Clean Water Blueprint
Video created by: Mark Amorim
Water Restoration Large Focus for Chesapeake Bay, Other Watersheds Across Country
By: Nick LaRosa
As the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed continues, it is vital that those who live in the watershed recognize that many of the issues found in the Bay are prevalent throughout America. While the diversity of watershed problems varies from region to region, focusing on plausible solutions is now a big piece of the puzzle.
“It’s useful for us to understand that everyone contributes to the problem, not just one sector or another,” Jennifer Dindinger, Regional Watershed Restoration Specialist for the University of Maryland’s Sea Grant Extension Program, said.
Both the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation have been involved in efforts to address problems pertaining to water quality and agriculture. The Chesapeake Bay Commission has also spent the past few decades working to lower the amounts of nutrients and sediment that are contributing to the impairment of the Bay, according to Marel Raub, Pennsylvania Director for the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
“We have been making progress – not as quickly as we probably should be making progress, but that’s been changing as we accelerate our efforts,” Raub said.
“There’s a huge revolution coming in how we both manage water and the technology to clean it, to use it, desalinate it,” Fishman said. “There’s no question that water doesn’t get the respect it deserves given how important it is in our daily lives, but it’s not just that water deserves more respect, it’s that we’re mismanaging it in most places in the world.”
While seminars and general outreach can be very beneficial, they still do not entirely solve the problem. Changes will be seen once the best water management practices are utilized by all. According to Bobby Whitescarver, a land conservationist and native of Virginia, outreach is essential.
“We need to outreach more and get the word out and motivate people,” Whitescarver said. “I’d like to be a part of that.”
Contact cabrinicomdept@cabrini.edu with questions and feedback.
