including “Harbor Splash” in June which marked the first public swimming event in the Inner Harbor in over 40 years, Katie Pumphrey’s historic 24-mile “Bay to Baltimore” swim, and the continued success of Baltimore’s trash wheels.
“While the journey to a fully healthy harbor may have its ups and downs, we are seeing real progress in water quality and ecological restoration efforts. The data indicates that our Harbor is becoming cleaner and safer for recreational use,” said Adam Lindquist, vice president of Waterfront Partnership. “Our ultimate goal is for everyone—residents and visitors alike—to enjoy a Harbor that is not only fishable and swimmable but vibrant and full of life. We remain committed to turning this vision into reality, with each new project and milestone bringing us closer to that future.”
The full 2024 Healthy Harbor report can be viewed online at https://www.waterfrontpartnership.org/harbor-heartbeat-report-card and a summary of key findings are outlined below:
- Majority of Monitoring Sites Have Good Or Improving Bacteria Scores
The Inner Harbor is deemed safe for swimming 80% of the time, with water contact advisories primarily arising after rainfall, which introduces bacteria into the water. Fortunately, the bacteria that can make people sick do not live for very long in the Harbor; they settle into the sediment, are killed by the sun, or are eaten by other organisms, typically within two days. That means water quality in the Harbor meets the Maryland beach standard for swimming so long as it hasn’t rained within the last 48 hours.
- Ecological Health
Sampling results from 2023 show that the Baltimore Harbor received a “C” for overall ecosystem health, which is a moderate score. This means the Baltimore Harbor can and does support a diverse community of wildlife, but there is still room for improvement. Algal blooms remain an issue, with chlorophyll a receiving the lowest grade, highlighting excessive nutrient pollution.
- Ecosystem Improvements
Oysters are considered a keystone species of the Chesapeake Bay because they filter water and provide habitat for small organisms. When the Waterfront Partnership and Chesapeake Bay Foundation started growing oysters in the Inner Harbor in 2013, scientists were skeptical that they would survive, but they did. Today, over 350,000 oysters are grown in the Harbor annually, and 1.6 million oysters have been transplanted to their permanent home at the Fort Carroll sanctuary reef. This year, the Waterfront Partnership and Chesapeake Bay Foundation took another significant step by installing Maryland’s largest public oyster garden at Lighthouse Point Marina, further enhancing local efforts to restore oyster populations.
- Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse
The tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26th, which claimed the lives of six construction workers, significantly impacted the Baltimore Waterfront and closed the Port of Baltimore for 12 weeks. The 4,000 tons of debris introduced into the Harbor poses unknown environmental risks, particularly to a nearby no-harvest oyster sanctuary reef that may have been smothered by sediment. In response, the Waterfront Partnership and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation are increasing oyster cultivation through the Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership, aiming to boost the annual supply from 350,000 to 400,000 oysters by 2025. A health survey of the reef is anticipated within the next 12 months to assess the full impact of the collapse.
- Sewer Overflows Decrease by 84%
Despite its challenges and setbacks over the years, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works deserves credit for repairing and upgrading key portions of the city’s sewer infrastructure — specifically, the construction of two giant storage tanks at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. These tanks capture sewage mixed with rainwater before it can overflow into local waterways. As a result, sewer overflows into the Baltimore Harbor have dropped by 84% (or more than 240 million gallons) over the last four years.
- Katie Pumphrey’s “Bay to Baltimore” Swim
Just two days after Harbor Splash, on Tuesday, June 25th, Baltimore-based artist and ultra-marathon swimmer Katie Pumphrey completed a historic 24-mile swim from Sandy Point State Park, at the Bay Bridge, to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This swim not only celebrated over a decade of hard work but highlighted the Inner Harbor’s potential as a vibrant recreational space.
Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative works to restore and protect Baltimore City’s most valuable asset, the harbor. Through its growing list of projects, programs, and partnerships, the Healthy Harbor Initiative is educating the public about what lives beneath the surface and how we can all fight for the urban ecosystem through actions we take. For more information, visit healthyharbor.org.
Waterfront Partnership is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing and promoting the waterfront district’s parks and public spaces. The organization creates welcoming programs, events and recreational experiences while working toward a healthy harbor and is committed to fostering connections among diverse communities to ensure equitable access to our blue and green spaces. For more information, visit waterfrontpartnership.org.
