EASTON, MD – ShoreRivers will host the annual State of the Miles, Wye, and Choptank Rivers and 2018 Report Card Release on Friday, May 3, 2019, in the Small Boat Shed of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, located at 213 North Talbot Street in St. Michaels, Maryland. Doors open at 5:30pm, presentation begins at 6pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Light fare will be provided by Blue Heron Catering. Local oysters will be provided by Valliant Oyster Company and refreshments by Hair O’ the Dog Wine & Spirits. The event is sponsored by Dock Street Foundation and The Easton Group and the Easton Branch at Morgan Stanley.
ShoreRivers welcomes and encourages the community to join this evening of conversation, informative discussion, and release of its 2018 River Report Card. The report card reflects data collected at nearly 200 sites by ShoreRivers’ scientists, Riverkeepers, and more than 100 volunteers in ShoreRivers’ water quality monitoring program. This is an opportunity for the community to learn about the health and challenges of our local waterways and how the most recent grades compare to previous years. The presentation will feature ShoreRivers Director of Riverkeeper Programs and Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta, as well as Miles-Wye Riverkeeper Elle Bassett. Bassett and Pluta will give interpretations of 2018 water quality monitoring results. Notably, Bassett will discuss new restoration and outreach opportunities that mitigate the decline in water quality in surrounding communities.
“Based on last year’s water quality results, which showed interesting declines in the Eastern Bay region,” Bassett explains, “we focused our efforts on new projects in the Kent Island and Prospect Bay region. We secured funding for multiple new projects that emphasize River-Friendly Yard stewardship practices, as well as nutrient and sediment pollution reducing practices. Considering the latest data from last year’s sampling, we will continue to focus our efforts in these regions and seek new opportunities in the headwaters of the Wye East and Miles rivers.”
The St. Michaels event will be the third of five ShoreRivers presentations throughout April and May, unveiling the results of extensive scientific water quality monitoring across the Eastern Shore. Subsequent presentations will take place in Grasonville on May 16 and Betterton on May 17. These events will detail the state of the Chester, Sassafras, and Wye Rivers, and Eastern Bay, depending on location. For more information, visit ShoreRivers.org/events or contact Julia Erbe at jerbe@shorerivers.org or 443.385.0511 ext. 210.
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ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education. We work collaboratively with our community yet maintain an uncompromising and independent voice for clean rivers and the living resources they support.
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Miles-Wye Riverkeeper Elle Bassett collects water quality samples. ShoreRivers has released its 2018 River Report Card, which reflects data collected at nearly 200 sites by ShoreRivers’ scientists, Riverkeepers, and more than 100 volunteers. The findings of the Report Card will be presented at the State of the Miles, Wye, and Choptank Rivers on Friday, May 3, 2019, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
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