Photo by Skip Lawrence Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, center, speaks with Rob Schnabel of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, left, and Eric Kindahl, director of the environmental biology program at Hood College, during a visit to the Carroll Creek Wildlife park near Montevue Lane.

But they were at the forefront Tuesday as Attorney General Doug Gansler visited the Monocacy River watershed.

Gansler toured the Carroll Creek Wildlife Park, off Montevue Lane in Frederick , and a section of the Monocacy River streambank at Pinecliff Park. Earlier, he discussed wastewater issues with Frederick County officials.

Carroll Creek and all waterways in the eastern two-thirds of Frederick County form the Monocacy watershed.

The Monocacy, which flows into the Potomac River, is the Potomac's largest tributary. What happens along these tributaries affects the health of the Potomac, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay.

The health of the bay was the reason for his visit, Gansler said.

"It's the jewel of our state, and it's what our state is known for," he said. "It's dying. The state of the bay is far worse than the rhetoric indicates."

His office can make a difference in the environment by enforcing rules and punishing violators.

"From an enforcement side, we can go after some of the bigger agribusinesses," he said. "That's why you have to go to the river, to meet the people who know the problems. There's got to be political will and political courage for enforcement to tackle these issues. There's also immeasurable things we can do. A lot of it is education."

Agriculture bears some of the blame for the poor health of the bay, said Rob Schnabel, a representative of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation who focuses on the Monocacy watershed. Agriculture is not the only culprit, but good farming practices can improve the bay's health, he said.

Farmers who raise grass-fed dairy and beef cows go a long way toward restoring habitats that protect waterways from runoff.

Then there's the problem of cattle in rivers and streams.

"It's better for farmers to keep animals out of streams," Schnabel said. "It causes health problems for the animals."

Other culprits polluting streams with silt and runoff are golf courses and developers, said John Brognard, a Middletown resident and conservation vice president of the local chapter of the Federation of Fly Fishers.

Golf courses plant grass right up to stream banks and flush pesticides into waterways, Brognard said. It's not unusual for silt from a development to bypass plastic fencing and flow unchecked into a stream after a heavy rain, he added.

Carroll Creek Wildlife Park is a success story, said Eric Kindahl, director of the environmental biology program at Hood College. The park was once a farm that has reverted to nature.

Sycamores, red maples, sweet gum and other water-loving trees, along with silky dogwood and willow shrubs are helping the 1,250-foot stretch of Carroll Creek transform back into a wetlands. Kindahl's students have noted steady increases in water quality.

The creek, once home to native brook and rainbow trout, can now sustain trout in the spring when it's cooler. The increased shade provided by the trees means there's more oxygen in the water, which contributes to a healthier stream.

The Monocacy River watershed has the least amount of tree cover in the state, next to the Antietam Creek watershed in Washington County, said Dan Hodkinson, a local fishing guide and conservationist.

"This is our drinking water," Hodkinson said. "It's not just about fish. It's about people."