Is the Harbor Clean Enough for Swimming and Kayaking?
Short Answer: Yes, Most of the time!
Long Answer: Thanks to over a decade of cleanup efforts, we have reached a point where we can now manage the Harbor as a recreational resource for the City. As with any public waterway, users should avoid contact with the water for at least 48 hours after a heavy rainfall. This is because rain carries pollutants off the land and into the water where they take time to dissipate. Waterfront Partnership recommends that swimming only take place during scheduled events at designated locations.
How Do We Monitor Bacteria Levels?
The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore collects water samples from 5 sites in the Harbor 5 days a week (Mon-Fri). Samples are taken to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to be analyzed according to the EPA’s Recreational Water Quality Criteria.
More Testing In More Places = More Water Recreation
By analyzing water samples from these locations along Baltimore’s Waterfront, we get an all-around idea of the harbor’s health. These sites are chosen based on the variety of physical, chemical, and biological features, allowing us to evaluate the general condition of our waterways. Moreover, these places can be used for recreational purposes such as kayaking, and the data helps us decide whether it’s safe to expand water-based activities in the region.
View Most Recent Data on SwimGuide:
Make a Stand By Making A Splash
In 2024, we will host Harbor Splash, a plunge event that will be open to anyone who registers. We expect this first swim to be limited in size and scope. After generations of neglecting our streams and Harbor, we expect a healthy amount of skepticism too. But this is just the beginning. We want to see other events in the Harbor like triathlons, open water swimming, and stand-up paddleboard races. One day we may even have a beach.
HEALTHY HARBOR REPORT CARD 2023
In 2010, the Waterfront Partnership launched the Healthy Harbor Initiative with the goal of making the Baltimore Harbor safe for swimming and fishing. Each year, the Healthy Harbor Report Card tracks progress toward this goal by taking the pulse of the City’s streams and Harbor.
The water quality data used within this report was gathered by Blue Water Baltimore in 2023 and analyzed by the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative.
For more than a decade, the Healthy Harbor Initiative has been championing the goal of a swimmable, fishable Baltimore Harbor. As early as 2019, we knew we were reaching a tipping point where, with routine monitoring, the Harbor could be safely managed as a recreational resource for the city and region.