Third Annual South River Sojourn And Wade-In Set For June 18

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ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 14, 2005) -- Roll up your pants and lace up your sneakers with members from the Lower Western Shore Tributary Team and the South River Federation on Saturday, June 18, as they host their 3rd Annual South River Sojourn and Wade-In at Quiet Waters Park from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.

All participants should meet at 8:45 A.M. in parking lot “I” near Dogwood Pavilion. Once assembled, the group will haul kayaks down to Amphibious Horizons’ boat ramp and put in. From there, participants will paddle up South River to Edgewater Beach Shady Section taking a look the diversity of aquatic life. A barbeque lunch will be waiting for the group at Edgewater Beach during which the Wade-In will take place.

While there is no fee for this event and it is open to the public, non-members are encouraged to join the South River Federation. Donations are welcome and are tax deductible. If you would like to participate and need to rent a kayak, contact the Federation at (443) 482-2155 or cindy@southriverfederation.net. More information is available at www.southriverfederation.net.

In what has become an annual event for each of Maryland’s 10 Tributary Teams, the Wade-Ins are inspired by former State Senator Bernie Fowler, who began wading into the Patuxent River 15 years ago with family and friends to highlight concerns about declining water quality in Maryland’s tributaries and the Chesapeake Bay. Senator Fowler remembered that, as a child, he could wade into the Patuxent and easily see his shoes. The event became known as a Wade-In and is characterized by participants wading into a stream, river, or the Bay, and measuring the point at which they can no longer see their shoes, commonly known as the Sneaker Index. Fowler challenged the other nine tributary Teams to host Wade-Ins or similar water quality awareness events of their own.

The Lower Western Shore basin drains approximately 270 miles of land including portions of Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Large water bodies in the basin include the Magothy, Severn, South, West and Rhode Rivers. The Lower Western Shore Tributary Basin is a varied landscape and includes the highly developed areas of Annapolis and the Route 2 corridor, along with miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline and farmland stretching into Calvert County.

Since 1995, Maryland’s Tributary Teams have assisted with the implementation of the state’s watershed-based plans to reduce nutrient pollution to Maryland’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Support for the Tributary Teams is provided by staff at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR); however the members are volunteers whose tireless energy results in invaluable contributions to restoration efforts. The Wade-Ins are just one of the ways the Teams highlight local water quality and get their communities involved.

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June 14, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov