Outdoors Maryland; 811

Oh. Funding for this edition of outdoors Maryland is provided in part by the Chesapeake Bay Trust which invites grant proposals from schools community groups and non-profits for stream study and cleanup projects. Coming up joining north south east and west to some of my island's most interesting and picturesque spots on the money and water is everywhere. But is there enough clean water for a growing state. No. No no is my one just produced in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources DNR inspired by new. Mountain and plain.

Ocean and bay this dramatic diversity of landscape and shore all lie within Maryland state borders. We embark on a journey of discovery to four points on Maryland's compass. For special places. One to the north. One to the east. The South. And the West. We begin at the beginning. To the north. A place of origin. Ken Miller chief of spatial data Production Services Department of Natural Resources applies high tech mapping techniques to read an ancient story of the law. We're looking at a glance at satellite view of Maryland which shows some of the land forms in the state. Some of the mountain ranges are visible out in the West on the center portion of the state. The Piedmont province is formed from eroded remnants of mountains several

hundred million years old. Lying next to them the coastal plains are generally flat. Each of these. Areas are well drained by rivers. These areas most recently flooded during the last ice age some 10000 years ago forming the Chesapeake Bay the largest estuary in North America in the Northeast and the subsequent Hana which is the largest tributary to the test Big Bang can be considered the origin of the bay will zoom in. To an area in the northeast. By Hanna river the Congo dam. This is awkward creek. And the Native American Indians. Why do these waters along the forested shores. And it will zoom in to a site has been discovered along the shores of OC there on the South Atlantic. Here we are at the confluence of the

creek. Native Americans lived in this valley for over 12000 years. At that time at the end of the Pleistocene 12000 years ago or so. The environment was somewhat different than it is today. Some want more rain but and the valley itself was flooded with Waters draining off of the melting glaciers. Bastian state terrestrial archaeologist with the Maryland Historical trust led the archaeological excavation at this site nearly 20 years ago. Prehistoric occupation at this site here at the mouth of the Arctic began about 5000 years ago. Our investigations demonstrate that they were here. Rather frequent and regular basis for many thousands of hear. Some of the fish such as the shad

migrated seasonally to reproduce and they were a major source of food for the Indians but also at the think about the other kinds of resources that the Indians use. Many of the rockets that are found in the crown of rubber had been washed down and chunks of ice at the end of the Pleistocene of 10 12000 years ago and they were important resources for the engines and material to manufacture the stone tools that. These are some of the artifacts that we found. These long narrow projectile points. Are from the archaic period three to five thousand years ago and are used for hunting game. TIME A bastion and his team excavated more than 18000 artifacts from this

site. A window on Maryland's past closing now for ever. The Congo site was one of the major prehistoric archaeological sites in the Chesapeake Bay region. Unfortunately the site has been extensively. Altered by collecting and particularly the erosion from the kind of wing go down that road a lot of it is laugh even by the time we were early 80s. At its farthest eastern reaches Maryland greets the restless sea. We think of the wild protected barrier island a vast city. And the wild hotspots of Ocean City.

On Family Guy. Ocean City seem synonymous with summer sun and vacationers. But for those who call Ocean City home year round winter has its own subtle rhythms and colors. The monochrome of cold and solitude. Into these rarefied spaces leap the true adventurers. Meet the Riders of the winter wind. A lot of people like to ski and all that but sometimes in the winter time you get your best waves. I mean right now it's today's like the worst you can get. We have now learned Russia's awful story. Now when we have a good laugh. We get some serious waves and it's over the hand

it's on. For Mark Boyle surfing in near-freezing temperatures is a breeze a winter's breeze. I do go at. The snap. And whenever it's really cold. This year right here where last all winter long it's actually a little hot right now. John Fraser is a computer system analyst by day weekends belong to the way. I like to surf in the winter time because it's less crowded. There's as many people out there fighting for the way it's my time for myself. And once you get the thrill of catching one you want to do is paddle back out there and try and get another one. And every ride is a little different and every ride you improve your your skill level a little bit more. For Jordan what are skateboarding fills the gray hours with the adrenaline test.

I like to surf skate and snowboard and when the swim there's no way so it's not snowing I usually skateboard because I can take the things I learned from skateboarding to snowboarding and surfing and also just it's just fun learning new stuff and being with all your friends because it's more locals in the winter time. A lot of people do airs like you its where you hit like a sharp area and they they're coping they're seamen and you're boarding yourself launched up in the air and most time you land sometimes you get hurt and then you can grind where it's metal coping that goes along the the seaman and you put your chucks up and ground across and just carve up down the walls were used pop up and down the wall. Winter Winds always a little more fluent in the summer wind density here in the winter is a little different. And a 15 not winter breeze is almost equivalent to 20 knot Summer Breeze and I don't know the technicalities of all that but I just know that 15 knots in the winter is all the wind that I want.

Wind speed 16 boat speed for. Water temperature. Forty eight point five. Which is warm for this time of year really not a bad day at or near Atlantic City. Plenty and when. The snow flurries. Larry Layton is an Ocean City businessman. But riding the waves is in his blood you know. Been on the water itself unlike me in my house on the water and I watch the sunset every night on the water and so thankful for that. I wouldn't trade it for the world. OK ready about where. To come down. It's a real mindset to get the boat going in the direction you go and get it back without any other help except your mind in the wind that intrigues me. I just love the quietness and just when the motors are are up out of the water and the boats just move along and it's just

so great There's nothing like it is there for the asking. The line farthest to the south Maryland's Eastern Bay shores evoke vivid images. Of quiet rural traditions natural splendors. Historic charm timeless islands classic Americana. The flavor of the Eastern Shore is strictly regional but ecologically speaking dominated by the mighty Chesapeake Bay. One of the world's largest

estuaries and one of North America's key migratory flyways. The contours of our bass shores are embedded in the genetic instinct of millions of birds representing dozens of species that come here to feed rest nests or winter every year. In other words the bay in our backyard is also part of earth's master plan for Biological Diversity. And survival. Birds migrating down through the United States use for main migration routes when they move north to south or south to north one of those is the Atlantic Flyway which stretches from maritime Canada to Florida and one of the key points in the Flyaway is the Chesapeake Bay which acts as a funnel for all those birds coming into the Flyaway and moving on south. Bill McInturff area manager for the state forest and Park Service Department of Natural

Resources. It's very interesting how these birds can migrate thousands of miles in the dark and all kinds of weather and get there every year. I read a study once where juvenile Green Wing teal which were hatched that that summer in Canada were held back. These birds that had never left Canada before weeks after the rest of the birds had gone and still found their way to their traditional historic when it wintering areas using the same migration route. It's amazing. All of these beautiful waterfalls species come here to feed on the all important tidal marsh vegetation. Ron Diehl Island Wildlife Management area in Somerset County the area encompasses thirteen thousand three hundred acres along with fishing Bay wildlife management area and Dorchester County to the north deal Island is probably one of the two most important waterfowl have a debts that are publicly owned in the state of Maryland. This plant is one of most important that you're going to find on our eastern shore marshes.

It's salt marsh bull rush commonly known as three square. And it's not only important to water fowl but also for Marsh mammals that feed on the root systems. What happens is these these pods drop their seeds and we can see what they look like. These small brown sees as these areas flood the water fowl will swim up and then. Pick up the seeds from around the plant. It's very very important to water fowl in the lower shore. These tidal salt marshes are unique in that they are continually almost in a state of change in that these marshes are important to the chest Baker for several reasons one for the water fowl and other wildlife species that make it their home either. Just over the winter or year long these areas are also extremely important nursery areas to the rockfish and and the blue crab and the oyster. These tidal wetlands are unique areas stream Lee important that we make every effort to

preserve and protect them. I feel especially privileged to be part of that I was born and raised just a few miles from here so being a part of it it's a real special to me. Two hundred years ago Western Maryland was part of America's wild frontier. It still Maryland's wild frontier with a rugged and remote mountains roamed by black bear. Bob get a timber rattler. While Deep Creek blooms as a Four Seasons resort area. Garrett County is also home to a sub arctic swamp raging white water rivers. And Miles of unmanaged wild lands. Whatever the season nature here is an unconquerable force. The level of

challenge is survival. And for those born to this big country the lay of the land is knit deep. To the bone. Eric savage traces his family in Garrett County to the seventeen hundreds. He's a naturalist technician with DNR as Savage River complex. We are on top of the big Savitz mountain high rock tower. We are within the western most part of Maryland looking at the westernmost and Allen ranges as we look along the horizon. We see Meadow mountain. We have Negra mountain behind meadow mountain and as we look on towards the south we start to come in view of the backbone mountain which is the highest mountain range in Maryland.

We're up in the Appalachian mountains you know differs greatly from being down on eastern shore in the coastal plains. Anyone that comes into western Maryland and they see the mountains I think it has an effect on them. And you know I don't think they'll ever forget them. Now they may compare them to other places. The mountains just have a special quality. My family name being savage goes back probably 10 generations in the county. There are a couple stories or ways a big savage mountain got its its name and the one story is about a group of surveyors. One surveyor named John Savage. Surveyed in this group on big savage mountain. He was probably a relative but I don't know what relative he would have been. And they were caught and in a severe winter storm there alone supplies and they were going to have to resort to

cannibalism to stay alive. John Savage being the older member of the group I like to think he volunteered to be eaten to survive. They did get supplies before that happened so they spared John Savage and in honor of him they decided to name the Downton savage mountain. The other story is that just due to the severe weather that big savage now receives. It receive the name big savage mountain untamed as big savage mountain may be. It does not boast the highest peak in Maryland. That honor belongs to backbone mountain lion further south than west near the West Virginia border. Backbone gets its name from a rugged spine of rocky ridge. Right now we're at about 3000 plus feet. I still marvel at the fact that back then Mt. being the highest mountain in Maryland

was at one time the bottom of the ocean. And if you you know just happened to look down on the ground you you may find a fossil that tells you you know this was once covered by waters and fossils you'll find will be of shellfish or some type of snail shell or clam shell. I grew up playing and now in the city in the woods in the streams I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. My roots and these mountains run very deep. This is her. This is definitely her. Streams flow through parks farms and along roadways often hidden from sight by bridges and streets. A closer look reveals that each is its own ecological system that provides precious fresh water and recreational resources

for our state. Think of Marilyn as an organism that the streams are the blood in the veins the arteries of the state of Maryland. Most of our population in the state amount depends on surface water on stream water for its water supply. The watershed that feeds the Chesapeake extends nearly sixty four thousand square miles from the mountains of western Maryland and surrounding states to the bay. Once a stream is formed each takes on common characteristics that are vital to its existence. Barbara Taylor's suit of save our streams a stream has to have a certain component parts in order to be healthy. Some of the things you would look for a well-formed stream channel carry the water well vegetated bangs. A nice canopy of tree cover that's important to block the sun because if the waters aren't kept cool it can't support life. There's

also a risk that for the area like this where the water is flowing. That's followed by a cool deeper area where the water flows stream water is constantly replenished by a continuing sequence of rainwater runoff and evaporation. This sequence is called the hydrologic cycle. Let me show you what happens. As the water cycles through that. When it rains in a natural stream environment. The rain drops fall and many of them are captured by the leaves of the trees. But the largest amount of that rain water will begin to soak through the earth very slowly. As this water soaks through the earth it begins to fill underground rivers. We call this a source of underground water and aquifer. Aquifers. Often the sources of our drinking water.

