Baltimore Inner Harbor

My family and I visited Baltimore's Inner Harbor last Friday and Saturday, one of the America's oldest seaports - and one of the world's newest travel destinations. I was very impressed by the transformation of an abandoned area of rotting warehouses and piers to a major cultural and economic area of the city. I think this is an excellent example of waterfront re-development.

However, water quality could be improved. Visibility of the water was almost zero, and floatables were occasionally visible from the water taxi that we took. In addition to control of municipal and industrial discharges, stormwater runoff from the street needs to be intercepted and treated, as it could carry a large amount of trash, debris, oil, grease, sediment, and other pollutants to the harbor. Being an "inner" harbor that has a very limited pollutant flushing capability, control of the pollutant sources is critical.

Tour of the National Aquarium was fantastic! I believe everybody would appreciate watershed and salt marsh much more after seeing the exhibit "Maryland: Mountains to the Sea.

My album contains additional photos of the Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Dam Operations to Help with Recovery and Reconstruction Efforts at Collapsed I-35W Bridge Site

It was reported that the recovery (sadly) efforts were hindered by the rapid and turbid river current at the collapsed I-35W Bridge site. I believe the rapid current was due to water falls upstream, and the turbid water was due to its high soil and organic contents that was made worse by debris from the collapsed bridge.

The Google map/image shows the I-35W Bridge, and the Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls. You can see the rapid currents at downstream sides of both Falls. The I-35W Bridge is in rapid tail water of the Lower St. Anthony Falls.

To help the recovery efforts, water level was lowered in the Mississippi River at the bridge site, by opening up more the downstream Ford Dam (a part of the Lock and Dam No. 1 System). But this made the current at the bridge site even faster, thus tougher to anchor and stirring up even more debris. It was a tricky engineering that helped with the recovery efforts.

Maybe they could additionally change operations at the lock and dam systems associated with the St. Anthony Falls upstream, and lower the gates at the Coon Rapids Dam further upstream to hold more water.

Well-coordinated opeartions of downstream and upstream dams would also likely help a rapid and smooth reconstruction of the bridge.

What a horrible event! May the recovery and re-construction efforts go well!

PS: I lived in a rooming house close to the bridge while a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. I still remember the sound of I-35W traffic as well as the view of St. Anthony Falls!