South River Federation meets West/ Rhode Riverkeeper: Arundel Rivers Federation
Jeff Holland and Jesse Iliff (Photo courtesy of Arundel Rivers Federation)
South River Federation and West/Rhode Riverkeeper joined forces late October to create, Arundel Rivers Federation (ARF). Soon after, we welcomed the consolidated organization to the Coalition family. ARF is based in Edgewater, Maryland, and is committed to protecting and restoring water quality and aquatic habitat in the South River, West, Rhode, and Herring Bay watersheds, through science, restoration and advocacy. We had the chance to speak with Jesse Iliff to learn more about the new federation’s mission and goals.
Tell us about your organization and your mission:
Photo courtesy of Arundel Rivers Federation
Arundel Rivers Federation uses science, restoration and community action to protect, preserve, restore and enhance the waters of the South River, Rhode River, West River and Herring Bay on the western shore of the Chesapeake.
Formed from the consolidation of the South River Federation and West & Rhode RIVERKEEPER®, Arundel Rivers Federation is an action-oriented organization, guided by science, providing aggressive advocacy, targeted and thoughtful restoration, and community action to pursue a holistic vision of clean, fishable, swimmable waterways for our local communities.
What is one of your current projects you are the most excited about?
It is hard to pick which of the many irons in our fire is burning brightest right now. Whether the innovative Bacon Ridge project that uses in-situ woody material to slow stormwater and arrest erosion by imitating beaver dams, or the upcoming legislative session which may ban single-use Styrofoam in Maryland is most exciting depends on which staff member you ask. We are also halfway through an intensive monitoring experiment of layered stormwater management projects in an urban environment that will generate innovative scholarship to guide decision makers and restoration practitioners throughout the Bay watershed. Whether it is restoration, advocacy or science, Federation staff always have their hands busy and their boots dirty.
What issue area do you hope to focus on more of in the future?
Photo courtesy of Arundel Rivers Federation
For western shore tributaries like those we protect, the largest source of pollution is urban and suburban stormwater. If we ever hope to meet our pollution-reduction goals and provide our communities and aquatic life with the clean water they deserve, we need to get a hold on development impacts and attendant stormwater pollution. In Anne Arundel County, we are working to ensure that the General Development Plan currently under development is as ecologically responsible as possible. Concurrently, the State of Maryland is developing a new Watershed Implementation Plan, and Arundel Rivers Federation is intent on ensuring that the proposals for stormwater management in that document are aggressive enough to arrest the growing pollution loads from stormwater. Finally, many jurisdictions across the State, including Anne Arundel County, are in the process of revising and renewing their MS4 permits, and Arundel Rivers will work closely with the County to ensure that Anne Arundel County sets the gold standard for stormwater management.
What do you hope to gain from being a member of the Coalition?
Each of the Federation’s founding organizations were Coalition members, and we hope now, as then, to benefit from the breadth of experience and wisdom in making positive environmental change in the Bay watershed. The Coalition’s membership provides an excellent sounding board for vetting ideas, developing strategies, and celebrating success, and we look forward to continuing that partnership.
Taylor Montford is the communications intern for the Choose Clean Water Coalition.