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Untreated Sewage Spills into Parkers Creek

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Site of sewage spill at the headwaters of Parkers Creek

On August 5, 2020, the County issued a press release noting that “On the afternoon of Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, due to the excessive rainfall brought about by Tropical Storm Isaias, erosion beneath the Main Street roadway in Prince Frederick damaged a sewer line and caused a sewage force main to rupture. As a result, sewage was discharged 200 yards north of the headwaters of Parkers Creek.”

It noted that “A substantial quantity of effluent was controlled through shutting down pump stations and removal with pump trucks.” In a conversation with a senior county official, we learned that 10s of thousands of gallons were discharged into the creek before the pumping station was shut down. We are grateful that county staff moved quickly to shut it down.

To some extent, this re-opens a concern that ACLT has had about the Prince Frederick sewage treatment facility off of Tobacco Ridge Road, south of Dares Beach Road, which is the site of the original Prince Frederick Wastewater Treatment Plant. It was built in 1973 and was a small plant that discharged treated effluent directly into Parkers Creek.

Proximity of Sewage Treatment Plant to Parkers Creek

However, the County Water and Sewer Plan was revised to prohibit future water systems from having direct discharge into waterways. In other words, new systems had to use land application. By doing so, Calvert County was leading the way in the state in addressing the impact of sewage treatment plants on the Chesapeake Bay.

A new Prince Frederick treatment plant opened in 1991 off of Barstow Rd, a much larger plant with a rated capacity of 450,000 gallons, and the Tobacco Ridge Road plant was decommissioned. The treated effluent from the Barstow Plant is applied to approximately 100 acres of forests and fields, according to the 2014 Water and Sewer Plan.

Since then, the Prince Frederick town center has continued to grow, creating a need for more sewage capacity. In 2002, the County submitted plans to the public for a new 300,000 gallon land application treatment facility at the site of the original Plant on Tobacco Ridge Road. ACLT raised its opposition for the facility, noting that Parkers Creek is a “pristine” watershed, and expressing concerns that the system would fail and pollute the Creek. The County approved the plan despite ACLT’s concerns, but it promised to give ACLT the results of its monitoring of the Creek and the groundwater surrounding the Plant, which it has done. Meanwhile, ACLT continued its own stream monitoring, measuring nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the water below the Plant. Thus far, we have not detected a significant increase in either nitrogen or phosphorus since the Plant was completed.

The facility has an 18 million-gallon storage/holding pond and an additional 3.8-million-gallon emergency storage space. To date, the storage facilities have handled the facility usage and the storms.

The August 4th event was not a failure of the Plant. It was due to storm damage of the pump station that pumps sewage to the Plant, allegedly caused by the partial collapse of the road during heavy rains from Tropical Storm Isaias.

What are the lessons to be learned from Tropical Storm Isaias?

First, meteorologists have been saying for some time that we should expect storms to become more severe and to produce more rainfall. As a result, infrastructure like pumping stations and stormwater management devices which were designed for lesser storms need to be better fortified. Related to that is the need to re-evaluate the Plant itself to see if it will be able to handle future storms and the substantial growth of the Prince Frederick Town Center currently proposed. Isaias was only a tropical storm. However, it moved so slowly that it wound up dumping approximately 10 inches of rain in just 14 hours. Houston Texas has been devasted twice in the last few years from slow moving storms. Hurricane Harvey dumped an unheard of 51” of rain in the Houston area. What would happen to Prince Frederick’s 18-million-gallon storage/holding pond if a hurricane dumped 20” of rain on Prince Frederick as did a storm a few years ago in lower Charles County? The resulting sewage and sediment from the dams could permanently alter our watershed.

Finally, land application of sewage is still an experimental system that has been used in but a few places in Maryland and the U.S. We are concerned that the ground may eventually be saturated by the accumulation of phosphorus in the soil and that could cause damage not yet understood. If that turns out to be the case, Calvert needs a “Plan B”.

Resilience is a term that is becoming more prevalent as we all are beginning to see more signs of climate change. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We will be urging the County to use resilience planning and design to ensure that sewage systems and stormwater management are adequately addressed during the Prince Frederick Master Plan update, which is currently underway.

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Data Security Incident Notice

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This notice was sent via email to all accounts for which ACLT has an email address and via US postal service to all other accounts.
 
The information below relates to a data security incident involving Blackbaud, Inc., a service provider used by the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT). We take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and want to keep you informed, although at this time, we believe there is no threat to disclosure of your personal information.
 
In late July, we were contacted by Blackbaud, one of the world’s largest providers of donor relationship management systems for non-profit organizations. We were informed that one of Blackbaud’s service providers had been the victim of a ransomware attack that culminated in May 2020. Immediately following the discovery of the attack, a detailed forensic investigation was undertaken, on behalf of Blackbaud, by law enforcement and third-party cyber security experts. 
 
ACLT data accessed by the cybercriminal in the Blackbaud database did not contain any credit card information. Further, the cybercriminal did not gain access to bank account information because it is encrypted. ACLT does not store usernames, passwords, or social security numbers, so none of this type of data was accessed. We do retain donor information that enables us to communicate effectively with you. None of our data was lost or corrupted as a result of this incident.   
 
Blackbaud assured us that in order to protect donor data and mitigate potential identity theft, it met the cybercriminal’s ransomware demand. Blackbaud has advised us that the data was destroyed, based on findings from cybercriminal and third-party experts. Blackbaud continues to monitor online activity in an effort to verify the data accessed by the cybercriminal has not been misused. 
 
You can learn more about the breach from Blackbaud here:
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please call our office at (410) 414-3400 or email gbowen@acltweb.org
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Bluebird Nesting at ACLT in Pictures

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One of ACLT's Bluebird nesting boxes at the Warrior's Rest Sanctuary
Anyone who has come to visit ACLT’s northside trailhead and Double Oak Farm has undoubtedly noticed the birdhouses nestled along the edge of the woods. These nesting boxes  have been built and placed specifically for Eastern bluebirds.

 
Bluebird perched on outside of nesting box
You may have even seen a bluebird or two flying about and a feathered head poking out, but just what goes on inside?
Bluebird Box Monitoring Volunteer Sandy Foley with her beloved dog Daisy
To one of the volunteers, this time is especially meaningful. Sandy Foley, Master Naturalist and avid hiker, faithfully watches the bluebird boxes around Double Oak and elsewhere in the Parker’s Creek Preserve. She speaks as if these little birds were family, and anyone who knows her would agree. Watching the birds move into their box of choice and lay eggs and then following the babies as they hatch and fledge is really heartwarming to see. Photo credit: Bob Field

 
Bluebird Box Interior with nest
A picture is worth a thousand words and thanks to Sandy, we have a number of pictures from this spring to show you exactly what goes on inside of bluebird nesting boxes. Inside of this box, you can see a completed nest carefully woven from dried grass and thin twigs. It is actually the male bluebird that picks a nesting site with the hope that a female will come to join him in completing the nest.

 
Unhatched Bluebird Eggs
After the nest is built, the female bluebird lays 4 to 5 little blue eggs. She will sit on these for about 12 days while the chicks inside develop and prepare to hatch.
Hatchlings inside box
In the days following their hatching, bluebird chicks will continue to grow in the nest while being fed insects and berries by both parents. These hatchlings in Box X at Warrior’s Rest have not yet opened their eyes or developed flight feathers, leaving them totally dependent on their parents for survival.
Fully feathered hatchlings
After another week, the chicks are fully feathered and closer to leaving the nest. It takes about 20 days after hatching for bluebirds to fledge. Earlier in the season, there were 4 hatchlings in Box 9 at Double Oak, 4 hatchlings in Box W at Warrior’s Rest, and 10 hatchlings in Boxes A and C at the South Side, along with two new nests in additional boxes. Currently, there are 4 eggs in one of the boxes at Double Oak, another 5 eggs in a box at the South Side, and 5 hatchlings in a box at Warrior’s Rest. Bluebird nesting and fledging will continue throughout the early summer and into July.
You can still see the bluebirds flying around and visiting their nests in boxes around ACLT. Stop by Double Oak Farm and the Griffin Meadow Trail on the North Side to view them during your hike from easily accessible areas. We only ask that you leave the nesting boxes with mothers and babies for our trained volunteers to check. These nesting boxes provide important habitat for the local bluebird population. Thank you for your support from all of us at ACLT! You can find out more about Eastern bluebirds and how to build your own nesting box at MDNR’s Eastern Bluebird – Maryland’s Wild Acres information page.

Listen to the song of the Eastern bluebird here.

 

 

 

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The Mountain Laurels are in Bloom!

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If you’re planning to hike this weekend, try to hit the Laurel Loop on the southside – many of the Mountain Laurels, Holly Trees and Tulip Poplars, are in bloom!

The Laurel Loop is a mixed blessing – the Mountain Laurels, evergreen shrubs that can grow to heights of 15’- 20’ or more in the wild, provide excellent shade. The problem is that the portion of the plant that is in the shade usually doesn’t bloom. So while hiking the loop, you may have to look up to see some of the most spectacular flowers.

Here’s an interesting tidbit about the beautiful flowers of the Mountain Laurel: “The bell-like flowers have a very unusual way of dispensing pollen. Their stamens are arched, with the tips held under the rim of the bell. When a bee or other pollinator lands on the flower, the weight of the insect releases the stamen, which flings up the pollen like a catapult.” – https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/mountain_laurel

Keep an eye out for flowering Holly trees and Tulip Poplar flowers as well. 

The Laurel Loop is 1.07 miles in total length and is moderately challenging, with at least one very steep incline. And of course, what goes up must come down, and the low-lying areas tend to be muddy. For a slightly longer hike, you can take the connection to Karen’s Trail off the Laurel Loop, where you’ll see more Mountain Laurels. This trail is 0.6 miles and named for former Executive Director Karen Edgecombe. At the end of Karen’s Trail, you can back-track to the Laurel Loop or you can cross Scientists Cliffs Road to pick up the East Loop, which includes a “shortcut” back to another entrance to the Laurel Loop. Total distance of the extended hike is 2.15 miles from the parking lot. 

Don’t worry if your planned route didn’t include the Laurel Loop – there are Mountain Laurels scattered on several other trails (North-South and Flint are a couple), but the most concentrated growth is definitely the Laurel Loop.

Whenever you visit ACLT’s trails, your outing will be much more pleasant if you are prepared for and aware of these hiking hazards. 

 

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Putting the Spotlight on Bats at ACLT

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By Rachel Delbo, CCC Intern at ACLT

Around the marshes and woods at ACLT, there are several game cameras routinely monitored by volunteers. These provide a snapshot into the behaviors and habits of wildlife in the area. Regulars seen include raccoons, foxes, and great blue herons, but this time something a little different was spotted on camera. One of our volunteers, Ian Messent, recently captured a video of a bat catching insects just above the water in the Horse Swamp Creek. You can watch this nighttime video below:

At this time of year and especially in the summer, bats are a common sight just about everywhere in the state. On most nights at dusk, they will leave their roost and take flight in search of insects.  However, during the winter months, bats go into hibernation. They are only seen during this time if it is exceptionally warm, although this is rare. In those cases, the bats you are most likely to see are known as Big Brown bats, the only species in Maryland able to survive exposure to sub-freezing temperatures.

There are actually 10 species of bats in Maryland and they are divided into two groups based on their preference of shelter.

Tree bat species include:

  • Eastern Red bat (Lasiurus borealis),
  • Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus),
  • Silver-haired bat (Lasionycterus noctivagans), and
  • Evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis).

Cave-dwelling species include:

  • Eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii),
  • Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus),
  • Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis),
  • Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis),
  • Tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), and
  • Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).

All of these bats belong to the order Chiroptera, a name meaning “hand-wing”. The bones in the wings of bats are evolutionarily comparable to the bones in our own hands, with a layer of webbed skin that allows them to generate lift and glide through the air.

Despite their spooky reputation, bats are highly beneficial to both humans and other species in their natural communities. Bats can consume up to one third of their body weight in insects in only half an hour and provide an estimated 3 billion dollars in pest control services for the US agricultural industry. As an added note, I’m sure we can all appreciate a few less mosquitoes flying around. 

Unfortunately, all of Maryland’s bat species are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the state. Their decline in numbers is largely due to the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease affecting cave bats first discovered in Maryland in 2010. You can read more about WNS on Maryland DNR’s resource website here: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/bats/nhpbatdisease.aspx

Maryland’s bats have also been impacted by habitat loss, as have bats in many other states across the country. They are protected under state and federal law, but unfortunately many bats are still killed when they venture into people’s homes looking for shelter. The Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service offers safe wildlife control options and DNR’s Nuisance Wildlife Hotline (1-877-463-6497) can be consulted for questions about bat exclusion. 

At ACLT, one of our Master Naturalists installed two bat houses in the Parkers Creek Preserve, one at Warriors Rest and another on the Goldstein Bay farm property. Although no bats have been spotted using the boxes yet, they are available for our little winged friends if needed. You can see what these boxes look like in the photos below.

Much of the information in this article has been shared from Maryland DNR’s wildlife pages and the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. Check out these great resources to learn even more about bats in our state. As always, thank you to all of ACLT’s members and supporters for your help in preserving wildlife habitat in Calvert County. 

 

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