What Comes After the Rain

As summer gives way to fall and we wrap up our seasonal Swimmable ShoreRivers program, we can't help but feel a bit disappointed by what our bacteria results have shown this year — from pass rates 24% lower than last year across our watersheds and our first ever site that failed to meet safe swimming standards 100% of the time it was tested, it's been impossible to see the data come in week after week and not have concerns. 

This spring and summer have brought more rain than usual — in May alone, parts of Maryland received nearly 9.5 inches of rain — five inches more than the 10-year average. June added another 4.5 inches, again above average. And while we know that rain replenishes our farms, gardens, and forests, too much too quickly has consequences for our rivers. Stormwater runoff carries with it everything on the land — fertilizer, pet waste, sewage from failing septic systems, and pollutants from roads — sending it downstream into the places where we‘re swimming, fishing, and boating.

Through our Swimmable ShoreRivers program, we monitor bacteria levels weekly at over 50 recreation sites across the region from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This year’s rainfall has meant more frequent “fail” results under the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) threshold for safe swimming. These results can be frustrating and sometimes alarming, especially for families hoping to cool off with a swim in the water. As parents, pet owners, and boaters, we regularly check the bacteria counts at our favorite swimming spots, and share that frustration when the closest ones to our launch site test too high to risk our loved ones’ health. 

Here’s why it matters. The MDE standard for swimming areas is 104 colony-forming units (CFU) of Enterococci per 100 milliliters of water. That’s a technical way of saying: once bacteria concentrations reach that level, the likelihood of gastrointestinal illness, skin infections, or ear infections goes up. It’s not a magic line where danger suddenly begins, but a benchmark informed by decades of epidemiological data. It doesn’t mean that swimming, boating, or kayaking is impossible. Risk is gradual, not absolute, and our monitoring exists to give you information to make the most educated choice for yourself.

We also know that this is only part of the story. The above average spring rainfall increased the freshwater flow into the Chesapeake Bay by 20% this year, while the temperatures in June and July were the fourth and second highest in 131 years, respectively. These factors are contributing to higher-than-average hypoxia and anoxia (sometimes known as low oxygenated “dead zones”) in the Bay. Warming waters linked to climate change also create better conditions for pathogens like Vibrio vulnificus, while humans ourselves may contribute things like Staphylococcus bacteria (commonly coming off of swimmers in the water) and the Enterococci our program measures for each week. These challenges are real. But they are also reminders that our rivers are living systems that are both dynamic and responsive, and — if we reduce the pressures we place on them — capable of healing.

At ShoreRivers, we believe the story doesn’t end with failure — it begins there. Our job is not just to measure problems but to provide solutions. By understanding what drives high bacteria levels, we can act together to reduce them. Rain will always fall, but what happens on the land before it reaches our rivers is up to us.

So how do we move forward? Together. We need investments in green infrastructure that slow and filter runoff, stronger agricultural best practices, and upgrades to outdated septic systems and aging sewer infrastructure. These changes require collaboration across communities, governments, and landowners, as well as regulations and funding at both state and federal levels, which have admittedly been harder to come by lately. And just as importantly, we need access to reliable information and shared values — families checking bacteria results before they swim, neighbors cleaning up after pets, and all of us recognizing that actions on land have impacts downstream and that these are issues that have to start being priorities at every level.

At ShoreRivers, we are committed to being a trusted source of science and a partner in solutions. We see our rivers as living, resilient places that sustain us. The higher fail rates we’ve seen this season are not reasons to give up — they’re reasons to lean in. They remind us why our work matters, and why hope, collaboration, and stewardship are more powerful than fear.

The Bay and its rivers need us. Every raindrop that falls is an opportunity to act: to choose better land practices, to invest in cleaner water, and to ensure that future generations can swim, fish, and find joy in these waters. With science as our guide and community as our strength, we can make our rivers swimmable — rain or shine.

For Clean Water,
Ben Ford, Miles-Wye Riverkeeper
Matt Pluta, Choptank Riverkeeper
Annie Richards, Chester Riverkeeper
Zack Kelleher, Sassafras Riverkeeper

Take Action for Clean Water in Morgan Creek

On October 1, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will hold a public hearing on the discharge permit for Eastman Specialties Corporation. A subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Company — which produces a variety of materials, chemicals, and fibers used in everyday products — Eastman Specialties is located on Morgan Creek in Chestertown. This permit regulates what the company is allowed to discharge into our waterways, and it is now up for renewal.

Morgan Creek is a treasured waterway for many in our community, providing a place for boating, fishing, and enjoying nature. Unfortunately, ShoreRivers’ monitoring data shows that it also suffers from significant nutrient impairments, likely from runoff. And Morgan Creek is consistently the lowest-performing bacteria site in the Chester River, year after year — in 2025, the site only met the safe swimming standard for bacteria pollution 20% of the time it was tested. 

