Choptank Riverkeeper

10/06/2026

The Bay Restoration Fund has proven to be one of Maryland’s most effective tools for protecting our rivers from wastewater pollution. Since 2004, it has helped fund major upgrades at wastewater treatment plants across the watershed like the Town of Easton, Cambridge, and Greensboro's wastewater plants - and sever other smaller plants, preventing thousands of pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus from reaching the Choptank. Now as the current Bay Restoration Fund law approaches its sunset, we have an opportunity refresh and modernize the program to meet today’s challenges. And investing not just in upgrades, but in keeping wastewater plants properly maintained and operating as they should, helping communities fix or move failing septic systems onto sewer, and finding better ways to address the unique wastewater challenges facing rural communities and smaller towns on the Eastern Shore.

Since 2004, Maryland's “flush tax” has raised $2.3 billion for wastewater treatment plant upgrades that have kept hundreds of millions of pounds of nutrients out of the Bay. It could decrease in 2030, but advocates say sewage treatment plants still need the help.

09/04/2026

CHOPTANK RIVER BACTERIA REPORT – 9/3/26 :And that’s a wrap on our 2026 Swimmable ShoreRivers monitoring season! Unfortunately, we’re ending the season with some high bacteria results. Only 2 of 16 sites passed Maryland’s recreational water quality standard for Enterococci bacteria: Sailwinds Park Beach (86 CFU) and Bellevue Beach (10 CFU).

The highest results were Easton Point Park (24,196 CFU) and Kingston Landing (4,884 CFU), with several other sites also recording elevated levels.

Rain is an important part of this week’s story. We received heavy rain Wednesday night before samples were collected, which likely contributed to the elevated results. Then, another storm moved through Thursday night after samples were collected. That means conditions may be changing again.

If you're planning to get in the water this weekend, this is definitely a week to follow the Safe Swimming Tips and avoid swimming for 24–48 hours after significant, runoff-producing rain. Remember, our weekly results are a snapshot of conditions when the samples are collected, not a prediction of what happens after the next storm.

A big thank you to everyone who followed along, liked and shared the results each week, and overall supported the Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria program this year. Please take a few minutes to complete our end-of-season community survey and share your feedback on the program and how we can make it even better next year. Survey link: https://forms.gle/TjXyKeS4UFDTuqkf9

⚠️ SAFE SWIMMING REMINDERS
• Avoid swimming 24–48 hours after significant rain
• Don't swim with open cuts or wounds
• Rinse off after swimming
• Watch for algal blooms, rough water & other hazards
• Results above 104 CFU/100mL are considered failing

👉 Not all monitoring locations are designated swimming beaches. Follow posted rules and use caution when entering the water.

A HUGE thank you to our volunteer SwimTesters, site sponsors, community partners, and everyone who followed, shared, and supported this program this summer. You helped make this year's monitoring possible and kept thousands of people connected to the Choptank.

09/03/2026

Today’s the last day our SwimTesters are out collecting bacteria samples for the season - join me in giving them a big Thank You! 🙏 🙌👏 You can help us improve and grow the Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria monitoring program by taking 3.5 minutes of your time and telling us what you think and how you use the information we share. Click here for a brief survey 👉 https://forms.gle/dgxFrZCTy1iVCxe26

08/28/2026

CHOPTANK RIVER BACTERIA REPORT – 8/27/26: This week, 6 of 16 monitoring sites passed Maryland’s recreational water quality standard for Enterococci bacteria.

The highest failing result was at Kingston Landing (4,884 CFU), followed by Red Bridges (238), Hambrooks Bay Beach (228) and Hillsboro Landing (226). Most other failing sites were more moderate, between 109 and 185 CFU.

Six sites passed, including Oxford – The Strand Beach (

08/28/2026

Did you know we have a monthly newsletter? For the latest on water quality, wildlife, restoration, advocacy, and everything we’re doing to protect this incredible resource subscribe to my monthly Choptank Riverkeeper newsletter. Sign up today! 👉 shorerivers.org/subscribe

08/24/2026

Our Swimmable ShoreRivers program made it to the big leagues - read more about our certification and the results of this year’s Bacteria Blitz

ShoreRivers is proud to announce that our Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria monitoring program is now officially recognized with Tier III approval by the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). This approval follows the successful completion of bo

08/24/2026

We were down at Ragged Point fishing this weekend and you could see the construction of James Island across the way. Jeremey from the Chesapeake Bay Journal just put out a good piece on the history and future of James Island that you can read here: https://www.bayjournal.com/news/growth_conservation/a-new-beginning-construction-underway-at-maryland-s-james-island/article_1759825c-a106-40a0-b47b-fd875a421a87.html

08/21/2026

CHOPTANK RIVER BACTERIA REPORT – 8/20/26: The Choptank is looking much better this week with 10 of 16 monitoring sites passing Maryland’s recreational water quality standard for Enterococci bacteria.

IMPORTANT for this weekend: These samples were collected before Thursday night’s rain. Cambridge received more than 1.5", triggering sanitary sewer overflows along the river. Ridgely received about 1", Easton just under ¾", and the Bay Hundred around Sherwood about ⅓". That means these passing results do not reflect conditions after the storm in areas that received a lot of rain, because we know that significant rain can wash bacteria into the river.

If you're planning to swim, wait 24–48 hours after significant, runoff-producing rain. When rain comes after our samples are collected, following the Safe Swimming Tips is even more important.

🗺️ Check the latest results and our interactive MAP at ShoreRivers.org/swim

⚠️ SAFE SWIMMING REMINDERS
• Avoid swimming 24–48 hours after significant rain
• Don't swim with open cuts or wounds
• Rinse off after swimming
• Watch for algal blooms, rough water & other hazards
• Results above 104 CFU/100mL are considered failing
• Not all monitoring locations are designated swimming beaches. Follow posted rules and use caution when entering the water.

Huge thanks to our volunteer SwimTesters and site sponsors for making this program possible!

08/21/2026

🌧️ Rain Check: how much rain did you get with last night’s storm?

If you’re into local weather and rainfall, checkout UMD’s mesonet (https://mesonet.umd.edu/) stations to see what’s happening in realtime in your area of the watershed. According to their data, Cambridge got the most with 1.5”, Easton about 0.65”, Tilghman Island-area = 0.35”, and Ridgely with just under 1”. Stay tuned for bacteria results posted later this afternoon, and remember the Safe Swimming Tip that if it rains significantly in your area, wait 24-48 hours before swimming.

08/18/2026

Two days left to secure your cabin raffle tickets in support of ShoreRivers! Only 300 tickets are being sold for a chance for you and your closest 16 friends and family members to enjoy the mountains - in style! The cabin is conveniently located next to the trailhead for Old Rag, and if you haven’t heard me talk about why you should hike Old Rag just reach out and let me get started! Purchase raffle tickets here until Thursday: shorerivers.org/raffle