Harford County students, teachers, and politicians have joined the fight to push for the reconnection of North Harford’s teaching wetlands.

          The wetlands, which were disconnected from the water treatment facility during the renovations to North Harford High School beginning in 2004, were first established in 1999 in order to further treat wastewater from the school and to teach students about the importance of minimizing human impact on the Chesapeake Bay, reports The Aegis.  But after the renovations to the school were completed and a new, state-of-the art water treatment facility was installed, the wetlands were never reconnected. Installing the necessary components to reconnect an 8-inch pipe to direct the effluent flow into the wetlands and related ponds would cost about $30,000, according to the Aegis.

     Senior Scott Stevenson is North Harford’s student brainchild behind the project to reconnect the wetlands. He is supported by Chad Shrodes, representative of the North Harford Council District, and Senator Barry Glassman, who represents North Harford District 35A, as well as countless North Harford students, parents, and teachers.  With grants and support, Stevenson hopes to get funds and permission to install nutrient monitoring wells into the wetlands area after it is reconnected. “As the project stands right now, we are in the process of trying to get back online a pump system to pump water from our septic system after it has been filtered [into the wetlands] to keep our nitrate levels down,” he said. “We have to get some monitoring wells at each end of the wetland. Once we get those, we are good to go and we can get…permits from the [Maryland Department of the Environment].”

     Mrs. Laura O’Leary, Mr. Greg Murrell, principal Ed Herbold and vice principal Ed Stevens met with Stevenson, Senator Glassman and Councilman Shrodes in November and discussed the importance of the teaching wetlands at North Harford High School. Senator Glassman has presented a bill entitled Task Force to Study the Development of Wetland Teaching Projects at Secondary Schools.

     State MDE regulations and local legislative hurdles have so far hindered the wetland’s reconnection. Mr. Cornell Brown, Assistant Superintendent for Operations on the HCPS Board, and Mr. Joe Licata, have been so far unsupportive, said Stevenson. Brown told Cry of the Hawk reporters that “HCPS is aware of the students’ desire to reconnect the wetlands and is currently working collaboratively with MDE to review the current restrictions…” and “[p]lease note that the wastewater treatment plant meets all applicable codes and standards…The only condition that has been discussed is whether or not MDE will allow discharge from the plant to the wetlands.” Mr. Licata did not comment after being contacted by Hawk reporters via telephone and email.

      Over 10 years ago, North Harford students tested nutrient levels in the creek behind the school and noticed that the nutrient pollution were dangerous to the bay’s health. Before the wetlands, treated wastewater flowed into the creek and eventually reached the Chesapeake Bay. Even though dangerous bacteria from the wastewater were killed with ultraviolet treatment during the wastewater treatment process, nutrients in the water were not removed. Too many nutrients promote algae growth, and as algae grows and decomposes in the bay, it depletes most of the oxygen from the surrounding water, making the area anoxic (without oxygen) and inhabitable to aquatic life.

     Installing a wetland filtering system provided a natural and effective way for more nutrients to be removed from the water. Plants in wetlands thrive on nutrients and absorb most of it from the water. Consequently, the water reaching the bay had fewer nutrients in it and contributed less to algae growth.

     With help from the Harford County Soil Conservation District, the Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the working wetlands received an EPA Grant with the goal in mind to lower overall nutrient pollution flowing into the bay by 40 percent. During and after that time, high school students studied the wetlands, and North Harford Elementary School fifth graders were educated on the purpose and importance of the wetlands behind the school.

     For more information on the wetland teaching project bill, visit http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/billfile/SB0129.htm.