ShoreRivers also collected samples from Morgan Creek in partnership with Waterkeeper Alliance as part of nation-wide testing for harmful PFAS in local waters. A group of human-made “forever chemicals,” PFAS don’t break down easily in the environment and can build up in our bodies over time. These chemicals are linked to health risks such as cancer, liver damage, and developmental issues, making their presence in local waters a serious concern. Out of eight sites tested within ShoreRivers’ watershed, five results showed levels of concern — including Morgan Creek.

how can i get involved?

• Spread the Word

  Share this webpage, our action alert, or this one pager to friends and neighbors who care about clean water

• Attend the Hearing

  At ShoreRivers request, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is holding a public hearing where community members can share their concerns regarding environmental impacts to Morgan Creek:

  Kent County Public Library – 408 High Street, Chestertown, MD
  Wednesday, October 1, 5–7pm

• Submit Written Comments

  If you can’t attend in person, consider emailing written comments to jonathan.rice@maryland.gov by October 8, 2025.

  A sample testimony can be downloaded from here, or you can email Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards for help with your own.

• sign our petition

  You can add your name and support (and your own brief comments) to the letter ShoreRivers will be sending to the Maryland Department of the Environment. Click here to sign on.

These collective findings are a reminder that protecting our rivers and creeks isn’t just about clean water for recreation and wildlife — it’s also about safeguarding the health of our communities. As Eastman Specialties seeks to renew their permit, ShoreRivers is urging MDE to strengthen the permit’s terms by:

• Requiring a compliance schedule that addresses Eastman’s repeated violations. Eastman has a history of significant noncompliance with its permit, according to ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online, a database and tool managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). In Maryland, “significant non-compliance” means that a permit holder — such as a facility or business that holds a discharge permit — is seriously violating the terms of that permit. This could include discharging more pollution than allowed by the permit, not reporting required monitoring data, or failing to comply with  rules meant to protect water quality. 

• Mandating a stronger Quality Assurance and Quality Control plan to ensure operators are properly trained and reporting accurately. When a facility is in significant non-compliance, it signals a major problem that can harm our waterways and communities, and it usually requires stronger enforcement action and oversight from the state.

• Mandating surface and groundwater testing for PFAS and chemicals listed in Eastman's current permit. Eastman’s current permit does not require PFAS monitoring, despite the fact that Eastman is in one of five industrial sector categories recently identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as most likely to use or manufacture PFAS in its processes. We feel strongly that the state must address this discrepancy in a new discharge permit by requiring a PFAS sampling study plan be developed, approved, and implemented.

• Requiring groundwater monitoring and sludge disposal activities be reported as part of the new permit. These are the most common pathways for PFAS to accumulate in our environment and in our bodies over time.

The upcoming public hearing is an opportunity for our community to speak up for clean water. It will be held on Wednesday, October 1, at 5pm at the Kent County Public Library in Chestertown. I encourage my neighbors to attend and share their voices. Protecting Morgan Creek and the Chester River is about safeguarding the waterways that sustain our health, our heritage, and our way of life.

For Clean Water,
Annie Richards, Chester Riverkeeper

Swimmable ShoreRivers Program Returns, Expands Access to Results

Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards shows off one of ShoreRivers’ new informational signs at Morgnec Landing on Morgan Creek. Located at 14 sites (and counting) across the Eastern Shore, these signs provide information on bacteria in our waterways and the Swimmable ShoreRivers program, in addition to and showing users where to find weekly test results in both English and Spanish.

ShoreRivers is pleased to announce that not only will its Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria testing program begin Thursday, May 25, but that weekly results from this annual program will be available this year in both English and Spanish.

Every summer, ShoreRivers deploys a team of community scientists to monitor bacteria levels at popular swimming and boating sites to provide important human health risk information to the public. Their samples are then processed, according to standard scientific protocols, in ShoreRivers in-house labs. The program follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard protocols for collecting and analyzing samples and makes public the results of that testing to let people know about current bacteria levels as they make their plans for recreating in our waterways. Results are posted every Friday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at shorerivers.org/swim and on both the organization’s and its individual Riverkeepers’ social media pages.

Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta holds water quality samples. This summer, ShoreRivers and a team of volunteer SwimTesters will monitor bacteria levels at sites around the region, providing a critical public health service for communities and identifying pollution hotspots for future restoration efforts.

A second page, shorerivers.org/swimmable-shorerivers-espanol, has been set up to share this program with the Spanish-speaking community, and 14 signs can be found at public sites around the Eastern Shore that explain the goals of the Swimmable ShoreRivers program and show users where to find weekly results in both English and Spanish. These signs were made possible thanks to funding from the Cornell Douglas Foundation, and ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers will continue working throughout the season with local county officials to install more. Want to see one at your favorite local landing? Reach out to your Riverkeeper about adding a site, and talk to your county officials about installing one of these free and informative signs.

