ShoreRivers

09/04/2026

Exclusive opportunity! Members of ShoreRivers' Buoy Brigade are invited to join our second Chartroom Chat at Ten Eyck Brewing Company for a lively conversation about the changes in wildlife sightings seen in our rivers over the past few years including dolphins, skates, sturgeon, grasses, and even oysters.

You'll hear directly from ShoreRivers’ Sassafras Riverkeeper, Zack Kelleher, as he shares what’s in the river while we drink what’s on tap! You will learn the possible causes of changes and the potential impacts on the balance of our river ecosystems.

Want to get on the invite list? Join our Buoy Brigade by setting up a monthly recurring gift and we'll add you to our crew of dedicated clean water supporters. We'll have a free koozie waiting for you too!

This free event is exclusive for Buoy Brigade members. To attend, simply set up a monthly recurring gift and join our crew of dedicated clean water supporters.

09/02/2026

Have you ever been told you have an eye for capturing the moment? Perhaps a passion for photography? Do you love your local waterways and want to promote and protect them?

Our annual photo contest opens TODAY so send your best our way!

Have you ever been told you have an eye for capturing the moment? Perhaps a passion for photography? Do you love your local waterways and want to promote and protect them? ShoreRivers is running our annual photo contest from September 1 through October 31 , so snap a picture and send it our way!

08/31/2026

ShoreRivers is proud to welcome another member of the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps to our staff: Khushi Patel!

Khushi will be with us for the next year learning the ins and outs of our organization while working primarily with our Riverkeeper and Education teams. Please give her a warm welcome!

08/29/2026

With the completion of our submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) work for the summer, ShoreRivers wants to recognize the incredible sponsors who make this restoration possible!

The Center for Environment & Society at Washington College has been a long-time partner of our SAV restoration efforts. Their property in Chestertown has housed our turbulator and processing equipment since 2021. Washington College students have also participated in this work as volunteers and interns over the years.

Eastern Shore Tents & Events has donated a tent to our work for five years now. Not only does the tent provide shade for our staff, interns, and volunteers who spend hours processing through seeds, it is essential for a scientific process called after-ripening, which must occur before turbulation.

Thank you Washington College and Eastern Shore Tents and Events for your continued support for SAV restoration in our waterways!

08/28/2026

Results are in for our second to last week for the Swimmable ShoreRivers program! ICYMI: our program has been officially recognized with Tier III approval by the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative and the Maryland Department of the Environment this season, meaning our volunteer-collected bacteria data can now be used to inform state regulatory decisions, such as designating waterways as impaired and taking direct action against pollution sources. You can learn more about what this achievement means by visiting our website!

You can use the link in our bio to learn more about Swimmable ShoreRivers and our other ongoing work.

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Please note that there are inherent risks associated with open water swimming and recreational contact including, but not limited to, bacterial infections. Bacteria levels can change, particularly as a result of significant rain events (>1"). Always rinse off after swimming in the river, never swim with open wounds, and avoid water contact for 24–48 hours after a significant rain event. ShoreRivers uses the Maryland Healthy Beaches criteria of 104 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/100ml for collecting and analyzing bacteria samples. Anything higher than 104CFU is a failing sample, and anything below 104CFU is a passing sample. Please also note that not all test sites are designated swimming areas!

08/27/2026

Oyster Keepers at work! Over the past two weeks, more than 100 households collected their oysters to grow off their docks until next summer. These volunteers host cages filled with oyster spat on shell — baby oysters that are permanently attached to a half shell. Volunteers grow these baby oysters until they are about the size of a quarter and plant them on sanctuary reefs. 🦪

A huge thank you goes to our incredible Oyster Keeper volunteers, and to all the volunteers who helped build cages in preparation for our program! Please consider supporting ShoreRivers’ Oyster Keeper program today by making a donation inspired by “oyster restoration” at shorerivers.org/donate.

08/25/2026

Earlier this month, ShoreRivers wrapped up our submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) season with a final harvest and processing of Ruppia from the Choptank. This summer, ShoreRivers harvested and processed over 3.5 millions seeds in total that will be planted back in our rivers next spring!

This program is generously funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. 🌱

08/24/2026

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 Dept. Of The Environment (MDE). Tier III is the highest level of data quality recognized by MDE and CMC for community science water monitoring programs, and this would not have been possible without the help of our volunteers and incredible site sponsors. This summer, nearly 70 SwimTesters are monitoring 55 sites across the Choptank, Miles, Wye, Chester, and Sassafras rivers; Eastern Bay; and the Bayside Creeks each week.

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

08/21/2026

Congratulations to our raffle winner, Richard Hutchison!

Thank you to the owners of Chestnut Oak Farm for allowing us to offer this spot of luxury, and thank you to everyone who entered this raffle! Even though there can only be one winner, all these generous donations of money will help fund our work on the Eastern Shore’s rivers and creeks! We are so grateful for this wonderful community.