Stanley J. Kemp, professor in The University of Baltimore's Division of Science, Information Arts and Technologies and a local expert on waterways that run through the city, is part of a growing conversation about both the past and future of the Jones Falls, an urban river that was partially covered over by city engineers as a flood- and pollution-control measure in the early 20th century. Later, a federal highway known as the Jones Falls Expressway was built on the covered river. Both the Jones Falls and the JFX run near the UBalt campus in midtown Baltimore.
Prof. Kemp, who routinely leads UBalt environmental science students in studying the Jones Falls, tells The Baltimore Banner that any plan to restore the river to its natural state, e.g., "daylighting" the waterway, has to take into account its place in both the natural and built environments. The Jones Falls is prone to flooding, and at times that has led to deadly disasters. The quality of the water is another part of the problem.
"I would say one of the main driving forces was to build this system ... to stop those floods from happening. But the other thing to combat was the massive pollution," Kemp tells the Banner. "And, if you think it's bad today, it's nothing compared to what it was in the 19th century."
Prof. Kemp is among several experts and activists engaged in an ongoing conversation about improving the river. While the water remains polluted, Kemp, his students, and others who monitor it for contaminants say it is cleaner than in years past. He notes that he and his students have found more than 12 species of fish, eels and insects in the river's miles-long ecosystem.
"Nature is very resilient," Prof. Kemp tells the newspaper. "There's a lot of things that live in the Jones Falls, and it's probably more dangerous to us than it is to them."
As for modifying the Jones Falls in the future, he says, "People are easy to despair about urban waterways and stuff, but we've made a lot of progress and we need to continue to just take little baby steps."
Read the article in The Baltimore Banner.
Learn more about Prof. Stanley J. Kemp.