Harbor Splash Makes Waves To Reshape Baltimore’s Outlook On Its Waterways

Written By Aaron Cuison | Marketing Director

Harbor Splash, Baltimore's first swimming event in over 40 years, celebrated the efforts of Waterfront Partnership, City Government, and dozens of other organizations to transform and clean the harbor into a thriving and swimmable recreational space. Over 150 swimmers took part in the event, symbolizing a significant achievement for the city and offering a glimpse of Baltimore's promising future for our waterways.

For more than ten years, the Waterfront Partnership has been leading the efforts to make Baltimore Harbor swimmable and fishable. Throughout this time, a dedicated group consisting of nonprofits, educational institutions, government officials, and business leaders has collaborated to improve the Harbor. Together, they have brought Mr. Trash Wheel to life, invested over $1 billion in sewer upgrades, enacted important legislation, and conducted extensive water monitoring. As a result, there has been a remarkable 97% reduction in sanitary sewer overflows, the removal of over 450 tons of litter from the water annually, the banning of plastic bags and foam containers, and achieving the Maryland standard for swimming beaches on dry weather days.

Adam Lindquist, Vice President of the Waterfront Partnership, reminisced about being assigned this mission over a decade ago when he first started:

13 years ago, when I was interviewed for this job, Laurie Schwartz told me they wanted to make the Baltimore Harbor safe for swimming and fishing. It was my first job offer out of grad school so I said, absolutely ma’am, I would love to swim in the Harbor for this job… assuming I’m even still working here in 9 years. But as fate would have it, I was still working for Waterfront Partnership in 2020 and we were gearing up for a swim but then we all know what happened in 2020. The pandemic kept our feet dry until last year when we really got serious about jumping in thanks in no small part to encouragement from our staff scientist, Allison Blood. 

In 2023, Allison Blood and our intern Chloe Qualls collected over 700 water samples from April thru October. They visited 5 sites, including this one, five days a week. And they created the most comprehensive data set on bacteria in the Baltimore Harbor that anyone has ever seen. It was looking at that data that made it very clear that, if it had not rained, the Baltimore Harbor was meeting the Maryland standard for swimming beaches close to 100% of the time. Armed with that knowledge, we picked a dry weekend last summer and about a dozen advocates and Waterfront Partnership staff took the leap that you are about to take today… and we all lived to tell the tale!

Now, we know there are skeptics out there. We see you in the comments sections. And to the skeptics I would say, we respect your opinion. But I would like to propose that your opinion should not be set in stone. Like English philosopher John Stuart Mills said, “beware the deep slumber of decided opinion. For the fatal tendency of mankind to leave off thinking about a thing when it is no longer doubtful is the cause of half their errors.”

The harbor still has bad days and there is still more work to be done. We don’t expect everyone to change their minds overnight. But today, I urge us all to reconsider our relationship with the Baltimore Harbor and acknowledge that things are changing.

Today, we are giving public perception of the Baltimore Harbor an overdue makeover. And we are hiring the best PR firm in Baltimore to do it. And that PR firm is all of you here today. We need you to go out and tell everyone what you saw, what you experienced, and what you felt when you jumped into the Baltimore Harbor. 

Today, with the help of water-loving Baltimore icons like Mr. Trash Wheel and Mr. Splash; Today, with 10,000 square feet of new floating wetlands at the National Aquarium opening next month; And with two very enthusiastic river otters seen flocking on those wetlands just last week; Today, with ultra-marathon swimmer Katie Pumphrey about to swim from the Bay Bridge to Harborplace; And today, with the Baltimore Blueway, a water trail network that recently landed Baltimore on the New York Times’ list of 52 places to travel in 2024; And today, with a fishery that the Department of Natural Resources called the best place to catch rockfish in the entire Chesapeake Bay; So, today, I would like to introduce you today to your new, fishable and swimmable Baltimore Harbor.

~Adam Lindquist, Vice President

Laurie Schwartz, President of the Waterfront Partnership, took to the stage to thank Mayor Brandon Scott, “The Kayaking Mayor,” for his unfettered dedication to our waterfront. “We have to celebrate and acknowledge those who help us get to this point and for whats next!”

This is a day not to be overlooked because you're talking about a decade and more of work by everyone you saw. I want to thank Laurie, I want to thank Mike, I want to thank Adam, and all the institutions and Non-profits who helped put in the work, as well as all our team members at the Department of Public Works. These people believed this was possible when so many people believed this wasn't possible.

~Mayor Brandon Scott, City of Baltimore

Lauding the achievements of the Waterfront Partnership, Brooke Lierman, Maryland State Comptroller and Fells Point Resident, encouraged everyone to do their part in the years to come to uphold this progress and advocate for our waterfront. "We may be jumping in for just 5 minutes today, but let's make sure we can swim and play for hours in the years to come!"

“It was just a case of looking around, and saying ‘we can do better, we deserve better.’ We as citizens and members of this community deserve water that looks like this today” ~ Mike Hankin, President & CEO, Brown Advisory

David Bramble, Managing Partner & co-Founder, MCB Real Estat, took to the stage to reflect on how our city’s interaction with the water was a core piece of of their plans in revitalizing Harborplace. “When we realized we had a chance to take on a project that could change the future of Baltimore, we jumped at the opportunity. Not because it was easy, but becasue this our home and the Harbor is the Heart of the city.” MCB’s plans feature floating islands, kayak launches, and a wave pool that sits within the harbor’s water, envisioning a waterside paradise for our city.

Following sea of opening remarks came a flood of swimmers eager to jump in! Hundreds of on-lookers lined the shore in along Bond Street Wharf, Brown’s Wharf, and Broadway Pier as the Mayor and the first group of swimmers lined up for their plunge!

WBAL: How do you feel after that jump in the water?

Mayor: It was hot, It feels good! It was an important step, like i said, when I was a kid, I’d never imagine we’d be at a point where we can do this. Its a good day, and its a perfect day to do it!

WBAL: What message to you hope this sends to other Baltimoreans?

Mayor: That Together, we can make this swimmable every day. If we continue doing what we have to at city government and clean up our water system, but also the litter, the trash, if everyone is more responsible. This is our responsibility collectively, and so everyone who wants the water to be cleaner make sure their holding their neighbors accountable, make sure their thinking about the wastes and resources, we can do this together!

But you dont have to take our word for it below is a growing list of articles and accounts from swimmers who were excited to join at the Harbor Splash and spread the news, that Baltimore’s newest and largest recreational space is open for swimming!

  • Featured on the front page of today’s print edition (see attached).

With Baltimoreans excited for more swimming and kayaking events, we have more news and updates coming soon! Share the news: We need you to go out and tell everyone what's happening in our city, what you experienced, and what you felt when you jumped into the Baltimore Harbor.

Aaron Cuison | Marketing Director
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