Program areas at MRC
Regulatory enforcement and pollution reducing projects Shorerivers works to improve water quality through legal and policy advocacy. The riverkeepers support laws that protect our waterways. They work with state and local governments to maximize the environmental benefit of the tmdl constraints, and the water implementation plans that each jurisdiction must now employ. They patrol rivers and help state officials enforce conservation regulations. Shorerivers staff work with members of the agricultural community designing, funding and implementing pollution reduction and restoration projects.
Water quality monitoring and testing seasonally Shorerivers monitors and tests water quality at over 65 sites multiple times each month in eastern bay, the bayside creeks, and on the choptank, miles, wye, chester and sassafras rivers and their tributaries. The riverkeepers test for water clarity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and algal concentrations. The organization also test 48 sites weekly for bacteria levels and provides training, administrative, data analysis and other support for the water quality program. The organization issues a state of the rivers report card annually. The four riverkeepers patrol their watersheds by boat.
Education and outreach Shorerivers publishes multuple printed and electronic newsletters each year, sponsors an environmental outreach and fundraiser each fall, hosts a summer solstice outreach and fundraising event, hosts a ride for clean rivers bike ride to bring awareness to clean water issues, publishes periodic newspaper articles on river protection issues, hosts an annual youth environmental action summit. Promotes an oyster restoration program, engages in an agricultural outreach program with farmers and sends staff to public forums, community groups, etc. To speak on river stewardship. Shorerivers conducts an environmental education and outreach program in public schools in talbot, dorchester, kent and queen annes counties.