Decades of outdated drainage pipes washing pollution into the harbor every time it rains have made it and its feeder streams health hazards—so much that the Floatilla makes sure to mention that showers, hand washing stations, and hand-sanitizer will be provided to those participating. The Healthy Harbor Report Card has fluctuated over the years, but the Inner Harbor won’t be getting into college anytime soon. With a D+ in 2010 and a C- in 2012, it looked as if it might have been making a slow turnaround, but with a big red F in 2014, the harbor suffered a backslide. And this year isn’t looking too hot, either. For 2016, the harbor received an F for fecal bacteria, chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and water clarity. It managed a B- in both dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen, but so far the bad outweighs the good.
Lindquist and Ashman are serious about making a difference, and they believe the Baltimore Floatilla is going to help do just that. Lindquist states “simply by getting out in the Harbor you are becoming an activist for clean water. The more people we have loving and using the waters of Baltimore, the more likely our leaders are to take notice and take action.” Ashman believes that the Floatilla got such a successful turnout “because it was for the right cause: to increase awareness and to draw attention to the dire need for cleaner water. Ashman continued, “If we don’t start to try to make this a serious concern, it’s only going to get worse; the quality of water in the Inner Harbor isn’t just a tourism problem. It’s a problem for every resident, in and outside of the city.” Ashman firmly believes that “the first step to create change in anything is to educate,” and with the success and publicity the first Baltimore Floatilla received, the future for the Inner Harbor might start looking a little brighter.
by Emily Parks
Thursday, July 21, 2016 - 09:00
Kayaks with googly eyes, a canoer giving away trees, and an immense floating sign saying “FIX THE PIPES” dotted the Inner Harbor on June 11 at 8 a.m., as 250 paddlers set forth to “give a voice to recreational paddlers who want the water their paddling in to be safe, clean and accessible” says event coordinator and director of the Healthy Harbor Initiative, Adam Lindquist.
This June was the first year of the Baltimore Floatilla for a Healthy Harbor, and the event was more of a hit than Lindquist and his event management partner, Hal Ashman of Ultimate Water Sports Event Management, ever expected. Tickets sold out two months before the event, and the Floatilla was registered to capacity with over 100 people on the waiting list. Those people will be able to participate next year, as the coordinators plan on at least doubling the number of registrants.
Decades of outdated drainage pipes washing pollution into the harbor every time it rains have made it and its feeder streams health hazards—so much that the Floatilla makes sure to mention that showers, hand washing stations, and hand-sanitizer will be provided to those participating. The Healthy Harbor Report Card has fluctuated over the years, but the Inner Harbor won’t be getting into college anytime soon. With a D+ in 2010 and a C- in 2012, it looked as if it might have been making a slow turnaround, but with a big red F in 2014, the harbor suffered a backslide. And this year isn’t looking too hot, either. For 2016, the harbor received an F for fecal bacteria, chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and water clarity. It managed a B- in both dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen, but so far the bad outweighs the good.
Lindquist and Ashman are serious about making a difference, and they believe the Baltimore Floatilla is going to help do just that. Lindquist states “simply by getting out in the Harbor you are becoming an activist for clean water. The more people we have loving and using the waters of Baltimore, the more likely our leaders are to take notice and take action.” Ashman believes that the Floatilla got such a successful turnout “because it was for the right cause: to increase awareness and to draw attention to the dire need for cleaner water. Ashman continued, “If we don’t start to try to make this a serious concern, it’s only going to get worse; the quality of water in the Inner Harbor isn’t just a tourism problem. It’s a problem for every resident, in and outside of the city.” Ashman firmly believes that “the first step to create change in anything is to educate,” and with the success and publicity the first Baltimore Floatilla received, the future for the Inner Harbor might start looking a little brighter.
by Emily Parks
Decades of outdated drainage pipes washing pollution into the harbor every time it rains have made it and its feeder streams health hazards—so much that the Floatilla makes sure to mention that showers, hand washing stations, and hand-sanitizer will be provided to those participating. The Healthy Harbor Report Card has fluctuated over the years, but the Inner Harbor won’t be getting into college anytime soon. With a D+ in 2010 and a C- in 2012, it looked as if it might have been making a slow turnaround, but with a big red F in 2014, the harbor suffered a backslide. And this year isn’t looking too hot, either. For 2016, the harbor received an F for fecal bacteria, chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and water clarity. It managed a B- in both dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen, but so far the bad outweighs the good.
Lindquist and Ashman are serious about making a difference, and they believe the Baltimore Floatilla is going to help do just that. Lindquist states “simply by getting out in the Harbor you are becoming an activist for clean water. The more people we have loving and using the waters of Baltimore, the more likely our leaders are to take notice and take action.” Ashman believes that the Floatilla got such a successful turnout “because it was for the right cause: to increase awareness and to draw attention to the dire need for cleaner water. Ashman continued, “If we don’t start to try to make this a serious concern, it’s only going to get worse; the quality of water in the Inner Harbor isn’t just a tourism problem. It’s a problem for every resident, in and outside of the city.” Ashman firmly believes that “the first step to create change in anything is to educate,” and with the success and publicity the first Baltimore Floatilla received, the future for the Inner Harbor might start looking a little brighter.
by Emily Parks