Aeration Device To Be Installed in Harbor To Study Water Health

May 24, 2011

Baltimore, MD

Blue Water Baltimore, the Baltimore Harbor WATERKEEPER and KCI Technologies announced a pilot project to study aeration and mixing in the waters of Baltimore Harbor. This project will seek to verify the science and engineering that will be necessary to design future systems to help reduce the low oxygen “dead zones” which forms throughout the summer months. The pilot project will utilize a solar powered ‘SolarBee’ aeration and mixing device which will be anchored in the harbor off the end of the Recreation Pier at 1715 Thames Street in Fells Point on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 1 pm.

The pilot study program will involve monitoring and tracking dissolved oxygen, temperature of the water, salinity, density and conductivity. The knowledge gained may assist in the design of future devices to reduce Baltimore Harbor and Chesapeake Bay “dead zones,” responsible for wide spread fish-kills. 

“The results of the study will address questions such as how much power it will take to effectively aerate an area located within a tidally influenced dead zone; how long it will take to effect dissolved oxygen levels; and what areas will be impacted and over what distance,” said Halle Van der Gaag, deputy director of Blue Water Baltimore.

The goal of the pilot project is to monitor the effect of the device on the harbor water that leads to dead zones as well as oxygen content changes. Ultimately, this pilot project will provide the knowledge to be able to design systems to help alleviate dead zone areas in Chesapeake Bay and other estuarine water bodies affected by low dissolved oxygen. Increasing oxygen levels can help improve water-quality and make the water a cleaner and healthier place for fish and crabs to thrive. This knowledge will help add one more tool to help restore a healthy harbor and Chesapeake Bay. Funding for the pilot comes from a $100,000 grant from the Abell Foundation that allowed Blue Water Baltimore, the WATERKEEPER, and KCI Technologies to develop the plans for the study and the design for the aeration device. KCI will be conducting the monitoring. 

About Blue Water Baltimore 

Blue Water Baltimore is the leader in protecting and advocating for Baltimore’s waterways and works across the metro area to restore and protect our streams, rivers and harbor. Blue Water Baltimore is a nonprofit organization formed in 2010 through a merger of five thriving groups: the Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association, the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, the Gwynns Falls Watershed Association, the Herring Run Watershed Association and the Jones Falls Watershed Association. By building on the strengths of these five organizations, Blue Water Baltimore is the leading environmental voice for the region’s waterways.

KCI is an engineering, consulting and construction firm serving clients throughout the U.S. and beyond. With revenues of approximately $117 million in 2011, KCI is ranked 96 on the Engineering News-Record's list of the top 500 engineering firms in the country. Roughly 850 KCI employee owners provide environmental, transportation, telecommunications, construction, facilities, and land development services from more than 20 locations. For more information, visit www.kci.com.

For more information please contact:
George G. Perdikakis, Sr.
georgep@kci.com
410.316.7951