Dear Rivers,

These are challenging times for those of us who love and depend on you. Across the country, long-standing environmental protections are being weakened or rolled back. A new federal definition of Waters of the United States, currently being ruled on by the federal government, threatens to leave more of your streams and wetlands unprotected. The Endangered Species Act — one of our most effective conservation tools — faces pressure to narrow the scope of critical habitat areas and weaken protections for important species like the Atlantic sturgeon. Federal safeguards against toxic PFAS in biosolids and sewage sludge are being rolled back, despite growing evidence of the harm these chemicals have on human health and ecosystems here on the Eastern Shore. Meanwhile, Maryland is grappling with large perennial budget deficits that threaten critical clean-water programs. It can feel, at times, like the tide is turning against the rivers that sustain us.

But here’s what we want you to know: you are not facing this moment alone.

Across the Eastern Shore, a committed community led by your local Riverkeepers is standing up for you. When a wastewater discharge threatened local waters, we showed up in force at a local chemical company’s permit hearing to demand accountability. Our volunteer advocacy program continues to grow, empowering residents to speak up for the rivers they love and ensuring decision-makers hear directly from the people most affected by pollution and special interest policy. Our Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria monitoring program (our most widely accessed public resource) witnessed a large frequency of high bacteria counts in 2025. But it also received an unprecedented amount of community support, partnership, and engagement, reinforcing how deeply people care about knowing when and where it’s safe to interact with our rivers.

We are also restoring what has been damaged. From living shorelines to agricultural best management practices, ShoreRivers continues to put solutions in the ground. This past year, ShoreRivers and Envision the Choptank were proud to receive funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the Upper Choptank Whole Watershed Project, a comprehensive effort to improve water quality, habitat, and community resilience from the headwaters downstream. At the same time, our environmental education programs are reaching thousands of students across the Eastern Shore, building the next generation of river stewards who understand that clean water is not optional — it is essential.

And it is essential. Our rivers are more than scenic backdrops. They support local economies rooted in tourism, seafood, recreation, and agriculture. They provide food, jobs, and a sense of place. Our bacteria data consistently shows that pollution closes access to these benefits, shutting down swimming, limiting recreation, and threatening public health, while clean water opens doors for communities to thrive. Protecting rivers isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s an economic and quality-of-life imperative.

So, to our rivers and to the communities that depend on them: ShoreRivers will continue to stand with you. We will advocate fiercely, restore thoughtfully, educate passionately, and act locally, no matter how uncertain the broader landscape becomes. We will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone willing to protect and restore the beautiful, working waters that define the Eastern Shore.

To this end, we are hosting four State of the Rivers events in your honor this spring. We hope the people who depend on and admire you will show up to them on your behalf. Each will be free and open to the public, and we will serve bounty from your waters. And we will share what the data told us about your health last year — transparently and unbiased. Anyone interested can learn more and register at shorerivers.org/events.

With resolve and deep gratitude,

Scott Budden
Executive Director, ShoreRivers