Aqua version loosely packed soil and rock move water very slowly underground. In the process the water is filtered and cleaned of most pollutants. This is called groundwater. But in developed areas this process is threatened. In the urban area. Now when it rains these raindrops are hitting rooftops and parking and street manmade materials that won't allow water to soak through to the ground. Rather it begins to gather and run. A flooding fashion off the land so that it enters the stream. Quickly. I think great. Carrying all the fertilizer and other things that we put on our our lawn. Very little. Actually gets to soak through the ground to refill those underground reservoirs of water. Incredibly 95 percent of our consumable water supply comes from these meager underground systems.

It's a phenomenon that usually goes unnoticed but in a cave near the end to the battle field in Washington County evidence of water flowing underground can be clearly seen. Tom Miller is a water quality specialist with the University of Maryland. Right now you're about 86 feet underground here in Crystal Grados and what you're saying is true groundwater not to confuse us. This is how groundwater is usually found normally it's moving through particles and so I'll think of a bucket of muddy water. But here we really have water that is in the ground that is sitting it's dripping off but if you look at this through like heights here there's a little drop it like on the end of each one. And it's water again that has percolated down through the ground. It's ground water and now it's working its way out in these different fish. And it's dripping off the end of the phylactery for me like Titan and also forming this little reflecting pool the flow of water is part of a vast system of streams and rivers in Maryland. Gary Fisher of the U.S. Geological Survey.

There are roughly 17000 square miles of streets within the state of Maryland. If I show them all it would be a big blue blob pretty much. So you see many of the streams originate outside of Maryland some in Delaware many in Pennsylvania. A number in West Virginia and Virginia over here. The important point is that 90 percent of our land area draining to the Chesapeake Bay so we have to do what we do on the land surface. A lot of influence when the water quality Chesapeake Bay I think in this state we're just starting to realize and understand what we need to do to take care of our water water resources whether it be ground water surface water. One of the great things that we finally have done is we formed these tributary teams which we realize that the problems in the bay don't exist just in the bay they start streaming. Through classroom training storm drain painting tree planting water quality testing and clean up organizations like Save our streams and other Maryland based tributary teams are working to educate volunteers statewide on how to care for our

streams. Terry Lehrer save our streams. Help me to. See how we can actually. Improve the stream. I actually grew up by a stream and played it all the time and when I moved to this city I thought oh you know they're in bad shape and that just then I had to live with that. But I've learned to see how we can actually improve it. All of this is new to me. You know I'm a city girl but I've never I guess really did the stream thing as they say I've never been out to strings or anything like that. So it's it's interesting. I did learn a lot in us a lot of stuff that I didn't know that actually we do. That's what it's like with the drainage isn't all that it actually affects on the Chesapeake Bay water quality monitoring is being done by volunteer groups all over the state schools from every level from elementary to college are doing it. And here in herring run they're very fortunate that they have an active watershed Association which has their stream teams that are out here doing the monitoring. Unfortunately streams and rivers are considered by many as just a part of the

backdrop of modern life. All too often the neighborhood stream becomes a dumping ground for debris. In fact there's so much trash in one Maryland stream that it used to fuel a power plant in Baltimore City. Steve Tom juste is general manager of Baltimore Rusko. The Gwen's pause is one of the major strains that goes to Baltimore. Unfortunately it's also serves a storm drain for the northwest section of the city. We take in water from whence falls is going wonderful episode and a tremendous amount of trash and debris. That's collected in the whens falls from the storm drain system is removed through our process. That trash has collected is also recycling the energy through our process. Through a program with the Department of Natural Resources the aqua culture center of Baltimore Resko hatches fish that are later released into the wind farms for these Westport elementary students. It's a lesson in stewardship of one of Maryland's greatest

natural resource. You know we could do something that can touch. Actually touch someone's life. And I feel very strongly that those kids that are here. Remember that moment for a long time. And. And hopefully that when they go out in their neighborhood and they see that their friends don't trash in the gutter. That they'll say hey wait a minute. That goes out in the day if you like the crab cakes you like the steamed crabs don't they dress down the storm drain and then all that the rest of life. AND PASS IT ON. I think that's a real value on that that they can pass that on to their peers. And that's where the future lies. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.

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