ACTUALLY IMPROVING. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN JUMPING INTO THE HARBOR PROBABLY WASN’T ON A LOT OF PEOPLE’S BUCKET LISTS, BUT 150 PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO JUMPING INTO THE HARBOR THIS SUNDAY FOR THE SOLD OUT HARBOR SPLASH EVENT. I’VE BEEN FASCINATED WITH THE ECOLOGY OF THE HARBOR SINCE I MOVED TO BALTIMORE 28 YEARS AGO, AND I’VE WATCHED IT GET CLEANER AND CLEANER FOR ERIC. SHOT THE HARBOR IS GOOD FOR FISHING, AND NOW SWIMMING. HE’S ONE OF 150 PEOPLE JUMPING INTO THE HARBOR SUNDAY MORNING AS PART OF THE HARBOR SPLASH EVENT. I’M PERFECTLY HAPPY TO JUMP IN WHEN THE WATER QUALITY SCORES. THAT IS, THE BACTERIA SCORES ARE BELOW THE EPA THRESHOLD FOR FULL BODY WATER CONTACT. ADAM LINDQUIST IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE WATERFRONT PARTNERSHIP OF BALTIMORE. THEY’RE HOSTING THE HARBOR SPLASH AT THE BOND STREET WHARF IN FELLS POINT WATERFRONT PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARDS A SWIMMABLE AND FISHABLE HARBOR SINCE ESTABLISHING THE HEALTHY HARBOR INITIATIVE ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2010. SO THIS IS REALLY THE CULMINATION OF 14 YEARS OF WORK TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY HERE IN THE BALTIMORE HARBOR, LINDQUIST SAYS HE HAS SEEN BLUE WATER, BALTIMORE’S 2023 WATER QUALITY REPORT CARD. THE NONPROFIT GAVE AN F RATING TO THE AREA WHERE HARBOR SPLASH WILL TAKE PLACE. LINDQUIST SAYS THAT GRADE LOOKS AT DISSOLVED OXYGEN, NUTRIENTS AND WATER CLARITY, BUT NOT BACTERIA, WHICH HE SAYS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN IT COMES TO SAFE SWIMMING WATER. IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT LEADERS ONLY RECOMMEND SWIMMING IN THE HARBOR DURING PLANNED EVENTS, LIKE THE HARBOR SPLASH EVENT, THOUGH THE HARBOR SPLASH EVENT IS SOLD OUT RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN STILL JOIN THE WAIT LIST. WE’LL PUT THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU ON OUR WEBSITE AT IN FELLS POINT.
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Over 100 people prepare to jump in the Baltimore Harbor for inaugural ‘Harbor Splash’
Reporter
Around 150 people are getting ready to jump into the Baltimore Harbor this Sunday, June 23, at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point. It's all part of the first-ever "Harbor Splash" event. The event sold out in 10 minutes with 1,000 people still on the waitlist, hoping they get a chance to plunge. Eric Schott is one of the 150 people jumping into the harbor Sunday morning. "I've been fascinated with the ecology of the harbor since I moved to Baltimore 28 years ago and I’ve watched it get cleaner and cleaner." Schott, the associate research professor for the Institute of Environmental and Marine Technology, said. "I've seen the city reduce sewage imports by 97%. I’ve seen trash disappear and I just trust it's clean enough when we have the right data."The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore is hosting the event to celebrate the progress of the harbor's water quality. "Waterfront Partnership has been working towards a swimmable and fishable harbor since establishing the Healthy Harbor initiative all the way back in 2010, so this is really the culmination of 14 years of work to improve water quality here in the Baltimore Harbor," Adam Lindquist, the vice president of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, said.Lindquist said he has seen Blue Water Baltimore's 2023 Water Quality Report Card. The nonprofit gave an F-grade to the area where "Harbor Splash 2024" will take place. Lindquist said that grade looks at things like dissolved oxygen, nutrients and water clarity, but not bacteria, which he said is the most important thing when it comes to safe swimming water for humans. "Waterfront Partnership is testing water quality in the Inner Harbor every single day leading up to this event and the results have been looking terrific and we expect that to continue through to the event," Lindquist said.Rainfall is the only concern for the event."Within 48 hours after a rainstorm, the harbor, much like the rest of the Chesapeake Bay, is considered unsafe for recreation. So, if it rains, we will have to postpone the event," Lindquist said.It's important to note that leaders only recommend swimming in the harbor during scheduled events like "Harbor Splash 2024" because of boat traffic, polluted sediment and a lack of professional supervision during other times. Though the "Harbor Splash" event is sold out, people can sign up for the waitlist at the following website.
BALTIMORE —
Around 150 people are getting ready to jump into the Baltimore Harbor this Sunday, June 23, at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point.
It's all part of the first-ever "Harbor Splash" event. The event sold out in 10 minutes with 1,000 people still on the waitlist, hoping they get a chance to plunge. Eric Schott is one of the 150 people jumping into the harbor Sunday morning.
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"I've been fascinated with the ecology of the harbor since I moved to Baltimore 28 years ago and I’ve watched it get cleaner and cleaner." Schott, the associate research professor for the Institute of Environmental and Marine Technology, said. "I've seen the city reduce sewage imports by 97%. I’ve seen trash disappear and I just trust it's clean enough when we have the right data."
The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore is hosting the event to celebrate the progress of the harbor's water quality.
"Waterfront Partnership has been working towards a swimmable and fishable harbor since establishing the Healthy Harbor initiative all the way back in 2010, so this is really the culmination of 14 years of work to improve water quality here in the Baltimore Harbor," Adam Lindquist, the vice president of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, said.
Lindquist said he has seen Blue Water Baltimore's 2023 Water Quality Report Card. The nonprofit gave an F-grade to the area where "Harbor Splash 2024" will take place. Lindquist said that grade looks at things like dissolved oxygen, nutrients and water clarity, but not bacteria, which he said is the most important thing when it comes to safe swimming water for humans.
"Waterfront Partnership is testing water quality in the Inner Harbor every single day leading up to this event and the results have been looking terrific and we expect that to continue through to the event," Lindquist said.
Rainfall is the only concern for the event.
"Within 48 hours after a rainstorm, the harbor, much like the rest of the Chesapeake Bay, is considered unsafe for recreation. So, if it rains, we will have to postpone the event," Lindquist said.
It's important to note that leaders only recommend swimming in the harbor during scheduled events like "Harbor Splash 2024" because of boat traffic, polluted sediment and a lack of professional supervision during other times. Though the "Harbor Splash" event is sold out, people can sign up for the waitlist at the following website.
Harbor Splash registration opens next week, some still skeptical over water's cleanliness
Harbor Splash 2024 hinges on swimmable Baltimore Inner Harbor
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