Massive Susquehanna silt pile behind dam becomes political football in Chesapeake clean-up
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Washington Post] By Darryl Fears - November 14, 2014 -
For years, scientists described a giant pool of sediment behind Maryland's Conowingo Dam as a muddy boogeyman that threatened to turn the Chesapeake Bay's blue waters into a creamy brown mess.
But state and federal experts who steward the bay have abruptly changed course, saying that a two-year analysis released Thursday revealed that the sediment isn't nearly as threatening to the bay's water quality as first thought, and that spending up to $3 billion to remove it isn't worth the cost.
The report was released just over a week after the election of Larry Hogan (R) as Maryland's next governor. Hogan has called for dredging behind the dam, saying it would have more impact than other expensive efforts, including storm-water fees, restrictions on farm runoff and changes in septic disposal.
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