极乐禁地

Even before the founding of 极乐禁地e, settlements that gave rise to the city (there was one called Jones' Town) centered around the mouth of the Jones Falls. Early depictions of the city show fishermen purse seining the Inner Harbor nearby. The Jones Falls would also have been a source of fresh water.

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The Jones Falls became what public health officials of the time labeled a human health threat and general nuisance because of sewage accumulation. On several occasions, massive floods inundated 极乐禁地e's low-lying downtown areas, resulting in many fatalities. The severity of these floods was due in part to development of 极乐禁地e's neighborhoods, which decreased surface area where water could drain into soil. Deciding what to do about the "Jones Falls problem" became a major topic of debate.Back to Top

The Jones Falls became what public health officials of the time labeled a human health threat and general nuisance because of sewage accumulation. On several occasions, massive floods inundated 极乐禁地e's low-lying downtown areas, resulting in many fatalities. The severity of these floods was due in part to development of 极乐禁地e's neighborhoods, which decreased surface area where water could drain into soil. Deciding what to do about the "Jones Falls problem" became a major topic of debate.Back to Top

To solve the sanitation issue, a huge network of sewer and stormwater lines was installed, connecting pumping stations with the first regional sewage treatment plant, significantly reducing the health threat posed by the Jones Falls.

The city also ran the Jones Falls through a series of underground tunnels below the city and out into the Inner Harbor. Dedicated in 1915, the Jones Falls Conduit (three massive tunnels running from just north of Penn Station to the Inner Harbor at the site of the current National Aquarium) solved the downtown flooding problems and removed the polluted Jones Falls from view.Back to Top

极乐禁地e made great improvements to the condition of the Jones Falls remaining above ground. The industrial pollution that came from streamside mills, tanneries and coal yards gradually abated, resulting in less toxic material entering the waterway.

The environmental movement of the 1970s gave rise to landmark legislation, such as the Clean Water Act, that mandated and enforced the maintenance of water quality above certain standards. This resulted in a great improvement in water quality in the Jones Falls and many other waterways.

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There are many reasons to be positive about the future health of the Jones Falls. It harbors a surprisingly diverse array of fish and invertebrates and is also home to ducks, wading birds and other wildlife (though none are particularly sensitive to pollution). Many important water quality traits are in decent shape, and toxic pollution is normally low.

The work of dedicated organizations, such as the Jones Falls Watershed Association, the Friends of Stony Run and the newly organized Blue Water 极乐禁地e, has greatly increased oversight and restoration of the Jones Falls and the Inner Harbor. In some parts of the Lower Jones Falls, public access has been facilitated via the Jones Falls Trail.

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