More than 11,500 residents in the Chesapeake Bay region – myself included – believe that science must lead the way on finding a regional solution to the Bay’s cleanup. And together, we have signed a petition calling for the continued operation of the Conowingo Dam. Why?
Because the dam has actually protected the Chesapeake Bay by trapping 2 million tons of sediment every year, and it should be relicensed to preserve the many benefits it provides the State of Maryland.
My family has had a cabin on the Conowingo pond since 1961 and I’ve been spending my summers at the dam since childhood, fishing and hiking. No wonder thousands of visitors come to the dam every year to see the bald eagles and experience nature at its finest. The dam is also a vital source of clean, renewable energy in the region and contributes to the local economy.
That’s why I volunteered to personally hand-deliver over 11,500 signatures to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to show the immense, collective support for the Conowingo Dam and its continued operation.
We have a study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shed some scientific light on sediment in the Susquehanna River and its impact on the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Pollution from the Susquehanna River is responsible for only a fraction of the sediment – a mere 20 percent – that reaches the Bay’s waters. The remaining, vast majority of pollution entering the bay actually comes from other tributaries below the Conowingo Dam. The study also concludes that dredging behind the dam would be the most expensive way to address pollution with some of the smallest payoffs.
Now that the science has spoken, let’s use it to formulate a regional solution to clean-up the Chesapeake Bay. What we need is data and expert advice, not politics and misinformation, to move the discussion forward.
Jan Nethen
Volunteer
Support Conowingo Dam
Bill Gilmore says
Indeed Jan you are correct. The fact is Hydro Electric Power is indeed Renewable Green Energy Source, far more reliable that wind and solar. Niagara Falls, the Columbia River Project, TVA all examples of Hydro Power that has served this country for years and will continue to provide power for years to come. How many people rely on electricity, rhetorical at best. Reality is no one worries about the power until it is not there. Generations have grown up with the flick of a switch and know and expect nothing less. You have to look long and hard to find someone who can remember the first electric light bulb on their farm. Think about all the regulation (EPA) being put on coal and the Presidents promise to kill coal fired power plants. Well folks if indeed that comes about what is the plan to replace all those plants, is their a plan, can it be natural gas, can it be green wind, or solar. Well the same holds true for Clean Green Hydro power. Where is the plan, the money and the regulatory approvals to replace all the things the EPA doesn’t like. I certainly would like someone to answer that question before they start shutting everything down. Conowingo has served Maryland for years in many positive was and should continue to operate for many, many more.
Vincent De Sanctis says
Unfortunately the Dam serves a convenient scapegoat for those politicians who want to avoid antagonizing the agricultural community. The Dam serves the same symbolic purpose as supporters of the pipeline have used. Establish a convenient explanation for your decision and just keep repeating the refrain. Noise and repetition are being used to trump science.
Kirk French Jr. says
“What we need is data and expert advice, not politics and misinformation, to move the discussion forward.”
This, of course, only matters if the information provided is accurate. It’s just like when someone goes to the doctor. If you are feeling ill, you don’t expect the doctor to tell you “nothing is wrong, just go home.” If that happens you would then seek a second opinion and so on, and so forth. This same principle applies to the Conowingo Dilemma. If the state wants to find an answer to pollution, they will continue to seek alternative studies until they find what it is they are looking for. Anthony Brown pointed to several studies during the course of his campaign, but did not speak about the one conducted by the Maryland Public Policy Institute – ” https://www.mdpolicy.org/docLib/20141027_MarylandPolicyReport201403.pdf ”
However, I did hear Larry Hogan reference this at one time.