Hoyer Attends 26th Annual Bernie Fowler Patuxent River Wade-In
ST. LEONARD, MD – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) attended former State Senator Bernie Fowler's 26th Annual Wade-In today at Jefferson Patterson Park. Congressman Hoyer delivered brief remarks during the speaking program, and then joined Bernie, elected officials, and Southern Maryland residents as they walked hand-in-hand into the Patuxent River.
"For over a quarter century, Bernie's ‘sneaker index', while not scientific, has been a much-followed measurement of the Patuxent River's health and that of the Chesapeake Bay as a whole," stated Congressman Hoyer. "The ‘sneaker index' speaks to a simple truth: Marylanders want to know how well we are doing to protect our most precious natural resources. It teaches that anyone can come here, wade in, and test the waters to judge whether their elected officials are doing enough to clean up the Patuxent and the Bay."
"We have a special responsibility when it comes to the Patuxent, as it is the only tributary of the Chesapeake that flows entirely through Maryland," continued Congressman Hoyer. "It is an important part of our state's history and identity, and it is central to our local economy and to the livelihood of thousands of Marylanders. It is ours to protect, and I thank Bernie for making it his personal mission to do just that for 26 years. I've made a cleaner and healthier Chesapeake Bay a central part of my work in Congress, and I look forward to coming here again, year after year, to wade in with Bernie and our community."
Bernie Fowler held the first Patuxent River Wade-In in 1988 to assess how far he could wade into the river until he could no longer see his white sneakers, a non-scientific measurement known as the sneaker index. This year, the sneaker index was 34 inches.