A Swimmable Harbor
Ahh, looks like it’s going to be another beautiful day at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. I think I might just go for a swim in the beautiful, clean water.
Wait. What?
That’s right; the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore has released its “Healthy Harbor Initiative,” an outline of goals that says that by 2015, we’ll have a fishable, swimmable harbor.
The initiative is divided into six main areas of improvement: water quality, water conservation, landscape and ecology, mobility, energy and carbon, and materials and waste. The plan lays out short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals which describe how each of these areas will be improved, and how it’s all going to come together to make our harbor’s water healthy and clean.
One of the main problems with the harbor right now is something called a “dead zone.” No, that isn’t the title of a new horror movie; it’s a phenomenon that occurs when water loses oxygen due to algae blooms and can’t support any marine life. Check out this article to learn more about dead zones. The Healthy Harbor strategy to solve our harbor’s dead zones is to pump the water with oxygen using solar or wind powered pumps. This will allow fish to thrive and will restore the water’s natural balance.
Another way that the scientists behind the Healthy Harbor Initiative plan to clean up the water is by installing wetlands along the waterfront. Wetlands are the ultimate habitat! They filter water, help stop erosion, absorb water to prevent flooding, and provide a place to live for many types of creatures. When polluted water flows through the wetlands, plants and bacteria break down harmful substances and help keep the water clean. This neat animation shows how Mother Nature’s little water filters work for the environment:
Since the Healthy Harbor Initiative is going to turn the harbor into a place to swim for humans, it’s only fair that we help the fish out, too. Low oxygen levels and a lack of underwater plant life mean that fish have no place to hang out. So what’s the plan? Create floating island habitats that will give fish an oxygenated refuge and will filter water. This research article goes in depth about how floating islands work to filter water.
Here’s the link to the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore’s website so you can see the whole Healthy Harbor Initiative. While you’re reading that, I’m going to go put on some sunscreen and blow up my ducky floaties. I can’t wait to hop in the harbor! Is it 2015 yet?
