Harris Creek Watershed Strategy

The initial Department of Public Works Grant to the Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association was to develop a Stormwater Management Plan for reducing Trash and Pollution in the Watershed. We had an advantage in that we had a Trash Interceptor at the Outflow which was collecting 5 tons of Trash each month. The Therapy for this problem was to implement BMPs or Best Management Practices ( success stories learned from the Watershed 263 Project) throughout the 17 neighborhoods and two Parks in Watershed 246 (Harris Creek Watershed). The initial Grant was to contract with Parks and People Foundation and do the "people phase" of the Project. We were to develop a way to identify Stakeholders from the neighborhoods,get input from the residents through a Survey Questionnaire,educate Community Associations about the Stormwater Problem and finally to get adequate representation from the 17 neighborhoods to engage in several Workshops that would allow for the development of a Stormwater Plan for the Harris Creek Watershe. The Workshops were part of the second phase and wre to be funded through a Grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund and the Service to be performed by the Center for Watershed Protection in collaboration with the Parks and Peolple Foundation,the Baltimore City Department of Public Works and coordinated through the efforts of the Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association.

The Survey Questionnaire has been perfected and has been completed by about 400 persons so far. We are anticipating 700-800 at the completion date (end of January 2010).At that time,we will begin our Workshops (second week in February) and these will lead to the development of a Stormwater Management Plan for the Harris Creek Watershed.

We have benefitted greatly during this Journey through the efforts of Donna Kirsh (BHWA) who has been able to obtain the second Grant as well as another small Grant for the Harris Creek Park. We have interacted with many Groups working within our Watershed and have benefitted fom theis advice as well as help. We realized right from the beginning that Education and Knowledge was not enough to change behavior of the citizens within the Watershed......and that which was needed was a "change in culture" and this was going to be a real challenge. We were helped a great deal from the symposiul on Humane Metropolis Baltimore....that Key Elements needed to be present to bring about a Culture Change.....and that Cities needed to become more GREEN;to protect and restore urban biodiversity and ecological services....more HEALTHY;to promote outdoor exercise and fitness,reduce respiratory threats....more SAFE;to reduce crime rates,lower risk of fire,floods and other hazards.....more EFFICIENT;to employ a better use of water,energy,materials etc.......more EQUITABLE; to embrace environmental and social justice,affordable housing,access to Jobs........more NEIGHBORLY; to foster Pride of Place and Community.

In addition to these six, Dr.Lenneal Henderson proposed that three additional characteristics of the New City develop.....these being CREATIVITY,COMMUNICATIVE and ARTISTIC for obvious reasons. The Goal of all of these was to Restore Nature within the Urban Regions. One could sum up this approach with the statement "Creating Community through Horticulture and Engaging Gathering Places. If we could get more people out more,engaging in community activities such as Community Gardens,get them talking to one another.......bringing out our Humanity,we could bring about Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods.......then problems such as Trash and Pollution could be addressed.

This is a step in the right direction that we have taken,but along the way we have encountered elements that need to be addressed.....some positive....some negative. The latter may include the distrust we have encountered that has as its basis the Environmental Injustice Practices in the Watershed over many years. These are real and we have to help in addressing and working to correct them if we want to change culture within the Watershed. On the other hand,we have come upon the emerging development of Hoop Agricultural Farming that potentially could provide a harvest of vegetables and fruits all year round that is locally and easily assessible....and could be placed at City Schools for School Children . This needs to be tested ,but has great potential. The Harris Creek Watershed is working with Civic Works to see if this can be accomplished in the Schools in the Harris Creek Watershed. As a result of our interest in Environmental Justice,we are forming a partnership with Environmental Justice Partnership.....and also trying to become a partner with Source for our Watershed Project at Johns Hopkins.

What is Important here is the Fact that this Project becomes more that just a Stormwater Project,but one of trying to Improve the Quality of Life for the residents in the Watershed and that can only come if we approach the Project as a "Work in Progress" and be open to discuss all Issues and put them all on the Table. We become better persons in the Process. We have more to do and more roads to travel.The Direction we now know is Clear.

Respectfully,Raymond D.Bahr MD Coordinator Harris Creek Watershed Project

Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association

Baltimore City Paper: CPTV: Hoop Dreams

Baltimore City Paper: CPTV: Hoop Dreams

This is part of the Harris Creek Watershed of the Baltimore Harbor Watershed and the Plan is to utilize this concept of Hoop Greenhouses throughout the Harris reek Watershed.

Ray Bahr Coordiator Harris Creek Watershed tormwater Project

Thanksgiving Day as a time to Justice in the World

Thanksging is a warm Holiday of Remembrances as we fill our stomachs with a standard menu (not to be touched with),then sit back in soft armchairs and doze off to short periods of sleep as we watch endless football games of little significance.......but it is also a Time to reflect and think about those Not So Blessed.......those Struggling,many times through no fault of their own.......Poverty is a real issue in America today.....it is often said that for many Americans,they still live in a third world country........in some way or other,our Humaness needs to reach out to these fellow Americans and World People. How we do it and how often will depend on many factors and has to be individualized........but we need to do so for these needy people....not just for them.....but to restore our own Humanity.

Perhaps,another thought that needs to come to mind is that "bad things happen to poor people"....... and this is something that we do wrong and need to correct. This should not happen,and when it does we need to quickly speak up and speak out to the wrongful actions. I am talking here about Environmental Injustice. Affected communities are taken advantage of and lose TRUST and become suspicious when even good programs for their communities are presented. This is what we found when we tried to develop. a Watershed Stormwater Project to reduce Trash and Pollution flowing into the Baltimore Harbor.