Weekly results are also shared on theswimguide.org, where descriptions of testing sites have also been added in both languages.

“At ShoreRivers, we believe that access to clean water is an essential right for all of our communities,” said Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards. “It was important to us to be able to offer informational access to more of our community, and we hope to continue expanding this access in the future.”

This public service provided by ShoreRivers truly is a community effort: this summer, 61 SwimTesters will monitor 46 sites on the Choptank, Miles, Wye, Chester, and Sassafras rivers; Eastern Bay; and the Bayside Creeks. Special thanks go to our generous site sponsors, who include towns, marinas, homeowner’s associations, and families.

Bacteria levels in our rivers and tributaries vary based on location, land use, and weather—making systematic, scientific analysis of local water quality vital. Major rain events are almost always connected to spikes in bacteria levels, and outgoing tides have a higher probability of carrying bacteria pollution. Potential chronic sources of bacteria include failing septic systems, overflows or leaks from wastewater treatment plants, waste from animal farms, or manure fertilizer.

Also returning for the 2023 season is ShoreRivers’ Pumpout Boat, which begins running during Memorial Day weekend. The Pumpout Boat is a free service offered on the Miles and Wye rivers, that docks at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels and operates from May to mid-October. With your help, this boat will help prevent more than 20,000 gallons of concentrated marine waste from entering our waters annually. To schedule a pump-out, contact Captain Jim Freeman at 410-829-4352, on VHF Channel 9, email POBCaptJim@gmail.com, or by using the form at shorerivers.org/programs/pumpout-boat.

ShoreRivers Urges Queen Anne’s to Protect its Critical Area by Denying Variance Request

On January 24, I had the opportunity to attend the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners meeting and provide comments on a petition to change current zoning ordinances to allow for the construction of a 156,000-square foot, four-story high storage facility within the Critical Area on Kent Island. My testimony was among 64 comments provided by community members and environmental organizations opposing this project, and we anxiously await the County Commissioners’ verdict at their upcoming meeting on February 14. Granting this variance request will compromise the County's vision to "Remain a rural, agricultural, and maritime County that restores, enhances, protects, conserves, and stewards its valuable land, air, and water resources" as stated in its Comprehensive Plan.

 This is, without question, the wrong location for a project of this scale and impact. The parcel in question is on the banks of the Chester River—in the sensitive Critical Area—and currently zoned for limited development. The developer purchased this land with full knowledge of the building limitations on this parcel, and now is requesting a variance in order to get around the current restrictions. Purchasing land with the intention of applying for a variance is an unfortunate trend in our Eastern Shore counties that puts unnecessary and irreparable strain on our natural resources—in this case, forest land, wetlands, and our Chester River.

 Legal representation for the developers asserted at the hearing that this zoning change is allowed under Critical Area law, which is true. The developer has effectively worked within the system to pursue this business venture. However, the County Commissioners are also under no obligation to grant this variance. I wonder what the Critical Area of Kent Island would look like if every acre of growth allocation was approved? How much wetland habitat and woodland buffer would remain to beautify our shores, attract birds and fish, and protect our shorelines from sea level rise and erosion? A storage facility— four stories high on the banks of the river— is not the best use of our land or our Critical Area.

 By the end of 2022 it became clear that nutrient reductions required under the Chesapeake Bay’s Total Maximum Daily Load requirements would not be met by 2025—a huge disappointment for clean water advocates after a 30-year effort. To reverse this trend in Eastern Shore watersheds, it is not enough for counties to rely on the state’s minimum requirements; they must lean on their own comprehensive plans for guidance.

 Last May, Queen Anne’s County adopted PlanQAC2022, an update to its Comprehensive Plan that, in its own words, “strengthens the County’s long-standing guiding principles, growth management, and supports creating sustainable communities consistent with the County’s vision.” Part of that support for sustainable communities included setting goals for infrastructure that will “protect our waterways (and) conserve our natural resources.” Now, less than a year later, the commissioners are facing a test of those very goals.

Statewide, ShoreRivers recommends new development in Critical Areas, such as this, be restricted to construction for government and emergency services only—not for private business like a storage facility. In fact, we recently made this exact recommendation as part of a letter to newly elected Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

 ShoreRivers supports planned, thoughtful growth that fits with our rural landscape, small communities, and abundant water resources in our Eastern Shore counties. In this case we ask that the developer be held accountable to the limits of the current zoning of this land, and urge the commissioners to deny this request at their upcoming vote on February 14. I urge you to make your voice heard too: comments can be submitted ahead of the meeting to qaccommissionersandadministrator@qac.org. We hope you’ll join us in standing up for responsible development and healthy waterways in Queen Anne’s County.  

Annie Richards
Chester Riverkeeper, ShoreRivers