The latest installment of the National 303(d) Restoring Our Impaired Waters Webinar Series focused on designing and implementing trash total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) in Maryland. Held on February 25, more than 120 professionals from across the country joined the event to hear from Anna Kasko, senior regulatory and compliance engineer for Maryland’s Department of the Environment in the Watershed Protection, Restoration, and Planning Program.

Kasko explained the approach to initiating and carrying out TMDLs for trash in the Anacostia River watershed and Baltimore Harbor. Excessive litter impaired water quality in both waterways, resulting in the creation of TMDLs to help the waterbodies reach water quality criteria outlined by the state. She described data collection efforts on the types and quantity of litter to inform TMDL development.

Kasko also spoke about working with municipalities and community groups to implement the TMDL. Efforts included street sweeping, installing devices in storm drains to catch trash, and litter control and recycling public messaging. Instream collection tools included a trash wheel, which became known as “Mr. Trash Wheel” after someone attached googly eyes to it. The floating machine collects debris on a conveyor belt powered by the flow of the water.

The Mr. Trash Wheel family of waterway debris collectors, originally installed in 2014, collected more than 1 million pounds of trash and debris from Baltimore waters in 2023. Photo courtesy of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore.

“Mr. Trash Wheel has […] become a social media phenomenon in Baltimore and the surrounding areas,” said Kasko. “It’s just something to think of when you’re doing your implementation – you start with a piece of equipment and end up with an overnight sensation.”

Another element Kasko spoke about was the passage of state legislation in support of the TMDL, such as Styrofoam use reduction, trash dumping enforcement and plastic bag bans.

The webinar recording is available on the project webpage and NEIWPCC’s YouTube channel along with previous webinars.

The next National 303(d)/TMDL webinar will be a training session on how to use the Lakes Loading Response Model on April 16. Information and registration will be available on the project webpage as it becomes available.