Page 15 - Port of Baltimore Magazine - July/August 2013
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July/August 2013
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Placing the wetlands in the pond
also offered a chance to assess the
wetlands’ impact immediately. “We
could improve water quality without
a permitting process and evaluate
its effectiveness in a more timely
fashion,” Richardson said.
Richardson noted that the wetlands
island has a high nutrient-removal
rating — which helps the MPA comply
with Total Maximum Daily Load re-
quirements that detail the amount of
pollutants a body of water can receive
without harming water quality — but
with a small footprint. “It’s very cost-
effective,” he said.
The manmade island has three basic
components: the matrix, made from non-
woven fibers from recycled polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) plastic drinking
bottles that have been tested and found
to be non-toxic to fish; U.S. Coast Guard-
approved polyurethane, inert marine
foam that provides buoyancy; and PVC
pipe, inserted between the foam and
matrix with a cable running through it to
connect islands to one another. Made by
BlueWing Environmental Solutions and
Technologies, the island at Masonville
consists of four 200-square-foot
sections.
Each section has planting holes
and is topped with peat moss. School
children participating with the Living
Classrooms Foundation helped plant
several species whose root systems
draw pollutants from the water. The
floating wetlands also provide habitat
and cover for fish, said Jamie Smith,
Environmental Specialist with the
Maryland Environmental Service.
Masonville had once been the
site of Kurt Iron and Metal and the
Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock
Company. Now, the site is home to
walking trails, a fishing pier and a
floating dock for kayaks and canoes.
The island, with a natural, eye-
pleasing appearance, should not need
maintenance, and the plants should
reseed themselves. The Masonville
wetlands island is a pilot project, and
if it goes as well as expected, a similar
floating wetlands will be installed at
Colgate Creek, adjacent to the Dundalk
Marine Terminal.
