Overview

We help take care of Baltimore’s rivers, streams, and Harbor.

When it rains, the water that hits streets and sidewalks is called stormwater. It can carry oil, dirt, trash, and germs into storm drains. That dirty water ends up in our rivers and Harbor.

By law, we must control this stormwater. We have to make sure the water is cleaner before it reaches nature. The Department of Public Works (DPW) builds green systems to help clean the water. These systems help storm drains and pipes work better.

How You Can Keep Our Waterways Safe
a storm drain water flowing into it

Getting to Know Your Waterways 

Baltimore City has about 59 miles of coastline and 116 miles of streams, including the Jones Falls, Herring Run, and Gwynns Falls.  However, this is a fraction of what was originally a network of small streams and creeks that were piped and paved over as the City developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Many of these streams were either entirely buried or significantly covered, like Harris Creek (originally running from Patterson Park to the Harbor) and the Gwynns Run. Replacing these historic streams is a storm drain infrastructure, primarily installed prior to 1950, that includes:

1146 miles of storm drain pipes.
Storm drain pipes stacked in rows.
storm drain with water rushing into it on a cobble street.
52438 storm drain inlets.
27561 manholes.
DPW manhole cover.
Outfall pipe with water pouring out.
1709 outfalls.
  • 1,146 miles of storm drain pipes
  • 52,438 storm drain inlets
  • 27,561 manholes
  • 1,709 outfalls

Baltimore City Watersheds

Additionally,  Baltimore City consists of five watersheds. A watershed is an area where water drains into a waterway. These watersheds are:

  • Back River
  • Baltimore Harbor
  • Jones Falls
  • Gwynns Falls
  • Lower North Branch of the Patapsco River (LN Branch Patapsco)

Partners

Many environmental groups are working to improve water quality in local streams and the harbor. These include:

  • Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  • Blue Water Baltimore
  • Chesapeake Bay Foundation
  • Chesapeake Bay Trust
  • Civic Works
  • Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake
  • Living Classrooms
  • National Aquarium
  • Parks & People Foundation
  • Waterfront Partnership