Commissioners Fund Expanded Water Quality Monitoring Through ShoreRivers Partnership

Commissioners Fund Expanded Water Quality Monitoring Through ShoreRivers Partnership

At the June 30 meeting of the Queen Anne's County Commissioners, Annie Richards, Chester River Keeper from ShoreRivers provided an overview of the organization's Swimmable ShoreRivers program and the important role it plays in helping residents make informed decisions when planning to spend time in and around our local waterways. The presentation highlighted the organization's science-based approach to protecting Maryland's Eastern Shore waterways through water quality monitoring, restoration, education, advocacy, and community engagement. 

Each week between Memorial Day and Labor Day, ShoreRivers tests public access sites for bacteria levels and shares the results with the public before the weekend. The information helps residents and visitors determine when and where it is safe to enjoy local waterways. ShoreRivers currently monitors 54 bacteria testing sites throughout the Eastern Shore and is in the final stages of achieving Tier III certification, the highest level of community science water monitoring recognized by the Maryland Department of the Environment. 

The presentation included an overview of water quality testing locations throughout Queen Anne's County, including Matapeake Beach, Kent Narrows, Drum Point-Wye Island, Centreville Wharf, Conquest Preserve, Corsica River Yacht Club, Crumpton Landing, Jackson Creek Landing, Millington Waterfront Park, and Southeast Creek Landing. Richards also shared that more than 54,000 visits were made to its Swim Guide webpages for Queen Anne's County locations, demonstrating the value residents place on having timely water quality information. 

Richards concluded the presentation with a request for financial support to cover the cost of testing the sites located in Queen Anne’s County, noting that each site costs approximately $800 annually to operate for a total of $5,600. County Commissioners inquired if the program could be expanded with additional support. The conversation included monitoring areas near recent sewer infrastructure improvements to better understand long-term water quality trends. Richards explained that new testing sites require public access, volunteer support, and funding. 

Following the presentation, the County Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to provide $8,000 in funding for the Swimmable ShoreRivers program. The funding will cover the seven existing county-supported testing locations while also allowing ShoreRivers to add approximately three new public testing sites within Queen Anne's County. 

The Commissioners thanked Richards for her continued partnership and commitment to providing reliable, science-based information that helps protect public health while encouraging residents and visitors to safely enjoy the County's waterways.

To visit the ShoreRivers Swimmable website, visit https://www.shorerivers.org/swim

To watch the presentation, visit https://youtu.be/pzcTkTRkwFY?si=KALMz2hGnAIgjiGA