In This Issue
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Snow, Road Salt and the Chesapeake Bay
One of the certainties of living in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed region is that each winter, we face the risk of several severe storms that have the potential to put a halt to daily activities with snow, sleet, or freezing rain. Getting society up and running again requires the combined efforts of many state and local agencies to remove snow and ice buildup from streets and highways. With about 20 tons of road salt is applied to each mile of four-lane highway in our watershed during an average year, however, common snow removal and deicing practices have the potential to harm the natural balance of the Chesapeake Bay.
Learn More »
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Useful Links
Watershed Watch
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A recent survey found that an overwhelming majority of Chesapeake Bay residents are concerned about the health and quality of the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Program, the state-federal partnership working to protect and restore the Bay watershed, sponsored the survey to help gauge the level of awareness and concern among Bay residents for this natural resource.
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Coming Next Month...
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Paving the Bay. Recent growth and development have greatly increased the
hard surfaces in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These include roads, parking
lots and rooftops, and are known as impervious cover. Next month, we will
explore how impervious cover changes our weather, increases flooding and
damages aquatic resources. |
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Greetings,
Welcome to the first 2003 issue of the Envirocast-Weather and Watershed Newsletter. We hope you had an enjoyable holiday season and are finding the variety of winter weather we've already experienced "interesting". Although mild days abound, we are no strangers to the ferocity that a winter storm can bring. Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain can create interruptions to our daily lives. Dealing with these conditions, however, presents unique environmental challenges to the Bay ecosystem.
WeatherNews: Let it Snow!
Snow and other types of winter weather are nothing new to residents of the Chesapeake Bay region. Each year, the watershed receives an average of about 26 inches of snow. This amount, however, varies considerably for individual locations across the region. In addition, slight variations in meteorological conditions can mean the difference between a dusting of snow and a glaze of freezing rain.
ToolKit: How Much?
- How Much Salt is Applied in Your Area?
- Snow to Liquid Equivalent Conversion
Did You Know? Snow and Ice
- Deicers Are Important
- Snow Can Kill
- Snow Is a Good Insulator
- Pass the Salt, Please
What You Can Do: Put Your Sidewalk and Driveway On a Low Salt Diet
There are many things you, as an individual, can do to keep your driveway and sidewalk safe and ice-free without compromising the health of the environment. From what you buy at the store to how and when you apply it at home, your choices can make a difference.
Watershed Radio: Bay Freezes
If you think this winter has been brutal, think about this: there have been several times during the past two centuries when it got so cold that the surface of the Chesapeake Bay actually froze solid, allowing people to walk across from one side to the other.
Watershed Opportunities
The Small Watershed Grants Program provides grants to organizations working on a local level to protect and improve watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay basin, while building citizen-based resource stewardship. Last year, over half of all project applicants received grants. The deadline for this year's applications is February 3, 2003.
Upcoming Events
The Art and Science of Environmental Education
(1/31 to 2/2/2003)
Ocean City, MD
The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education's 18th annual conference will take place in Ocean City, MD. Topics include natural history; science and technology; history and culture in environmental education; "hands on the land"; and creativity in the arts. Contact: Karen Cifranick at 410-638-3903 or klcifranick.hg@hcps.k12.md.us or Rebecca Bell at 410-767-0330 or rbell@msde.state.md.us
MD Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education
410-638-3903
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