Sassafras Samplers Training, 3/13 or 3/27, 9AM-12PM, Washington College, Chestertown
Lawn Care Workshop, 3/27, 10AM-12PM Granary Restaurant, Georgetown
The beautiful Sassafras River rises in western Delaware and forms the natural boundary between Kent and Cecil Counties in Maryland before it empties into the upper Chesapeake Bay.
The Sassafras River watershed offers its residents and visitors unmatched opportunities for recreation, country living, and quiet contemplation.
But the news is not all good. Water quality is impaired by pollutants from run-off. Algae blooms in the upper Sassafras threaten aquatic life, pets and under certain conditions, humans. Beaches are sometimes closed due to high bacteria levels. Sediment-clouded water stifles the growth of life-giving underwater grasses. Shoreline and woodland erosion threaten the natural beauty of the River.
If you are interested in participating in water quality monitoring this year you will need to participate in a three hour training administrated by Chemical Analysts from the LaMotte Company. After this training you be asked to sample at least one site once a month for the year. Sampling sites are located at stream and road crossings throughout the Sassafras Watershed. There are two trainings scheduled but you will only need to attend one. Please e-mail Kascie Herron at riverkeeper@sassafrasriver.org to sign up.
Pick up your FREE soil test kit at the SRA's office, take a soil sample and mail it in or drop it by our office by March 3rd. Then join us on Saturday, March 27 at 10 AM at the Granary Restaurant in Georgetown. At this soil test and lawncare workshop, you will get your soil results and receive free technical assistance from University of Delaware and Master Gardener Sabine Harvey on proper lawn care and green gardening. Call Josh Thompson at 410-708-7667 for more information and to sign up.
If there is a stream site or water front area in the Sassafras watershed that is need of a good cleaning let us know and consider signing up as a site captain or volunteer to clean that site. Project Clean Stream will be held on Saturday, April 10 from 9 AM until Noon. If you are interested in participating please contact Kascie at (410) 708-3303 or by e-mail.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved the Sassafras Watershed Action Plan (SWAP)! The planning is over and restoration is already underway. Please download a copy and hear about current restoration efforts.
The Sassafras Riverkeeper has joined the Waterkeepers Chesapeake in filing a petition to the EPA to revoke Maryland Department of the Environment's authority to implement and enforce the Clean Water Act. Go to What We Do and click on "Advocacy," to read a copy of the petition.