Sunlight glistens on the surface as the gentle waves roll by. As the weather warms, more boats will dot the bay, with sailors seeking the thrill of harnessing the wind and anglers searching for a trophy rockfish.
But below the surface, the nation's largest estuary is in deep trouble.
Nutrient and sediment pollution choke oxygen from the water, leading to vast "dead zones" where fish, crabs and oysters can't survive.
Sprawling suburban developments gobble up forests and wetlands in...
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John - 2010-03-26 09:48:54
I agree. With the economy being as bad as it is, people are losing homes, can't find jobs, in some cases, cant even find food. As important as the bay is, how can they spend the money on this at this point?
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Rick M - Laurel, Md - Karma: Excellent
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Bay Health - 2010-03-26 09:32:34
I hope they are finally going to get some momentum on this. I watched all of the fish and crabs die in the Severn River @ Round Bay from a red tide one morning back in the early eighties. None of us understood what was happening but we knew it was bad. Now they say that the water quality there after a rain storm is too toxic to be safe to even swim in it. Having grown up and learned how to swim and fish there, I would like to see this be possible for future generations as well.
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John Veach - , - Karma: Neutral
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Pet Waste - 2010-03-23 19:18:42
A.K. of Annapolis...
I might agree that failing to pick up pet waste is probably not a major cause of Bay pollution.
But, it's just the right thing to do. It doesn't matter what wild animals do, owners who do not pick up after their pets are just plain disgusting.
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John Polek - , - Karma: Neutral
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Pet Waste! - 2010-03-22 10:04:59
I agree that drastic, real steps need to be taken to protect the Bay.
But I am dumbfounded that any of this would be attributed to "failing to pick up pet waste." Do wild animals not poop?
Oh, or maybe they just pick it up and put it in a plastic bag? Yeah, that would be better for the environment.
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A K - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent
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I agree, it's all talk!! - 2010-03-21 16:37:01
Been hearng this stuff for 40 years now. The people of AA country stopped an oil refinery on the Magothy in the 70's, then we had smart growth, In AA County we had controlled growth, antiquated lots, halt on marina expansions on endgangered rivers,NOT!
And when the citizens lost faith in the political will, we were told to negotiate covenants which would direct growth with developers. But then we had John Gary, Janet Owens and John Leopold who didn't respect covenants and in fact aided and abetted developers in defying the covenants. I don't think any more money should be pumped into Bay clean up. The sailing museum on City Dock will cause further deterioration of the harbor waters. In this County, if there is a choice between development and the Bay, the Bay loses.
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Maryellen Brady - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral
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The Bay - 2010-03-21 08:07:30
All is done is talk, very few actions, boils down to too many people living near the Bay, their noxious run offs from homes, cars, business. I am afraid the Bay will still look lovely on its surface, but below it will continue to die.
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linda keefer - barboursville, WV - Karma: Good
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talk talk talk - 2010-03-21 08:03:05
all the people ever do is talk about the bay. it is time to let it die or take drastic measures to clean it up.
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Fred Shubbie - annapolis , md - Karma: Terrible
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