The Spy received this note from the MidShore Riverkeepers:
Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy is proud to present our second annual Report Card for the Choptank, Miles and Wye Rivers.
During 2011, with our partners Talbot Creekwatchers, we sampled water quality more than 500 times at 80 various sites in the Choptank, its major tributaries, and the Miles and Wye Rivers. Our Riverkeepers, Drew Koslow and Tom Leigh, have analyzed this data and will be presenting the results at the State of the Rivers Presentation.
The results for overall health in 2011 are:
· The Choptank River scored 54%, a C;
· The Miles River scored 41% C-;
· The Wye River scored 65% and the Wye East 51%, a C+.
The results are similar to those from recent years. Dissolved oxygen levels were generally good, but high nutrient loads, which have caused our poor water clarity and excessive algal growth, remain a serious concern. Left unchecked, increasing nutrient concentrations will begin to negatively impact dissolved oxygen levels—the key to life in our rivers.
The results from the Report Card reinforce the fact that the pollution in our rivers is coming from the land surrounding our rivers. As a community, we must take steps to reduce that pollution.
To read the full report, click here
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