Despite Promise, C-Bay No Better [Archive]

Mill

10-17-2002, 09:16 PM

I hate to admit it, but I doubt if we'll ever see those kind of numbers. The Chesapeake Bay region is a very desireable place to live and its watershed covers, I believe, around 64,000 acres. Progress, in terms of legislation and proposed legislation, may be visible. The fact is, however; that the area is becoming so populated that the terms set forth in legislation and proposals are a few steps behind. More people mean more cleared land, more pollution, and more nutrients being dumped into the watershed. I don't think we'll ever catch up. We keep taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Believe me, I'm not a tree-hugger by any means, just a person who believes in what he sees and reads.

10-19-2002, 11:28 AM

Mill,

You correct in your assumptions, except your 64,000 acre watershed figure is tiny compared to the area drained by all the rivers that flow into the Chessy. Considering the fact that one of the major rivers (Susquahanna) begins in central NY State and flows through PA, your watershed drains several states from NY down through North Carolina, you might be looking a thousands of square miles not acrea.

I think the commission should start with the three states listed and then expand into the other river source states as it establishes goals and criteria to fix the problem. It might take 40 to 50 years before it makes a signifigant difference. Hopefully more immediate gains can be recorded by eleminating the largest pollutant sources early in the effort.

The Hudson River has made an amazing turn about over the past 30 years and is getting better every year. Every village, town and City in the valley has it's own filtration plant and the difference this has caused over the past quarter centrury is truly amazing. We aren't out of the wood yet, but we are damm close. This change has occurred inspite of a continuous population growth. The Hudson has been a commercial highway for 400 years. It is tidal all the way (156 milles) to Albany, NY and oil barges, ocean going cement, grain, oil tankers and banana boats plow it's waters on a daily basis. The USCG maintains an Ice breaker to keep the channel open in harsh winters. The Hudson is the largest, single spawning river for striped bass in the world. Cheasapeke Bay produces more striped bass, but that production is from about a dozen rivers. Each of those rivers are the source points for pollution flowing into your bay and each one of them must be cleaned up to bring the Bay back.

There is hope! And hard work and common sense will make it happen. Draconian measures by the environmental whackos isn't the answer. That particular group of people spend more time pointing fingers at the past and beat the "who did it" angle to death than working towards a positive and clearly defined clean up goal. Their negative approach to the problem benefits them only! It is almost as if keeping the (Bay, River, Lake) dirty and full of bad news is a way to keep revenue flowing into their organizations through donations and grants.

Some day someone will determine what percentage of revenue actually goes towards the clean up goal and how much is paid out for staff payroll and negative communication efforts.

It will take people, politicians, and government agencies working together under pressure from the folks who are most affected to make this happen. The recreational and commercial fishermen, waterfowlers, kayakers, sail boat enthusiats, bay shore and river communities, conservationists, environmentalist and school kids will make it happen. If there isn't a "Save the Bay" coalition open to all people and industries for the Chessy, there ought to be!