A More Swimmable Harbor Arrives Today
Collective Action Cleaned This Harbor
For more than a decade, the Healthy Harbor Initiative has been championing the goal of a swimmable, fishable Baltimore Harbor in collaboration with a core group of non-profits, educational institutions, government officials, and business leaders and citizen volunteers.
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.
You Probabaly Have A Lot of Questions…
What is The Harbor Splash Event?
Harbor Splash is an organized jump into the Baltimore Harbor. It will take place at Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point sometime in 2024. The exact date and time will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. Harbor Splash will require registration and spots for this first swim will be limited. Swimmers, 18 and older, will be assigned a window of time to swim. All swimmers will be required to wear personal floatation devices (PFDs). The event will be supervised by an on-water events management company. Sign up for our email newsletter to be the first to know when registration opens.
Is the Harbor safe for swimming?
Yes, but not at any place or at any time. During the swim season, Waterfront Partnership samples the Inner Harbor daily (M-F) using the same methods used for testing swimming beaches in Maryland. Results consistently show the Harbor meeting the swimming standard during dry weather. As with other activities, swimming in an open body of water requires a personal assessment of risks and benefits. Following the beach swimming standard can greatly reduce but never eliminate risk. Waterfront Partnership recommends that swimming only take place during scheduled events at designated locations.
Can I Swim Anywhere I Want?
No. As with any large body of open water, there are important factors to consider before swimming. These include water quality, weather, boat traffic, and polluted sediment. While routine monitoring has found that the water in the Harbor meets the Maryland beach standard on dry weather days, Waterfront Partnership recommends that swimming only take place during scheduled events at designated locations.
Isn’t The Harbor Too Polluted For Swimming?
For over a decade, the Healthy Harbor Initiative has been championing the goal of a swimmable, fishable Baltimore Harbor. During that time, a core group of non-profits, educational institutions, government officials, and business leaders worked together to clean up the Harbor. This group brought Mr. Trash Wheel to life, invested over $1 billion in sewer upgrades, passed critical legislation, and conducted extensive water monitoring. As a result, sanitary sewer overflows have been reduced by 97%, over 450 tons of litter is removed from the water each year, plastic bags and foam containers have been banned, and the Harbor now meets the Maryland standard for swimming beaches on dry weather days.
How Can I find Water Monitoring Results?
During the swim season, Waterfront Partnership monitors five sites in the Inner Harbor daily (M-F) using the Maryland beach standard for swimming. Results are posted every weekday at www.waterfrontpartnership.org/water-quality-monitoring
Why swim in the Baltimore Harbor?
Swimming in the Harbor is a statement that we care about this watershed and are committed to working to ensure that our ecosystem thrives. We have the right, established by the Clean Water Act, to use our waterways for swimming, paddling, and other forms of recreation. Many people don’t realize how much the Harbor has changed over the last ten years. Swimming will help them realize the potential of a healthy harbor.
Don’t Worry, Let’s Dive Deeper
We’ve been doing this a while.
Dive into our blogs, where we explore the data, science, and community working towards a cleaner harbor, today!
