• Preserving our environment

• Fostering collaboration among our communities

Historical Perspective: Protected and Productive Watershed

Geographic Perspective

• State/county definition of Herring Bay watershed

• For now, AHB is focusing on areas that flow directly into Herring Bay

Management Focus:Preservation and Protection

• Flagged for preservation in

county’s GDP (in red)

• One of two EPA “no discharge” areas in MD

Large portions of this watershed are designated as Greenway/FIDS and RCA

• Areas designated as potential habitat for forest interior dwelling species (in green)

• Critical Area classified as “resource conservation

area” (in red)

• Formed in 2005 by a group of friends and neighbors

• Now approximately ~50 people

• Guiding Principles:– Those of us who enjoy the beauty of Herring

Bay have a responsibility to protect it– Social cohesion within our communities is

integral to efforts to protect it– Membership is based on willingness to devote

time and talents to preserving the environmental health of Herring Bay

What we working to protect

• Natural beaches designated as breeding habitat

• Creeks and wetlands that support fish, wildlife, SAV, amphibians

What we are working to protect: sensitive lands and habitats

• Steep slopes in Herring Bay watershed (in brown)

• Ponds and vernal pools

The major challenge for Herring Bay: development pressure from marinas

What the Advocates for Herring Bay Are Doing:

Monitoring water quality to identify pollution sources

• Testing beaches and creeks – Bacteria– Nitrogen (starting in ‘09)– Water Clarity– Rainfall (CoCoRaHAS)

• Example: Very high bacteria levels in creeks with marinas

Tracys Creek Bacteria Counts > 104 = unsafe for swimming

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M 22 M 28 Jn 11 Jn 18 Jn 25 Jl 2 Jl 9 Jl 16 Jl 23 Jl 30 A 6 A 13 A 20

Note: in 2007, regular sampling @Tracys Creek started mid-June

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ria co

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2007 2008

Eco-tracking: Identifying habitats we need to protect

• FrogWatch USA• Christmas Bird Count• SAV• Macroinvertebrates (spring 09) • Horseshoe crabs (summer 09)

Town Point Amphibian Observations - 2008

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4-Mar 6-Mar 8-Mar 15-Mar 21-Mar 24-Mar 26-Mar 1-Apr 5-Apr 9-Apr 13-Apr 16-Apr 20-Apr 22-Apr 26-Apr 29-Apr 2-May 7-May

Peppers Wood Leopard Pickerel American Toad Green Gray Tree Frog

Working with our neighbors to protect our shared habitats and history

• Fair Haven oral history project

• Community cleanups

• Phragmites eradication and restoration

• Rain barrel initiative (spring ’09)

Advocating Policies to protect Herring Bay

• Worked with AA County to reduce impacts of dredge site in RCA/Critical Area

• Opposed remapping of 50 acres to IDA (ultimately granted to marina owner by legislative fiat)

• Proposed stronger covenants on pristine shoreline and forests being sold by the Nature Conservancy

• Comment on Critical Area regulations and other issues

What we can offer Watershed Stewards: People who will work to protect and restore Herring Bay

Contact us at herringbay@comcast.net or google “Advocates for Herring Bay”