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Chesapeake Bay Water Quality

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Updated: April 18, 2024

Watershed Stewards Academy Curriculum (EC-2020-0518)

The Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) uses a train-the-trainer approach to instruct and manage a diverse group of Steward volunteer. The goal of the program is to develop Stewards conversant in watershed issues, who provide localized community outreach and assist with the implementation of best management practices focused on stormwater and improving local water quality.The Watershed Stewards Academy Curriculum is a 13-module curriculum, comprised of numerous lessons and activities, that provides participants the basic tools and information for those interested in stormwater management. Each module is approximately 2-3 hours long. This may vary based on local program goals and objectives. Authors: Kelsey Brooks, Eric Buehl, Jennifer Dindinger, Amanda Rockler, and Jackie Takacs; Key Contributors: Nicole Basenback, Suzanne Etgen, Kate McClure, Taryn Sudol, and Krisztian Varsa; Title: Watershed Stewards Academy Curriculum (EC-2020-0518)
Updated: October 17, 2023

Installation of Pet Waste Station

When disposed of improperly, pet waste can be a source of water pollution because it contains diseases and bacteria. When precipitation falls on pet waste, bacteria and diseases are picked up and carried to local waterways and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. The pollution caused by unscooped pet waste affects both wildlife and humans – diseases associated with pet waste can cause illness and even death in people with weakened immune systems.
Pet waster station
Updated: March 13, 2023

Pond and Watershed Management

Prior to digging or re-digging a pond, landowners need to contact their Soil Conservation District or Natural Resources Conservation Service Office to obtain the appropriate permits. In most counties, these offices can offer assistance in pond sitting and design.
Updated: November 14, 2022

Groundwater

Groundwater
Updated: May 18, 2022

Septic Nutrient Loading - Excerpt from MD WIP III Plan

Septic Nutrient Loading - Excerpt from MD WIP III Plan
Updated: May 17, 2022

Groundwater Protection Begins at Home - Poster

Groundwater Protection Begins at Home - Poster
Updated: May 17, 2022

Ground Water and Wells in the Maryland Piedmont

The Piedmont physiographic province in Maryland is located between the Blue Ridge and Coastal Plain provinces (figure 1). The Piedmont is underlain primarily by metamorphic and igneous crystalline rocks, with smaller amounts of sedimentary rocks. Over time the rocks have been folded, faulted, and fractured to varying degrees, and the region is commonly referred to as fractured-rock terrane (Nutter and Otton, 1969). The boundary between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain provinces is known as the Fall Line, and it separates the hard, fractured rocks of the Piedmont from the unconsolidated sediments of the Coastal Plain.
Updated: May 17, 2022

Ground Water and Wells In the Maryland Coastal Plain

Maryland’s Coastal Plain aquifer system lies within the Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic province which includes eastern and southern areas of Maryland (figure 1). A relatively thick wedge of largely unconsolidated sediments underlies Maryland's Coastal Plain. The sediments consist predominantly of sand, gravel, silt, and clay, ranging in age from Cretaceous to Quaternary, and overlie consolidated rocks of Precambrian, Lower Paleozoic, Jurassic(?), and Triassic age (Andreasen and others, 2013). The sediments dip gently to the east and southeast with thickness ranging from a few tens of feet near the Fall Line to approximately 7,200 ft at Ocean City, Maryland (figure 2).
Updated: May 17, 2022

Groundwater: an Important Water Source for People, Agriculture, and the Environment

Groundwater is the largest supply of freshwater on earth, and the biggest source of drinking water for the U.S. This unseen source, which exists under layers of soil, rock, and sediment, contains significantly more freshwater than rivers and lakes combined.
Updated: March 7, 2022

Aquaculture Programs

University of Maryland Extension has conducted quality educational programs for aquaculture development for over four decades. These have included outreach training for the production of finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants. Our longest running programs have encouraged the production of oysters and clams, which are important resources for economic growth, employment and the environment.
Oysters