Enough said,we concluded that before we could develop the Stormwater Project,we must first find out from the residents the true issues confronting them and work to improve these conditions as well. Strong neighborhoods and stakeholders are needed so when challenged will be a factor in restoring Baltimore. The Improvement in the Quality of Life for residents in these neighborhoods will then enable a successful Stormwater Project,such as the Harris Creek Watershed Plan ,to become a reality.

This is what we are finding in this "Work in Progress". What are your Thoughts?

Raymond D.Bahr MD Coordinator Harris Creek Watershed (246) Project BHWA

Recognition of Patterson Park Top 12 Great Parks in the United States

Congratulations to Tim Almaguer and the Friends of Patterson Park for getting on the Forbes List for the Top 12 Great Parks in the United States. What an Achievement! WOW! The amount of Time, Effort and Commitment over the last 10 years has been Phenomenal. Citizens of Baltimore need to take time to recognize this,stand and applaud.

The Harris Creek Watershed Association is Proud that Patterson Park lies within its Watershed. Not only is it in it,but in many days long ago,it had a more intimate relationship. It was at the Northern part of Harris Creek that William Patterson had a six acre farm. There were two large steams that met just North of the Park to form a Major Stream that gave way to the Harris Creek that eventually flowed into the Baltimore Harbor along Boston Street in Canton. Harris Creek in 1797 had two large Boat Yards and it was at the Stodder Boat Yard where the famous Frigate Constillation was built as well as many Clipper Ships that played havoc with the British in the War of 1812.

We are trying to clean up the Harris Creek Watershed these days with a Stormwater Project that aims to reduce Trash and Pollution from going into the Baltimore Harbor. We are Proud of our Heritage....Proud of Harris Creek.....and even more Proud of Patterson Park after getting this recognition. Thanks Tim and Friends of Patterson Park. We appreciate your Effort.

Best,Raymond D.Bahr MD Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association

Moving ahead with the Harris Creek Watershed Project

The easiest part of doing this Project is to Educate about Trash and Implement Best Management Practices for dealing with excessive runoff from Stormwater. There are 17 neighborhoods in the Harris Creek Watershed that goes from Clifton Park to the Baltimore Harbor in Canton at the Outflow Drain located just across from the Safeway. However doing the Project this way only would wind up as a Failure. There are a lot of Issues in these neighborhoods that are more Important than Stormwater Management. These Issues need to part of the Equation in solving the Trash and Pollution Problem.

The medium earned Income is about $45,000 in the Canton area and this decreases to about $10,000 as one goes North. The Unemployment Rate is about 6% in the Canton area and rises to about 30% as one goes North. This translates to neighborhoods having Poverty Issues that results in an increase in the Illegal Drug Trading and the Violence and Homicide that goes with this trend. Humanity gets lost and there is a sense of Hopelessness. Homes become neglected and vacant. Dumping of trash in alleys and on vacant lots occur, setting the scene for rat infestation.

Residents become suspicious of outsiders,especially developers and urban planners. Trust is lost and becomes an obstacle preventing any meaningful discussion about a Stormwater Project.
Yet despite these shortcomings,all is not lost. Residents are still fellow human beings that seemingly have lost temporarily their humanity. Needed is a developing fellowship based on an understanding that Projects become sensitive in working to become more aware of the many issues confronting a neighborhood.

Yes,we will continue in the Watershed 246 Project or the Harris Creek Watershed Project,but we will tread lightly as we attempt to find ways to get back this Community Trust, so very much needed to engage deeply the Stakeholders that will help us in connecting Neighborhoods ......and use this as a Bridging Force to bring back a Live Baltimore.

Help us to understand what we have to do to unite and ignite the Neighborhoods in this Effort.

Respectfully,Raymond D.Bahr Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association

Survey Questionnaire for residents of Watershed 246

This has been a Tough Week for the Harris Creek Watershed (246). It is hard enough to controil the things that you can,but even worse when things come your way totally unprepared for. The only you can is to have "tenacity to the Vision" and keep moving on.

After the Bus Tour of the Harris Creek Watershed,we sat down to complete the Questionnaire that we could then use to do the Survey in the upper part of the Harris Creek Watershed.The Pan is to use this information in part of a Workshop being put together that will help in developing a Stormwater plan for the Watershed. To do this,we need people or residents to come together and share their experiences so that "problems of the neighborhoods" can be worked out in this setting. For these,we need to reach out and identify such individuals,but we are having trouble getting cooperation from those in authority that is needed to do this effectively.

Despite this setback,we are determined to modify our strategy and reach these people necessary to write a stormwater plan. "Tenacity to the Vision will be our Battlecry"

Respectfully,Raymond D.Bahr MD BHWA

Hoop Dreams: Sustainable agriculture comes to Lake Clifton Park | Baltimore City Paper

Hoop Dreams: Sustainable agriculture comes to Lake Clifton Park Baltimore City Paper

This will be part of our Stormwater Plan for the Harris Creek Watershed. We will try and promote Community Green Gardens,both the Standard ones as well as the "more intensive ones" as described here throughout the many unused acres in our Urban area for Agriculture. Read about this and give us some of your ideas how this can be successful in our GIS 246 Watershed. Ray Bahr MD BHWA